Migration Skills Assessment
The Migration Skills Assessment (MSA) is designed for individuals requiring a skills assessment for their skilled migration visa application to the Department of Home Affairs. The MSA outcome determines if you possess the requisite skills and experience to work in Australia in your nominated occupation. Eduspire offers comprehensive assistance throughout the entire Migration Skills Assessment process, providing one-on-one support to clients.
Skills assessments are conducted by specific authorities to verify if your skills meet their standards for relevant occupations. Each occupation listed in the eligible skilled occupations falls under one of four occupation lists, with most having their own assessing authority. It is your responsibility to contact the relevant authority for your occupation and obtain the required assessment. Each authority has its own procedures, timelines, and fees. Obtaining a suitable assessment is mandatory for certain visa subclasses and streams, and may be required for others. Reviewing all available visa information will help you determine if a skills assessment is needed and when to obtain it.
Skilled Occupation List
The following visas are available to individuals who are qualified to work or train in an eligible skilled occupation in Australia and can meet all other requirements:
- Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa (subclass 186)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa (subclass 187) - Temporary Residence Transition Stream
- Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) – Points-tested stream
- Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
- Training visa (subclass 407)
- Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482)
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) – Graduate Work
- Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 494).
Steps of Skills Assessment
Qualification Check
For professionals planning to migrate to Australia, a formal skills assessment is essential. Various authorized bodies in Australia, sanctioned by the Australian government's Department of Home Affairs, conduct assessments to evaluate qualifications, skills, and experience for employment in Australia. Prior to applying for an Australian visa, obtaining a migration skills assessment outcome letter from one of these authorized bodies is mandatory.
Qualification Assessment:
Your qualification's origin, type, and accreditation status are crucial for selecting the appropriate assessment pathway.
Accredited qualifications adhere to agreements like the Washington, Sydney, or Dublin Accords, ensuring recognition if certain conditions are met.
Application Preparation:
Begin the online application process, ensuring compliance with specific requirements for your chosen assessment type.
Gather necessary documents and review detailed guidelines provided in the migration skills assessment application publication.
Application Submission:
Create an account on the portal to initiate the online application process.
Select the desired assessment pathway, upload required documents, and submit the application.
Regularly monitor the application status through the portal and expect email confirmations upon successful submission.
Assessment Outcome:
Authorized bodies notify applicants of their assessment outcome via email.
Successful applicants receive a migration skills assessment outcome letter, valid indefinitely with Authorized bodies. Refer to the Department of Home Affairs website for visa application validity information.
Authorized bodies do not provide migration advice or award migration points; contact the Department of Home Affairs for such inquiries.
Outcome Review and Appeals:
Applicants can request a review of their assessment outcome within three months.
If dissatisfied with the review outcome, an appeal can be lodged within six months of receiving the original assessment.
Appeals undergo independent review by professional engineers, with final outcomes communicated via email.
Review and appeal fees are specified on the assessment fees and additional services page.