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Points Test Advice

The Points Test Advice is an opinion of:

  • the comparative educational level of your qualifications against the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
  • your employment in your nominated occupation or a closely related occupation in the last 10 years (please note that we cannot provide Points Test Advice for employment where the primary occupation nominated is not one assessed by VETASSESS).

The Points Test Advice will be taken into consideration by the Department of Home Affairs when assessing your eligibility for points. The Points Test Advice provided by VETASSESS is not binding on the Department. The Department of Home Affairs may undertake further investigations to verify the qualifications and employment claims made in your application. Determination of the points remains at the discretion of the delegated officers of the Department. A successful skills assessment from VETASSESS is not a guarantee that you will meet the Points Test requirements.

Trade applicants should apply to Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) to receive Points Test Advice.

Who can apply?

Please note that as of 1 January 2015, all VETASSESS applicants are provided with an integrated skills assessment outcome letter with Points Test Advice included. 

For applicants who meet the skills assessment criteria for VETASSESS occupations, we will determine the date that you were deemed skilled in your nominated occupation within a ten year period. The Date Deemed Skilled is the date you have met the VETASSESS skills assessment criteria. Only employment undertaken after the Date Deemed Skilled will be counted as skilled employment that is eligible for points test purposes. Years of work experience required to meet the skills assessment criteria is not counted as skilled employment eligible for points test purposes. 

Applications for Points Test Advice  are usually required where:

  • you have received a Skills Assessment from a different assessing authority and have been referred to us by your skills assessing authority and/or the Department of Home Affairs for Points Test Advice on the educational level comparability of your overseas qualification only; or
  • you have already received a positive skills assessment from VETASSESS for your nominated occupation and wish to include additional qualifications and employment for points test purposes. However, if your skills assessment has expired (which is indicated where the original issue date of the skills assessment is more than three years ago), please go to the Renewal - Expired Skills Assessment section of our website.

How to apply

You may lodge your application online or by mail. Before applying, please ensure  you have read these important sections:

Once you are familiar with the application process, proceed to the lodgement of your application by following the link below.

FAQs

We will assess the highest qualification held (regardless of the area of study), up to postgraduate doctoral degree level. The assessment for overseas qualifications determines the definitive educational level in Australian terms. Please note that according to the Department of Home Affairs, points for qualifications at Master degree level can only be awarded where applicants have also completed a Bachelor degree that is assessed by the relevant skills assessing authority as being comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree level.

Applicants with non-VETASSESS occupations will be provided with a Qualifications-only assessment and are advised to contact their relevant assessing authority for Points Test Advice on their employment claims.

When assessing employment for the Points Test Advice, we require the following for a positive outcome:

  • Employment must be highly relevant to the nominated occupation, or in a closely related occupation and at an appropriate skill level for your nominated occupation
  • Employment must be full time (at least 20 hours per week)
  • Employment must be genuine and verifiable
  • Employment must be undertaken within the last ten years.

We define highly relevant employment as paid employment of at least 20 hours per week, in which the majority of everyday tasks closely match the major tasks undertaken in the nominated occupation in Australia and are performed at an appropriate skill level for the nominated occupation in Australia.

VETASSESS will only count skilled employment post the Date Deemed Skilled as eligible for points test purposes. In these circumstances, the claimed employment will need to be related to and at the skill level of your nominated occupation. This means that you must have undertaken closely related employment that is paid employment of at least 20 hours per week in an occupation in the same Unit Group of ANZSCO (the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) as the nominated occupation. Generally, all ANZSCO unit groups are at one skill level, which is defined as a function of the range and complexity of the set of tasks performed in a particular occupation. In addition to this, VETASSESS will also consider closely related employment that is consistent with a career advancement pathway relating to your nominated occupation. Career advancement would usually take the form of a promotion to a senior role or higher level that relates to your nominated occupation and incorporates greater responsibility.

For more information on ANZSCO skill level and unit groups please refer to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) website.

In order to consider employment undertaken whilst completing a PhD for Points Test purposes, the employment would need to be paid, at least 20 hours per week and the tasks performed should be at the required skill level and highly relevant/closely related to the nominated occupation. PhD research tasks which are unpaid cannot be assessed for employment under the Points Test Assessment.

The documents required for Points Test Advice are the same as for Skills Assessment, although employment evidence for Points Test purposes may cover positions held in the last ten years. Please see Required Documents for more information. You will need to ensure that you submit sufficient evidence for the assessor to make an assessment of your employment claims. Employment documents and claims which cannot be verified as genuine and authentic cannot be given a positive outcome.


The Department of Home Affairs has further information on its website regarding the Points Test for General Skilled Migration (GSM) visas.


If you are applying online, you will be guided through a list of documents that you will need to supply for your application. If you are applying by mail, please ensure you view the list of required documents.

For any enquiries relating to visa eligibility or points allocation, please contact the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs at www.homeaffairs.gov.au