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Qualifications Assessment for Financial Advisers

If you are a financial adviser in Australia with a foreign qualification or want to enter the industry, you can apply for your qualification to be counted towards meeting the financial adviser education requirements.

Before making an application

The Australian Treasury has taken over licensing for Financial Advisers, previously managed by the Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority (FASEA).

New entrants and existing financial advisers in Australia who have completed a foreign qualification may apply for their foreign qualification to be counted towards meeting the financial adviser education requirements.

Before making an application, a foreign qualification must be assessed by a Department of Education-approved body to determine what the level of the foreign qualification is under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

VETASSESS is a Department of Education-approved body and we provide assessments of overseas qualifications for licensing purposes.

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Important Note:

Please note this is not an assessment for the purpose of migration to Australia. If you require a Skills Assessment for migration to Australia and VETASSESS is the designated assessing authority, please refer to Skills Assessment for Migration. If you have previously had a Skills Assessment with VETASSESS for the purpose of migration to Australia, please contact us at migrate@vetassess.com.au before lodging an application.

Am I eligible?

It is important that before you begin this process, you visit the Treasury website to find out more.

Please note:

  • A qualification which lacks official recognition by the relevant educational authorities in the country of the award does not lend itself to comparison to a qualification on the AQF.
  • Employment experience cannot compensate for the lack of a relevant formal qualification.
  • Treasury may have additional requirements for licensing. This qualification comparison to the AQF does not constitute or guarantee approval for licensing.

What is the assessment process?

The Qualification Comparison compares the educational level of your qualification(s) to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) educational levels. Requirements for licensing as a financial adviser are detailed on the Treasury Website.

Comparison of the level of your qualification(s) to the AQF is dependent on many factors, including, but not limited to, the recognition and/or accreditation status of the awarding institution, underpinning studies, structure of the program, length and mode of study, level of academic achievement, and the course entry requirements.

How to Apply

1

Check Eligibility

Check your eligibility for Priority Processing. 

2

Documents

Gather required documents for application. 

3

Apply

Apply online 

Application Fees

Assessment Type Applying from within Australia (inc GST) Applying from outside Australia (ex GST) 
Qualifications comparison to the AQF $295.90 $269.00 

*Refer to the Australian Taxation Office website for more information. 

Important Note:

You can find approximate times here.  Please allow an additional eight to ten weeks if you have to apply for verification of your Chinese qualifications through VETASSESS.

 

Required Documents

In this section, you will find a list of documents required to submit your application.

All identification and qualification documents must be high quality colour scans of original documents. If your documents are not in English, you must submit copies of the original documents as well as English translations conducted by a registered translation service.

Required documents

One recent passport-sized colour photograph is required. The photograph must be no more than six months old and of good quality (self-taken photographs are not acceptable). The photograph needs to be certified, signed and dated by the applicant. 

As proof of your identity, we require your passport biopage showing your name, photo and date of birth. If you do not have a passport, you will need to provide your full Birth Certificate.

If applicable, evidence of name change must be provided to address any naming inconsistencies in the documents submitted. This is to support your identity.

If your documents are not in English, you must submit copies of the original documents as well as the English translations made by a registered translation service.

 

The qualification award certificate is the official document confirming the completion of an awarded course of study. If you have not yet received your qualification award certificate, a provisional award certificate issued by the awarding body or an official statement of completion issued by the Registrar's department of the awarding institution will be accepted.

Please read notes about additional requirements for qualifications obtained from specific regions of the world below, to determine if they apply to your circumstances.

Provide us with your complete academic transcript. Transcripts are the official records from the institution outlining the courses / units of study as well as the final grades achieved as part of your academic qualification. If you attended a college affiliated to the awarding institution, the academic transcripts must be issued by the awarding institution authorised to award the qualification.

If you have any forms of professional registration, please provide evidence for the assessment. The evidence must show the country of registration, name of registration board, type of registration, registration number and expiry date.

Find the assessment fee below. 

Additional requirements

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS

Applicants with European qualifications should supply Diploma Supplements if available. Generally, these are only issued by educational institutions from countries participating in the Bologna Process.

Please supply evidence of passing the Professional Regulation Commission's Licensure Examinations if applicable. 

Most qualifications awarded by University Colleges and Institutes in Lebanon require evidence of approval by the Equivalence Committee of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Please supply this evidence confirming equivalency to a qualification awarded by a Lebanese university.

Qualifications that have been awarded by educational institutions in China must be verified by the Qualification Verification service at VETASSESS. You can read more about the Chinese Qualifications Verification process at here

Important Note:

  • If any required documentation is missing, the application may be delayed.
  • We will contact you for additional documentation, if necessary.
  • Forged, altered or falsified documents will not be assessed and no refund will be provided.

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