The Job Ready Program is a skills assessment for trade graduates in Australia. You work in your trade for at least 12 months, then Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) checks your skills. Here are the steps, fees and rules in plain English, based on TRA’s own guidelines.
- What Is the Job Ready Program in Australia?
- Who Can Join the Job Ready Program?
- Job Ready Program Steps: JRE, JRWA and JRFA
- Job Ready Program Fees: Total Cost in 2026
- Job Ready Program Employment Rules You Must Follow
- Job Ready Program Timeline: 12 Months and Beyond
- Trades Not Eligible for the Job Ready Program
- Job Ready Program Mistakes That Delay Your Result
- From Job Ready Program to Visa: What Comes Next
- Job Ready Program FAQs: Quick Answers
- Need Help With the Job Ready Program?
What Is the Job Ready Program in Australia?
The Job Ready Program, also called JRP, is run by Trades Recognition Australia. TRA is part of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The program is made for international graduates who studied a trade in Australia and want to apply for a skilled visa.
You do paid work in your trade for at least 12 months full-time, or the part-time equivalent. TRA then checks that you can do the job to Australian standards. If you pass, you get a skills assessment outcome letter.
Job Ready Program Meaning: TRA Skills Assessment
TRA uses the JRP to check that you can:
- Follow complex written and spoken directions
- Do trade tasks without close supervision, to industry standards
- Work safely under workplace health and safety rules
- Pick and use the right tools and equipment
The outcome letter is not a qualification. You can only use it to apply to Home Affairs for a skilled visa.
Who Can Join the Job Ready Program?
Before you start, you need all of these:
- A successful Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA) or JRPRE result from TRA, issued within 3 years before you lodge your JRE application
- A current passport
- A job in your nominated trade that TRA can verify and that lets you build the right skills
- An occupation on the skilled occupation list where TRA is the assessing authority
- A visa with work rights and enough time left to finish the program. TRA says this is your responsibility to check
Also confirm with Home Affairs that your visa pathway needs a skills assessment. You can check your trade on the Home Affairs skilled occupation list, then use the pathfinder tool on the TRA website.
Job Ready Program Steps: JRE, JRWA and JRFA
The JRP has three steps. You must finish each one before you move to the next. The PSA comes before all three.
| Step | What Happens | TRA Fee |
|---|---|---|
| JRE Job Ready Employment |
You register your job. TRA checks your employer and starts your work clock. | $490 |
| JRWA Job Ready Workplace Assessment |
After at least 6 months full-time work, TRA invites you. An assessor tests your skills at your workplace. | $2,845 |
| JRFA Job Ready Final Assessment |
After 12 months of work and a passed JRWA, TRA does a final document check and issues your outcome letter. | $75 |
Job Ready Program Flow at a Glance
Job Ready Program Fees: Total Cost in 2026
The three TRA steps add up to $3,410. TRA says fees can change, so check the TRA fee page before you pay. Payment is by Visa or MasterCard only, in Australian dollars.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Job Ready Employment (JRE) | $490 |
| Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA) | $2,845 |
| Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA) | $75 |
| Total for the three steps | $3,410 |
| Second JRWA (only if needed) | $2,845 |
Job Ready Program Cost: Extra Fees to Plan For
The $3,410 does not cover everything. The PSA has its own TRA fee. Your visa application fees go to Home Affairs. A migration agent will charge separately if you hire one.
Adding another employer costs nothing in JRE fees. Reviews of a JRFA outcome are free, and so is a review of a Not Yet Job Ready result.
Job Ready Program Employment Rules You Must Follow
Most delays come from the work, not the forms. Keep these rules in mind from day one:
- Full-time means an average of 38 hours a week. Part-time work is allowed but takes longer.
- Leave over 4 weeks, paid or unpaid, also stretches your timeline.
- You must be an employee. Your employer gives you the work, pays you with payslips, pays super and lets you build leave.
- Your tasks must match your trade and give you a good range of duties.
- Prior work counts a little. You can claim up to 3 months of unbroken work straight before your JRE application. You claim it when you apply, not later.
- Subcontractors can apply if they complete at least 6 months full-time with one contractor who signs the TRA forms.
Job Ready Program Pay Evidence and Payslips
TRA wants proof that you were paid. Payslips should show your name, your employer, hours or hourly rate, gross pay and the dates worked. A payroll printout also works. TRA may ask for bank statements later. Hide your tax file number and any bank details that are not salary deposits before you upload.
Job Ready Program Employers: Change Rules
- You can have up to 5 employers during the program.
- You need at least 6 months full-time work with one of them.
- Register a new employer in the TRA portal within 14 days of starting.
- Tell TRA about any change in job, hours or contact details within 14 days.
- Your workplace assessment must happen at your current registered employer, after at least 1 month there.
Job Ready Program Timeline: 12 Months and Beyond
No one can finish the program in under 12 calendar months. You must also finish within 3 years of your JRE start date. If you miss that limit, TRA closes your application as unsuccessful and you must start the whole program again.
Once you are eligible and apply, TRA aims to send your JRFA outcome within 45 days. Keep your job until the official outcome letter arrives.
Job Ready Program Results: Reviews and Deadlines
If your workplace assessment says Not Yet Job Ready, you have two choices. You can ask for a free review within 20 days, which a different assessor completes using the first assessment’s evidence. Or you can fix the feedback and book another JRWA for $2,845. A second failed assessment may mean 3 more months of work before you can try again.
You also have 20 days to ask for a review of a JRE or JRFA decision.
Trades Not Eligible for the Job Ready Program
Some licensed trades cannot use the JRP. TRA lists these as not eligible:
| Occupation | JRP Status |
|---|---|
| Electrician (General and Special Class) | Not eligible |
| Plumber (General) | Not eligible |
| Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic | Not eligible |
Other trades depend on your occupation and the TRA pathway for it. Use the TRA pathfinder tool before you pay for anything.
Job Ready Program Mistakes That Delay Your Result
| Mistake | What Can Happen |
|---|---|
| Not telling TRA about a job or hours change in 14 days | TRA may not count that work period |
| Working without proper payslips | TRA cannot verify your hours |
| Lodging JRE after your PSA has expired | You need a new PSA first |
| Visa ending before you finish | You cannot complete the program |
| Leaving your job before the outcome letter | Your result can be delayed |
| Giving false or misleading documents | Outcome can be overturned and new applications refused for up to 3 years |
Home Affairs also takes false documents seriously. Read its page on providing accurate information.
From Job Ready Program to Visa: What Comes Next
Your outcome letter is the skills assessment for your visa application. TRA does not give advice on visas or points. That comes from Home Affairs.
A pass does not guarantee a visa or an invitation. Home Affairs decides your visa. Read the official page for the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) to see the rules and points test, then check state options if you plan to apply for a nominated or regional visa.
Job Ready Program FAQs: Quick Answers
How Long Does the Job Ready Program Take?
At least 12 calendar months, and no more than 3 years from your JRE start date. Add up to 45 days for the final outcome.
Can I Change Jobs During the Job Ready Program?
Yes. Register the new employer within 14 days, stay within 5 employers and complete 6 months full-time with at least one of them.
Can I Do the Job Ready Program Part Time?
Yes, but it takes longer. TRA counts part-time work as an equivalent of 12 months full-time.
Does the Job Ready Program Guarantee PR?
No. It gives you a skills assessment. Home Affairs makes every visa decision.
Can an Agent Help With the Job Ready Program?
Yes. TRA allows agents to help at every step. You are still responsible for accurate information, and you must keep access to your own TRA portal account.
Need Help With the Job Ready Program?
One missed deadline or weak payslip can cost you months. A clear plan from day one saves time and money.
Asia Pacific Group’s MARA-registered migration agents can check your PSA, your job and your visa dates, then explain your next step.
Book a consultation with Asia Pacific Group today.
This article is general information only and is based on the TRA Job Ready Program Applicant Guidelines. Rules and fees can change, so always check the latest details on the Trades Recognition Australia website.
