Which skills assessment body do you need for Australian migration?

How the assessing authority system works

The Department of Home Affairs does not conduct skills assessments itself. Instead, it appoints specialist bodies — professional associations, government agencies, and industry bodies — to assess whether an applicant's qualifications and work experience are comparable to the Australian standard for a given occupation.

Every occupation on the skilled occupation lists has exactly one designated assessing authority. That match is published on the Home Affairs website and is binding — you cannot choose a different body even if another one seems relevant to your background.

The assessment itself typically involves two questions: does your qualification sit at or above the required AQF level for the occupation, and is your work experience genuinely at the skilled level? Most bodies also check that your experience is in a closely related field and falls within a certain number of years.

A positive outcome does not guarantee a visa. It is a prerequisite for lodging an expression of interest in SkillSelect and is one input among several — English test scores, age, state nomination — that determine your points score and visa eligibility.

Quick-reference: occupation category to assessing authority

The bodies below are the ones you are most likely to encounter. Fees and timeframes are as published by each authority in mid-2026 — confirm current figures on the body's own website before lodging, as fees are indexed and can change mid-year.

- IT, computing, data, cyber security: Australian Computer Society (ACS). Around $1,498 (General Skills pathway); roughly 6–12 weeks.
- Engineering (most disciplines): Engineers Australia. Around $1,001 CDR / $539 Accord / $336 Australian-accredited pathway (2025–26; a 3–4% rise applies from 1 July 2026); roughly 10–16 weeks.
- Nursing and midwifery: ANMAC. Around $395–$595 depending on pathway; roughly 6–8 weeks.
- Regulated health professions (doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists, psychologists and others): AHPRA via the relevant National Board. Fees vary by profession; confirm with the board. Roughly 4–12 weeks.
- Teaching: AITSL. Around $1,050 (GST-free); roughly 4–6 weeks.
- Accounting: CPA Australia, CA ANZ, or IPA (any of the three). Around $500–$900; roughly 4–12 weeks.
- Trades (overseas-qualified): Trades Recognition Australia (TRA), Migration Skills Assessment. Around $400–$450; roughly 12–16 weeks.
- Trades (Australian-trained international graduates): TRA Job Ready Program — a 12-month employment-based program.
- All other professional, managerial and general occupations: VETASSESS. Around $880–$1,100 for a full professional assessment; around 7 weeks standard, with priority processing available for an extra fee.

ACS — IT and computing occupations

ACS is the designated authority for ICT professionals: software engineers, systems analysts, database administrators, network engineers, ICT project managers, cyber security specialists, data scientists and related roles.

The core question ACS asks is whether your highest relevant qualification reaches the required AQF level for your nominated ANZSCO code, and whether your work experience is in a closely related ICT field at the skilled level. If your degree is not in a computing discipline, you can demonstrate equivalent knowledge through a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathway backed by extensive work experience.

The General Skills pathway fee is around $1,498. ACS assesses most software and systems roles at AQF level 7 (bachelor's equivalent); a lower-assessed qualification may need additional years of experience to compensate. Plan on 6–12 weeks for a standard application. ACS only covers ICT ANZSCO codes — if your role straddles ICT and another discipline, your nominated occupation determines the authority, so check the Home Affairs list rather than assuming ACS applies.

Engineers Australia — engineering occupations

Engineers Australia assesses civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, chemical, environmental, industrial and most other engineering disciplines, plus engineering managers.

The most common pathway for internationally qualified engineers is the Competency Demonstration Report (CDR): three career episodes describing your engineering work, a summary statement mapping them to the competency elements, and a continuing professional development record. Applicants with qualifications under the Washington, Sydney or Dublin Accords can often use the faster Accord pathway, and those with Australian-accredited degrees have a simplified route.

Fees for 2025–26 are roughly $1,001 (CDR), $539 (Accord) and $336 (Australian-accredited), with a 3–4% increase from 1 July 2026. Standard CDR processing runs around 10–16 weeks. One caution: Engineers Australia has tightened its review of machine-generated career episodes — your CDR must reflect your own engineering decisions in your own words.

ANMAC and AHPRA — nursing and the regulated health professions

ANMAC (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council) assesses registered nurses, enrolled nurses and midwives for migration. It offers several pathways — a full assessment (around $595) and modified assessments (around $395) for applicants trained in countries with comparable standards — with waits of roughly 6–8 weeks. Crucially, a positive ANMAC assessment is for migration only; you still need separate AHPRA registration before you can practise.

AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency), through the relevant National Board, handles the regulated health professions: doctors, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, optometrists, dentists and others. For most of these, AHPRA acts as both the migration assessor and the registration body. Fees vary substantially by profession — confirm on the relevant board's schedule. Timeframes range from a few weeks to several months, with medical practitioners often facing the longest, examination-based processes.

AITSL, the accounting bodies, TRA and VETASSESS

AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) assesses early childhood, primary, secondary and special education teachers — whatever subject you teach. The fee is around $1,050 (GST-free) and most assessment-ready applications finish within 4–6 weeks. AITSL checks that your qualification is equivalent to an Australian teaching qualification and includes supervised teaching practice; a missing practicum can sink an application.

For accounting occupations, three bodies are authorised — CPA Australia, CA ANZ and IPA — and you may use any one of them without holding membership. Fees run around $500–$900 and processing 4–12 weeks; the criteria are broadly similar but document requirements differ, so one body may suit your background better.

TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) covers most trades — electricians, plumbers, carpenters, mechanics, welders and others. Overseas-qualified tradespeople use the Migration Skills Assessment (around $400–$450, roughly 12–16 weeks); Australian-trained international graduates use the 12-month Job Ready Program.

VETASSESS is the catch-all, assessing over 360 professional and general occupations — scientists, business and management roles, social workers, surveyors, nutritionists and many more, plus some trades such as cooks and hairdressers. A full professional assessment runs around $880–$1,100 with roughly 7-week standard processing and a paid priority option. If no specialist body covers your occupation, it is almost certainly VETASSESS.

How do I find out which assessing authority covers my occupation?

Search your occupation by name or ANZSCO code on the Home Affairs skilled occupation list. The results show the assessing authority next to each occupation. This is the only authoritative source — the designated authority for some occupations has changed in recent years, so do not rely on third-party lists.

Can I choose which accounting body (CPA, CA ANZ, or IPA) assesses my skills?

Yes. For most accounting ANZSCO codes, all three bodies are approved and you can apply to whichever you prefer. You do not need to be a member of the body that assesses you. Confirm all three are listed for your specific code, then compare fees and processing times before lodging.

How long is a skills assessment valid for?

Most assessments are valid for three years from the outcome date, though this varies by body. If your visa application is not lodged before the assessment expires, you will need a renewal — usually cheaper than a fresh application but still time-consuming. Check the validity period stated in your outcome letter.

Is a skills assessment the same as AHPRA registration?

Not always. For most regulated health professions, AHPRA handles both the assessment and registration. For nurses and midwives, ANMAC does the migration skills assessment and AHPRA registration follows after the visa is granted. For engineers, IT professionals and others, the skills assessment does not involve any licence to practise — that is a separate step.

Do I need a skills assessment for an employer-sponsored 482 visa?

Usually no. Most subclass 482 employer-sponsored applications do not require a formal skills assessment from a designated authority — the employer's nomination process verifies your qualifications. Skills assessments are mainly required for the independent points-tested visas (189, 190, 491) and some state nomination categories. There are exceptions, so check the requirements for your specific visa and occupation.