You can find additional information regarding each occupation and the requirements for migration on the Department of Home Affairs website.

For information about the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), please refer to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) website. Please note that many occupations listed in ANZSCO may not be available for skilled visa purposes.
For a customised consultation on the General Professional Occupations, click here to find out more about our Skills Assessment Support (SAS) service.

If your occupation is not listed with us, you can try locating the occupation on the Department of Home Affairs website. Details of the relevant assessing authority will be listed there too.

A highly relevant field of study is the 'major' field of your qualification that matches your nominated occupation for skills assessment purposes. It is the discipline (study area) which is assessed as suitable preparation for employment in your nominated occupation in Australia.

In order to determine whether a qualification is in a highly relevant field of study to the nominated occupation, VETASSESS considers a number of factors including (but not limited to):

• whether you hold a specialised qualification or whether your qualification has a major or whether your qualification has a major field of study which VETASSESS has identified as being suitable for the occupation in Australia
• the depth (progression) and breadth of study in the major
• the employment outcomes of the qualification in the country concerned
• course requirements - including whether any thesis work, major projects, internships/work placements were needed in order for the qualification to be achieved.

Your qualification to be assessed must be at the educational level required for your nominated occupation. Each occupation requires a specific educational level based on the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Each occupation is also defined by an employment skill level. For example, the occupation of Actuary (ANZSCO Code 224111) requires an applicant to hold a formal academic qualification assessed at Australian Bachelor degree or a higher degree level.

In order to determine the educational level comparability of overseas qualifications against the AQF, the following is taken into consideration:

• the education system of the country where qualifications were obtained
• the accreditation status and recognition of the awarding institution and the program of study in the home country
• the level, structure, length and content of the program of study undertaken

Only full time (at least 20 hours per week) and paid employment can be considered for skills assessment purposes. The major tasks undertaken in your everyday work should closely match major tasks usually undertaken in that occupation in Australia. The employment to be assessed must also be performed at the required skill level of the nominated occupation.

For employment to be considered 'skilled', it must meet two requirements:

• that it was undertaken after you met the entry level requirements for the nominated occupation
• that it involved your primary/ main duties being performed at the level of depth and complexity for the nominated occupation

Each ANZSCO Unit Group of occupations lists a range of tasks based on the nature of each occupation as well as the differing skill levels required. Occupation tasks may vary in terms of the scope of responsibilities, knowledge and skills required. Usually the salary will reflect the level of skill required.

Example:

The ANZSCO tasks listed for a Customer Service Manager (ANZSCO Code 149212, VETASSESS Group C Occupation classification) include supervision of staff providing customer services, developing and reviewing policies and procedures concerning customer relations, and liaising with other organisational units to enhance customer service standards.

In comparison, a Construction Project Manager (ANZSCO Code 133111, VETASSESS Group A Occupation classification) requires specialised knowledge of the construction industry and major tasks may include: interpreting architectural drawings, specifications, bills of quantities and plans; estimating costs and quantities of labour and materials; creating and implementing coordinated programs for site activities and work control systems, and ensuring adherence to building legislation and standards of building performance.

For skills assessment purposes, full time work is paid employment performed for a minimum of 20 hours per week. Irregular periods that average out to 20 hours per week over a year will not be considered. For example, if you have worked in your nominated occupation for 12 hours per week over a three-month period and then worked 40 hours per week over a seven-month period, only the seven-month period would be considered for skills assessment purposes.

Please note that unpaid / partially paid leave, volunteer services or work towards gaining professional skills and/ or qualifications will not be considered as paid employment at the required skill level of a nominated occupation for skills assessment purposes.

Leave periods

Only periods of leave on full pay may be counted as paid employment for assessment purposes. 

The skill level for employment is considered to be post-qualification if the employment follows a qualification which is assessed at the required educational level for the nominated occupation. For Groups A and E, the employment must be post-qualification.

In some cases, applicants may have gained relevant employment experience prior to achieving the required qualification. If your selected occupation is classified under our authority in Groups B, C and D, pre-qualification employment may be considered for skills assessment purposes.

The criteria for pre-qualification employment include a period of “qualifying” employment preceding the required one year of highly relevant employment at an appropriate skill level.

Pre-qualification employment requirements for groups B, C and D are as follows:

• Group B – five years of relevant employment required in addition to at least one year of highly relevant employment performed at the required skill level in the last 5 years before applying
• Groups C and D – three years of relevant employment required in addition to at least one year of highly relevant employment performed at the required skill level in the last 5 years before applying.

As part of the assessment process, VETASSESS will determine the date you met the entry level requirements for the nominated occupation based on closely related employment within the last ten years. VETASSESS will only count skilled employment post the Date Deemed Skilled as eligible for points test purpose.

VETASSESS issues skills assessments on the basis of attainment of a qualification at the required educational level and also requires a period of post-qualification work experience before considering an applicant as suitably skilled for the purpose of employment points.

Therefore, the Date Deemed Skilled noted on the VETASSESS outcome letters will be determined by the number of years of employment required for meeting the skills assessment requirements for the applicant’s chosen occupation. Only highly relevant and/or closely related work experience completed after the Date Deemed Skilled will be considered as skilled employment that is eligible for points test purposes.

The work experience required to meet the skills assessment criteria will be noted as a qualifying period to meet the skill level of the nominated or closely related ANZSCO occupation. As such, the years of work experience required to meet the skills assessment criteria will not be included in the total number of years of skilled employment assessed positively for points test purposes.

Please consider the following scenarios for a skills assessment application received in January 2018:

Scenario 1

An applicant has nominated the occupation of Marketing Specialist (ANZSCO Code 225113). He has obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration in December 2008 and is now working as a marketing executive with a global pharmaceutical company since January 2014. Prior to this employment, he worked as a market researcher for a marketing research consultancy firm from January 2012 to January 2013.

For skills assessment purpose, the Bachelor of Business Administration is assessed as meeting the educational requirements for the nominated occupation. In addition to this, based on his current employment as marketing executive which falls within the last five years, he has at least one year of highly relevant employment which meets the employment requirements for the nominated occupation.

In order to determine the "Date Deemed Skilled", the applicant’s employment as market researcher (From January 2012 to January 2013) is used to calculate the qualifying period required to meet the skill level of the nominated or closely related ANZSCO occupation. The one year of work experience required to meet the skills assessment criteria for the chosen occupation is not counted as skilled employment assessed positively for points test purposes. Only skilled employment post January 2013 will be eligible for the purpose of employment points test.

Scenario 2

An applicant has nominated the occupation of University Lecturer (ANZSCO Code 242111). He has obtained a Doctoral degree in Biological Sciences in March 2012, worked as a postdoctoral researcher with a research centre from April 2012 to March 2015, and is now working as an assistant professor with a university since April 2015.

For skills assessment purpose, the doctoral degree is assessed as meeting the educational requirements for the nominated occupation. In addition to this, based on his current employment as assistant professor which falls within the last five years, he has at least one year of highly relevant employment which meets the employment requirements for the nominated occupation.

In order to determine the "Date Deemed Skilled", the applicant’s employment as postdoctoral researcher (from April 2012 to March 2013) is used to calculate the qualifying period. The one year of work experience required to meet the skills assessment criteria for the chosen occupation is not counted as skilled employment assessed positively for points test purposes. Only skilled employment after March 2013 will be eligible for the purpose of employment points test.

Scenario 3

An applicant has nominated the occupation of Café or Restaurant Manager (ANZSCO Code 141111). She has obtained a Bachelor of Computer Applications in March 2009. From September 2009 to November 2015, she worked as a store manager for a retail shop. From December 2015 to present, she has been working as restaurant manager in her own restaurant.

For skills assessment purpose, the Bachelor of Computer Applications meets the educational level requirement of at least AQF Diploma level but the major field of study is not highly relevant to the nominated occupation. Therefore, two years of highly relevant employment are required to meet the skills assessment criteria for the nominated occupation.

The applicant’s work experience as store manager is assessed as not highly relevant to the nominated occupation. However, based on her current employment as restaurant manager which falls within the last five years, she has at least two years of highly relevant employment which meet the employment requirements for the nominated occupation.

In order to determine the "Date Deemed Skilled", the applicant’s skilled employment as restaurant manager (from December 2015 to November 2017) will be used to calculate the qualifying period. The two years of work experience required to meet the skills assessment criteria for the chosen occupation are not counted as skilled employment assessed positively for points test purposes. Only skilled employment after November 2017 will be eligible for the purpose of employment points test.

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.

ANZSCO is the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations.

The occupations in ANZSCO have a 6 digit code and are grouped by occupation type:

• Major Group 1 Managers
• Major Group 2 Professionals
• Major Group 3 Technicians and Trades Workers
• Major Group 4 Community and Personal Service Workers
• Major Group 5 Clerical and Administrative Workers
• Major Group 6 Sales Workers
• Major Group 7 Machinery Operators and Drivers
• Major Group 8 Labourers

To find out more information about the definition of ANZSCO Codes, refer to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) website.

For all general enquiries via phone or email, VETASSESS can only provide information regarding our assessment process. We are unable to tell you which visa is best for you, which state or territory list your occupation appears on, or whether you will meet the visa requirements. For any questions regarding visa requirements and/ or eligibility, please contact the Department of Home Affairs.

You need to decide which occupation to nominate before submitting an application for assessment with VETASSESS. If you are unsure about which occupation may be best suited to your credentials, you may consider using our Skills Assessment Support (SAS) consultation service. You can read more about the SAS consultation service by clicking here.