Electrician in Western Australia: the licence, the state nomination, and the visa

Where Electrician sits on WA's nomination list

Western Australia runs its skilled-nomination programme through WA Migration Services, using the WA Skilled Migration Occupation List (WASMOL). Electrician (General), ANZSCO 341111, appears on WASMOL's general stream, and building-and-construction occupations are treated as a priority industry sector when WA ranks expressions of interest for invitation. In the May 2026 trades invitation round, the last Electrician (General) EOI invited scored 65 points, submitted 16 May 2026, from an applicant residing in WA — meaning that round's invitations went at least as far as 65 points before running out. That is a snapshot of one round, not a promise about the next one: WA's ranking order also weighs current WA residence and EOI submission date ahead of points score, so a lower-scoring EOI lodged earlier by a WA resident can be invited over a higher-scoring one lodged later from offshore.

As with every state programme, meeting the WASMOL occupation criteria is separate from meeting the Department of Home Affairs' own points test and English requirements for the subclass 190 or 491 visa itself — WA's role is nomination, not the visa grant.

The WA electrical licence: gap training, not automatic recognition

An overseas trade qualification does not convert into a WA electrical licence on its own — nothing does. Building and Energy's published pathway for someone whose training was completed outside Australia runs through three stages. First, Trades Recognition Australia issues either an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR) or Technical Skill Assessment Record (TSAR) endorsed for Electrician (General) — this is the same TRA step that also underpins the visa. Second, the applicant submits Form R145 (Electrical Workers Permit application) to Licensing Services, together with the OTSR/TSAR, a police check no more than 3 months old, and proof of identity. Third, the permit holder works under supervision for a minimum of 12 months while completing one of two approved gap-training courses (the Australian Minimum Context Gap Training course, or the Electrical Trades Licensing Gap course — TSAR holders use only the latter), and the gap training itself must be finished within 2 years of starting.

Only once the gap training and the supervised period are both complete can the person apply for a full WA electrician's licence. Building and Energy states licence applications typically take 6-8 weeks to process once lodged — that is the processing time for the application itself, not the length of the gap-training period that precedes it.

WA electrical licence and permit fees (from 1 July 2026)

Western Australia's Building and Energy fee schedule sets these figures for the 2026-27 financial year, all GST-exclusive and non-refundable at the application-fee component:

Electrical Worker's Permit — 1 year: $218.00 total ($124.00 registration + $94.00 application). 2 years (the gap-training-only permit): $342.00 total ($248.00 + $94.00). 3 years: $466.00 total ($372.00 + $94.00).

Electrician's Licence (new application) — 1 year: $218.00 total ($124.00 + $94.00). 5 years: $714.00 total ($620.00 + $94.00).

An interstate or New Zealand applicant using mutual recognition pays the same fee structure as a new WA applicant; there is no separate reduced rate for mutual recognition on the electrician's licence. These are the fees actually published by the regulator — expect them to move again at the next 1 July.

Which visas actually reach this occupation

Electrician (General) sits on both Australia's Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) that the Skills in Demand 482 visa uses, which is why it reaches the widest set of pathways of any of the trades: 189 (skilled independent), 190 and 491 (state/territory nominated — WA's own programme covers these two), 186 (employer-sponsored permanent), 482 (temporary skilled), 485 (post-study, for those who qualify by study route) and 494 (regional employer-sponsored). See the occupation's own entity page at /occupations/341111-electrician-general for the full current list and assessing-authority details, and /blog/tra-trade-skills-assessment for how the Trades Recognition Australia assessment itself works.

What Migratio does not do here

Migratio has no relationship with WA employers and does not place candidates in electrical jobs. Nothing on this page or the job-interest waiting list implies an employer is waiting, and neither WASMOL inclusion nor a TRA assessment tells you whether Building and Energy will grant a permit or licence in your particular case — that decision sits entirely with Building and Energy, on the evidence you submit to them. What a MARA-registered migration agent can help with is the visa and nomination side: matching your occupation and points position to the right pathway. Licensing itself is a separate application you or your employer manages directly with Building and Energy.

Can I use my overseas electrical licence directly in WA?

No. WA licensing is not a recognition of a foreign licence — it is a fresh assessment. The Building and Energy pathway for an overseas-trained applicant runs through a TRA-issued OTSR or TSAR, an Electrical Workers Permit, and a minimum 12-month period of supervised gap training before a full WA licence can be issued.

How much does a WA electrical licence cost in 2026-27?

Building and Energy's fee schedule effective 1 July 2026 lists a 1-year electrician's licence at $218.00 total and a 5-year licence at $714.00 total. An Electrical Workers Permit is $218.00 (1 year) or $342.00 (2 years, gap-training only). All figures are GST-exclusive.

Is Electrician (General) on WA's nomination list?

Yes — it sits on the WASMOL general trades stream. In the May 2026 trades invitation round the last Electrician (General) expression of interest invited scored 65 points, from a WA-resident applicant. WA's ranking also weighs current residence and EOI date, not points alone.

How long does WA gap training take?

Building and Energy requires a minimum of 12 months of supervised employment while completing the approved gap-training course, and the course itself must be finished within 2 years of the permit being issued. The licence application that follows typically takes a further 6-8 weeks to process.

Does a TRA skills assessment give me a WA electrical licence?

No. TRA's assessment (an OTSR or TSAR) is the step that supports the visa and unlocks the Electrical Workers Permit — it does not itself authorise electrical work. The WA licence is a separate outcome, decided by Building and Energy after the supervised gap-training period.

Which visas can an electrician use to move to WA?

Electrician (General) is on the MLTSSL and CSOL, reaching 189, 190, 491, 186, 482, 485 and 494. WA Migration Services runs the state nomination component of the 190 and 491 pathways specifically.