You must provide evidence that your skills have been assessed as suitable for your nominated occupation by the relevant assessing authority. You must provide from the relevant assessing authority a full (permanent) skills assessment which must be used for Points Tested Skilled Migration.
SeekVisa has many years of experience helping clients with their skills assessment.
494 visa skills assessment requirements
You must have your skills assessed as suitable for the nominated occupation by the relevant assessing authority. The assessment will show us you have the skills to work in the nominated occupation.
The skills assessment must be undertaken before your application is lodged. A skills assessment obtained for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) is not a valid assessment for this visa.
You do not need to complete a skills assessment if at the time of application you held a Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) or Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) for the nominated occupation and in order to be granted that visa, you were required to demonstrate your skills by providing a suitable skills assessment.
You are exempt from this criteria if any of the following applies to you:
- you are nominated as an academic (University Lecturer or Faculty Head at academic Level A, B, C, D or E) by an Australian university
- you have held a Special Category visa (subclass 444) or New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa (subclass 461) visa for the last 3 years immediately before you apply and have worked for the employer who nominated you, in the nominated occupation, for at least 2 years during that time
491 visa skills assessment requirements
For your application to be valid, you must declare that you have a suitable skills assessment at time of invitation.
You will need to provide a copy of this skills assessment with your application.
For medical and legal practitioners, we also accept the following as proof of a skills assessment:
- full or unconditional or general medical registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
- conditional specialist registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. This only allows you to practise in your speciality. You need no further training or supervision
- admission to practice law in the relevant state or territory
Your skills assessment must have been obtained in the 3 years before the date of your invitation. If the assessment was for a shorter period, that period must not have passed.
If your skills were assessed on the basis of a qualification you got in Australia when you held a student visa, the qualification must be from studying a course registered on CRICOS.
We are specialists dealing with the following skills assessing authorities:
- AACA – Architects Accreditation Council of Australia, Inc
- AASW – Australian Association of Social Workers
- ACS – Australian Computer Society
- ACOPRA – Australian Council of Physiotherapy Regulating Authorities, Inc.
- ADC – Australian Dental Council
- AIM – Australian Institute of Management
- AIMS – Australian Institute of Medical Scientists
- AIQS – Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors
- AIR – Australian Institute of Radiography
- AIWCW – Australian Institute of Welfare and Community Workers
- AMSA – Australian Maritime Safety Authority
- ANCI – Australian Nursing Council Incorporated
- APC – Australasian Podiatry Council
- APEC – Australian Pharmacy Examining Council Inc
- APS – Australian Psychological Society
- ASCPA – Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants
- CASA – Civil Aviation Safety Authority
- DAA – Dieticians Association of Australia
- ICAA – Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia
- IEAust – Institution of Engineers, Australia
- ISA – Institution of Surveyors, Australia
- NAATI – National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters
- NOOSR – National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition
- OCANZ – Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand
- SLAA – State Legal Admission Authority
- SPAA – Speech Pathology Association of Australia
- TRA – Trades Recognition Australia
- VETASSESS – Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services
