Skills Assessment Bodies Australia

Choosing the right skills assessment body is the single most important early step in any Australian skilled migration application. Get it wrong and you risk months of delay — or an invalid assessment that can't be used at all. Here's the full, current list of Australia's designated assessing authorities, straight from official sources.

What Is A Skills Assessment Body?

A skills assessment body (also called an assessing authority) is an organisation formally approved by the Australian Government — appointed by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship — to evaluate whether a migrant's qualifications, work experience and skills meet Australian standards for a specific nominated occupation. The Department of Home Affairs relies on these assessments to decide eligibility for the Subclass 189, 190, 491, 494, and 186 Direct Entry visas, and for some 482 occupations. The full, current list of assessing authorities is maintained on Home Affairs' Skilled Occupation List page — always confirm your specific occupation there, as authorities are occasionally updated (for example, the Institution of Surveyors NSW was recently legislated as the new assessing authority for the Surveyor occupation).

The Main Skills Assessment Bodies In Australia

• VETASSESS – The largest assessing authority, covering most professional, managerial and technical occupations without a dedicated body (marketing specialists, HR managers, financial advisers, scientists, economists, and more). Standard assessments take around 7 weeks; priority processing is available.
• Engineers Australia (EA) – Assesses 31 recognised engineering occupations via the Migration Skills Assessment (MSA), using Washington, Sydney or Dublin Accord pathways, or the Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) for non-accredited qualifications.
• Australian Computer Society (ACS) – The designated body for IT and technology occupations, including software engineers, developers, and analysts.
• Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) – Assesses trade occupations such as electricians, chefs, mechanics, carpenters and welders, primarily through the Job Ready Program (for onshore applicants) or offshore skills assessment.
• Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) – The assessing authority for nursing and midwifery occupations, working alongside AHPRA registration requirements.
• CPA Australia, CA ANZ, and the IPA – Assess accounting occupations, with the specific body depending on your role and membership pathway.
• Institute of Managers and Leaders ANZ (IML ANZ) – Assesses management and leadership occupations not covered elsewhere.
• VETASSESS, AITSL, and state teaching authorities – Cover teaching occupations, depending on the education sector.

Occupations, and the bodies that assess them, are reviewed periodically — always cross-check your ANZSCO code against the current Skilled Occupation List before applying.