10.09.2026
Siva Visa Attends VETASSESS Trades and Professional Skills Assessment Webinar
Siva Visa Attends VETASSESS Trades and Professional Skills Assessment Webinar
On 18 August, the Siva Visa team joined a VETASSESS webinar covering both Professional (PSR) and Trades skills assessments. Natalie Beck, Lead Consultant and Team Leader, presented on ANZSCO Not Elsewhere Classified (NEC) occupations, while Olga Iakovleva, Manager of Skills Recognition for Trades, walked through the VETASSESS Trades assessment process in detail.
As a registered Australian migration agency, we make it a priority to stay current with VETASSESS requirements so we can guide clients through the skilled migration and skills assessment process accurately. Here are the key takeaways for you from the session.
A skills assessment is not the same as a trade licence
One important clarification from the webinar: a positive VETASSESS skills assessment, for example for Electrician (General), ANZSCO 341111, confirms an applicant's qualifications and experience, but it does not automatically grant a licence to work as an electrician in Australia. Licensing is a separate process, and the TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) pathway may apply differently for licensing purposes.
Assessment pathways depend on your passport
The available pathway can depend on the applicant's nationality:
What counts as evidence
VETASSESS looks for several types of supporting documents, including:
Evidence requirements for self employed applicants
If an applicant was self-employed, VETASSESS needs evidence that the business genuinely existed and that the applicant actually worked in the claimed role within it. Useful financial evidence can include:
The speakers also recommended submitting a full CV covering all of the applicant's work history, even experience not being formally claimed, since VETASSESS may identify additional relevant experience worth assessing.
A simple five question test for checking your evidence
One practical tool shared during the webinar was a quick test to run on every piece of evidence:
If any answer is unclear, additional supporting documents will likely be needed.
Cross check the occupation across multiple sources
Another key recommendation was to check the nominated occupation not just against the ANZSCO description, but also against Jobs and Skills Australia data and, most importantly, VETASSESS's current assessment requirements for that specific occupation.
Attending webinars like this one helps our team at Siva Visa stay up to date on VETASSESS skills assessment requirements, so we can better support clients pursuing Australian skilled migration through the Trades or Professional pathways.
As a registered Australian migration agency, we make it a priority to stay current with VETASSESS requirements so we can guide clients through the skilled migration and skills assessment process accurately. Here are the key takeaways for you from the session.
A skills assessment is not the same as a trade licence
One important clarification from the webinar: a positive VETASSESS skills assessment, for example for Electrician (General), ANZSCO 341111, confirms an applicant's qualifications and experience, but it does not automatically grant a licence to work as an electrician in Australia. Licensing is a separate process, and the TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) pathway may apply differently for licensing purposes.
Assessment pathways depend on your passport
The available pathway can depend on the applicant's nationality:
- OSAP (Offshore Skills Assessment Program) is available regardless of the applicant's passport
- TSS (Temporary Skill Shortage) pathway is only available to applicants from a specific list of countries
What counts as evidence
VETASSESS looks for several types of supporting documents, including:
- Employer statement
- Financial evidence
- Observation report, ideally from the applicant's supervisor
- Qualification and licence, where relevant
Evidence requirements for self employed applicants
If an applicant was self-employed, VETASSESS needs evidence that the business genuinely existed and that the applicant actually worked in the claimed role within it. Useful financial evidence can include:
- A letter from the business or its accountant
- Invoices together with Australian bank statements
- Proof the business exists, such as business registration or an online presence
- A statement from a regular client
The speakers also recommended submitting a full CV covering all of the applicant's work history, even experience not being formally claimed, since VETASSESS may identify additional relevant experience worth assessing.
A simple five question test for checking your evidence
One practical tool shared during the webinar was a quick test to run on every piece of evidence:
- Does it show the applicant actually performed the work?
- Does it show the work matches the nominated occupation?
- Does it cover the full period being claimed?
- Does it show the remuneration received?
- Can it be independently verified?
If any answer is unclear, additional supporting documents will likely be needed.
Cross check the occupation across multiple sources
Another key recommendation was to check the nominated occupation not just against the ANZSCO description, but also against Jobs and Skills Australia data and, most importantly, VETASSESS's current assessment requirements for that specific occupation.
Attending webinars like this one helps our team at Siva Visa stay up to date on VETASSESS skills assessment requirements, so we can better support clients pursuing Australian skilled migration through the Trades or Professional pathways.
