Lodging a Valid Visa Application in the Case of an Expired Skills Assessment
You may have come across the words “skills assessment” plenty of times while researching different Australian visa categories. Skills assessments are an important component of many visa applications - as they give the Australian government an idea of how skilled and adept a person is at a job - and whether they would be a good fit for the nominated occupation.
Categories such as General Skilled Migration visas, Employer Sponsored visas, a Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa, or a Temporary Graduate Visa require applicants to submit a positive skills assessment as part of their visa application.
Let us first understand what a skills assessment is.
Understanding a Skills Assessment
Skills assessments are conducted by relevant skills assessing authorities in Australia, such as the Vocational Educational And Training Assessment Services (VETASSESS) - which is deemed Australia’s largest skills assessment authority. There are an array of skills assessment authorities that review applications based on the nominated occupation of the applicant (e.g. the Australian Computer Society assesses skills for IT applicants). Assessments from these authorities are the only ones that are accepted. You may find out more about relevant assessing authorities here.
Applicants wishing to undergo a skills assessment must reach out to the relevant assessing authority for their nominated occupation. It is important to note that each assessing authority has its own procedures, timeframes and fees.
Validity Period of a Skills Assessment
A skills assessment is usually valid for a period of 3 years, even if an applicant receives a skills assessment letter that does not include a date. However, if the validity period of a skills assessment is dated as less than 3 years, then the applicant must adhere to the prescribed date. The maximum validity period for any skills assessment is 3 years, letters with a date extending 3 years will be disregarded by the Australian government.
Factors Considered by Authorities
While skills assessment for each visa category differs in terms of processing times, criteria, fees and structure, there are some general criteria that are taken into account by the assessing authorities when determining the outcome of an applicant’s visa application.
- Nominated occupation of the applicant and the number of openings available for it currently
- Qualifications of the applicant (educational, professional)
- The applicant’s work experience
- Relevance of the applicant’s work to their nominated occupation
- The visa category to which the applicant is applying
- Proof of English proficiency
- Health and character requirements that are mandatory for each applicant
These are certain factors that are taken into account along with the applicant’s skills assessment. Getting a positive skills assessment is of immense importance to applicants who wish to obtain an Australian visa.
Renewing your Skills Assessment
There may be several reasons why someone would want to renew their skills assessment. Perhaps they wish to add additional skills and/or employment positions that are recently acquired or have not been previously assessed. Or simply because their skills assessment is expiring.
To satisfy the requirements of the relevant assessing authority, applicants must demonstrate that their current skills match the criteria for their nominated occupation. Criteria for nominated occupations are subject to change, so it is important for applicants to consistently update themselves with recent developments.
To apply for a skills assessment renewal, applicants can visit the websites of the relevant assessing authority and access the ‘Completed Case’ on their application portal - this will have their valid skills assessment. They can then submit an application for renewal online. Applicants who hold positive assessments for their previous employment and qualifications will be given priority processing.
Lodging an Application with an Expired Skills Assessment
Recently, the Australian government released a new set of guidelines for applicants applying for one of Australia’s skilled visas. Some of the highlights are:
- Candidates will now be eligible to apply under any category of the General Skilled Migration Visa program
- Candidates have to apply for their visa within 60 days of receiving an invitation
- Candidates are advised to have a skills assessment before submitting their Expression of Interest (EOI)
- Candidates can yet apply for a visa even if their skills assessment has expired
The last highlight is a relief for many applicants - previously, applicants would have to restart their skills assessment process if its validity period expired. This change will be a huge help to applicants seeking visas in the skilled sector.
The Department of Home Affairs now allows applicants to lodge their visa application if their skills assessment has expired - provided that the applicant gives proof of their intention to renew their skills assessment.
When the applicant receives an invitation to lodge their application, they will be given a timeframe of 60 days to finalize and complete the submission. While completing their visa application, they will be able to renew their skills assessment directly.
While the renewed skills assessment is under processing from the relevant assessing authority, applicants may submit their expired skills assessment as part of their visa application. However, the applicants must ensure that they receive their new skills assessment within the 60 days timeframe so that it can be lodged along with the application.
Disclaimer: Kindly note that the information provided here does not constitute legal advice. This must solely be regarded as content that provides general immigration information and is not a substitute for professional legal advice that occurs between an immigration lawyer and a client.
Path Migration strongly recommends readers to contact certified immigration lawyers for a holistic overview of the Australia immigration system and a detailed analysis of each case.
