Documents Required for Skills Assessment Australia: Complete Checklist

Preparing for a skills assessment in Australia? Your documents are one of the most important parts of the application. This guide explains the common documents required, what different assessing authorities may ask for, and how to organise your evidence before you apply.

What Is a Skills Assessment in Australia?

A skills assessment is used to determine whether your skills, qualifications and/or work experience are suitable for your nominated occupation in Australia.

The appropriate assessing authority depends on your occupation. For example:

• Engineers Australia assesses many engineering occupations.
• Australian Computer Society (ACS) assesses eligible ICT occupations.
• Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) assesses many trade occupations.
• VETASSESS assesses a wide range of professional and other occupations.

If you are unsure which authority assesses your occupation, visit Skills Assessment Australia for further guidance.

The documents required can differ significantly depending on your occupation, assessing authority and assessment pathway. This means there is no single checklist that applies to every applicant.

Documents Required for Skills Assessment Australia

All assessing authorities have their own requirements. However, applicants may need to provide a combination of identity, qualification, academic and employment documents.

Common documents can include:

• Passport and identity documents
• Qualification certificates
• Academic transcripts
• Employment reference letters
• Employment contracts
• Payslips and tax records
• Bank statements showing salary payments
• CV or resume
• Professional registration or licences, where applicable
• Business documents for self-employed applicants
• English translations for documents that are not in English, where required

The exact evidence required should always be checked against the current requirements of the relevant assessing authority before you submit your application.

1. Passport and Identity Documents

Your identity documents are generally an important part of a skills assessment application. Depending on the assessing authority, you may need to provide:

• Current passport
• Birth certificate, where applicable
• National identity document, where applicable
• Evidence of a previous name
• Marriage certificate or other name-change evidence, if applicable

The information should be consistent across your documents. If the name shown on your passport differs from the name appearing on your qualification or employment documents, provide appropriate evidence explaining the difference.

2. Qualification Certificates

Your educational qualifications are an important part of many skills assessments. Depending on your occupation and assessment pathway, you may need to provide:

• Degree certificates
• Diploma or advanced diploma
• Trade certificates
• Qualification certificates
• Training certificates
• Other relevant educational awards

Your qualification documents should clearly identify the qualification, educational institution and date of completion.

Some assessing authorities may also require additional information about your course content or study history to determine whether your qualification is relevant to the nominated occupation.

3. Academic Transcripts

A qualification certificate may not be sufficient on its own. Many assessing authorities may also request academic transcripts or detailed study records.

These documents may include:

• Subjects studied
• Grades or marks
• Course duration
• Dates of study
• Institution details
• Qualification awarded

Academic requirements vary between authorities and assessment pathways. For example, Engineers Australia has different requirements depending on the migration skills assessment pathway being used.

4. Employment Evidence

If skilled employment is relevant to your assessment, you may need to provide evidence demonstrating your work experience.

Common examples include:

• Employment reference letters
• Employment contracts
• Appointment letters
• Payslips
• Tax records
• Bank statements showing salary payments
• Superannuation or pension records
• Government employment records
• Position descriptions

The type and amount of evidence required depends on the assessing authority. In some cases, an employment reference alone may not be sufficient to establish that the claimed employment was genuine.

5. Employment Reference Letters

If employment experience is being assessed, your reference letters should provide a clear and detailed description of your employment.

Depending on the authority, a reference letter may need to include:

• Employer name
• Your position or job title
• Start and end dates
• Hours worked
• Salary or remuneration
• Main duties and responsibilities
• Employment type
• Work location
• Employer contact details
• Authorised signatory details

Your stated responsibilities should be accurate and consistent with your other supporting evidence, including your CV, contracts and other employment records.

6. CV or Resume

A recent CV or resume may also be required as part of your skills assessment application.

Your CV should clearly show:

• Education
• Employment history
• Job titles
• Employers
• Employment dates
• Relevant professional experience
• Licences or registrations

Make sure the information in your CV is consistent with your employment references and other supporting documents. Differences in dates, job titles or employment history may require further explanation or evidence.

Additional Documents for Self-Employment

If you are self-employed, you may need to provide additional evidence demonstrating that your business was operating and that you personally performed the claimed work.

This can include:

• Business registration documents
• Client contracts
• Invoices
• Business bank statements
• Tax records
• Financial statements
• Client reference letters
• Evidence of services provided
• Organisation charts

The evidence should help establish both the operation of the business and the nature of the work you personally performed.

Skills Assessment Documents by Assessing Authority

The documents required can vary significantly between assessing authorities. The assessment pathway you use may also affect what evidence you need to submit.

Engineers Australia

For engineering applicants, Engineers Australia may require identity documents, engineering qualifications, academic transcripts and evidence relevant to the selected assessment pathway.

Depending on the pathway, a Career Episode and Summary Statement may also be required. Employment evidence may be required in certain circumstances.

For more detailed information, refer to the Engineers Australia Skills Assessment: Complete 2026 Guide for Skilled Migration.

ACS

ICT professionals applying for an ACS skills assessment may need to provide:

• Identity documents
• Qualification certificates
• Academic transcripts
• Employment references
• Employment evidence
• CV or resume
• Other supporting documents depending on the assessment pathway

For ICT-specific information, refer to the ACS Skills Assessment Guide.

Trades Recognition Australia (TRA)

Applicants for trade occupations may be required to submit evidence such as:

• Trade qualifications
• Training records
• Employment references
• Payslips
• Tax records
• Employment contracts
• Licences or registrations
• Other evidence required under the relevant TRA pathway

For more information, see APG’s TRA Skills Assessment Guide for Australia PR.

VETASSESS

VETASSESS assesses a wide variety of occupations, with requirements that can differ depending on the occupation and assessment pathway.

Qualification documents, academic transcripts, employment history, reference letters, contracts, job descriptions, licences and other supporting documents may be required depending on your assessment.

Before applying, make sure you have reviewed the current requirements for your specific occupation and assessment pathway.

Do Documents Need to Be Translated?

English translations may be required if your documents are not in English. The exact requirements can vary between assessing authorities, so check the current instructions before submitting your application.

The Department of Home Affairs also has requirements relating to translations of non-English documents for Australian visa applications.

Important: Do not assume that the translation requirements for a visa application are identical to those of your skills assessing authority. Always check the specific requirements of the organisation assessing your occupation.

Skills Assessment Document Checklist

Use the following as a general starting checklist when preparing your skills assessment documents:

Important: This is a general checklist, not an exhaustive list. The actual requirements can vary depending on your occupation, assessing authority and assessment pathway.

How to Prepare Your Documents

Before submitting your skills assessment application, work through the following steps:

1. Identify your occupation: Determine the skilled occupation you plan to nominate for your skilled migration pathway.
2. Confirm the assessing authority: Identify the organisation responsible for assessing your nominated occupation.
3. Check the current requirements: Review the latest document requirements published by the relevant assessing authority, as requirements can change over time.
4. Organise your evidence: Keep your identity, qualification and employment documents organised so you can easily identify anything that may be missing.
5. Check for inconsistencies: Compare employment dates, job titles, employer names and qualification information across your documents.
6. Submit the correct evidence: Follow the authority’s requirements for documents, file formats, translations and certification, where applicable.

What Happens After a Positive Skills Assessment?

A positive skills assessment is an important part of many skilled migration pathways, but it does not automatically result in an Australian visa or permanent residency.

You may also need to satisfy requirements relating to:

• English language
• Age
• Points
• Occupation eligibility
• Expression of Interest (EOI)
• State or territory nomination
• Visa eligibility

Applicants applying for relevant points-tested skilled migration pathways generally need a skills assessment in their nominated occupation before lodging an EOI through SkillSelect with Home Affairs.

Read more about Expression of Interest (EOI) Australia.

You can also explore APG’s General Skilled Migration Australia information for an overview of skilled migration pathways.

Frequently Asked Questions

What documents are required for a skills assessment in Australia?

Common documents include identity evidence, qualification certificates, academic transcripts, employment evidence, reference letters and a CV. The exact requirements depend on your occupation, assessing authority and assessment pathway.

Do I need work experience for a skills assessment?

This varies by occupation and assessment process. Some assessments place greater emphasis on qualifications or knowledge, while others incorporate employment experience.

Do I need academic transcripts?

Academic transcripts or detailed study records are required by many assessing authorities. Review the current requirements for your specific occupation and assessment authority.

Can payslips be used as employment evidence?

Payslips may be useful supporting evidence if accepted by the relevant assessing authority. Additional evidence may also be required to establish your employment history.

Do I need to translate my documents?

English translations may be necessary if your documents are not in English. Follow the translation requirements specified by your assessing authority.

Can I submit an EOI without a skills assessment?

For relevant points-tested skilled migration pathways, a skills assessment in your nominated occupation is generally required before submitting an EOI through SkillSelect.

Does a positive skills assessment guarantee PR?

No. A positive skills assessment is only one part of the skilled migration process. Applicants must still satisfy the applicable visa, points, English language, occupation and other eligibility requirements.

Get Help With Your Skills Assessment

Preparing the right documents is one of the key parts of the skills assessment process. Requirements can differ significantly between occupations, assessing authorities and assessment pathways, so a general checklist may not cover everything you need.

If you are unsure which assessing authority applies to your occupation or what evidence you need, discuss your skills assessment with our Registered Migration Agent in Melbourne to understand your pathway before applying.