VETASSESS Skills Assessment: What You Need to Know

VETASSESS operates two main streams: Professional Occupations (usually requiring a bachelor's degree or higher) and Trades Occupations (usually requiring a formal trade qualification and hands-on experience). Which stream applies is determined by your nominated ANZSCO code.

Within each stream, VETASSESS assesses two things: the equivalence of your qualification to an Australian benchmark, and the relevance of your employment experience to your nominated occupation.

For professional occupations, VETASSESS compares your highest qualification against the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). For most professional roles, this needs to be at AQF Bachelor level or above.

The field of study also matters. VETASSESS distinguishes between highly relevant qualifications (directly aligned with your nominated occupation) and closely related ones (aligned to a lesser degree). Highly relevant qualifications reduce the amount of relevant employment you must demonstrate; closely related ones increase it.

VETASSESS assesses your employment history in similar terms. Highly relevant employment closely matches the duties of your nominated ANZSCO occupation. Closely related employment is in the same field but not directly matched.

Only employment classified as highly relevant counts fully toward the minimum experience requirement (typically one year for a positive outcome, though this varies).

This distinction matters because a job title alone does not determine relevance. VETASSESS looks at the substance of your duties, described in employer reference letters, and how those duties align with the ANZSCO code you've nominated.

Identity: Passport (or equivalent), name-change documents if applicable.

Qualifications: Degree certificate(s), academic transcripts for each year, and, where required, colour scans of the original documents in the language of study plus certified English translations.

Employment: Employer reference letters on letterhead covering every claimed role, along with supporting evidence: contracts, payslips, tax returns and, if applicable, statutory declarations.

Additional evidence: CV, professional membership documents, position descriptions and, where applicable, English test results.

VETASSESS offers a priority processing service for an additional fee. Priority processing moves your application forward in the queue but does not change the outcome. Use it only when there is a genuine reason to move quickly (a visa lodgement deadline, for example) and only when your documentation is already at a high standard.

1. Missing academic transcripts. Some applicants submit only their final degree certificate; VETASSESS almost always needs full transcripts for each year.

2. Reference letters that don't explain duties. Statements that repeat the job title without breaking down what you actually did.

3. Confusing highly relevant with closely related. Assuming any role in your industry counts, when VETASSESS is looking for occupation-specific duties.

4. Overlapping employment claims. Two full-time roles at the same time without clear evidence that both were legitimate.

5. Translations without accreditation. Non-NAATI translations for documents that require certification.

Migration First coordinates the preparation of your VETASSESS application end-to-end — from selecting the right ANZSCO code, to preparing employer reference letters that maximise the classification of your employment as highly relevant, to quality-reviewing every document before submission.

For any regulated migration advice, Migration First collaborates with independent Registered Migration Agents who provide those services directly to clients.