03 May 2018

Assessing your skills for migration with VETASSESS Trades

Obtaining a positive skill assessment is a vital part of the skilled migration process. The assessment determines if you have the expertise required to work in your occupation in Australia. If you are a trades-person then it's likely you will process your skill assessment through VETASSESS Trades.

VETASSESS are the longest serving and largest Registered Training Office (RTO) for Australian skill assessments, and have been assessing on behalf of the Australian Government's Department of Education and Training since 2008.

VETASSESS conduct skill assessments for 25 trades including engineering, electrical, construction, automotive, hairdressing and hospitality occupations. You can see if your occupation is included here.

They offer assessment venues in 15 countries, and Visa Bureau are a trusted assessment venue in both Scotland and England.

What does a VETASSESS Trade skill assessment involve?

The trade skill assessment consists of two stages:

  1. Evidence Review - Stage one involves evidencing your employment and submitting it to an Australian assessor to review. The assessor will verify your work experience using the referees provided, ensuring you have sufficient experience at the correct level. You must pass stage one before moving on to stage two and securing an assessment date.

    It's important that a variety of employment evidence is provided, and this includes detailed references and contact details of referees. Failure to verify work experience with a referee will delay the processing of your assessment. A good Registered Migration Agent will help you gather the documents you require; ensuring the level of detail meets the high standards for both the skill assessment and visa process. Many people fail to provide detailed employment references and this is important in verifying your specific tasks and duties within your trade. Self Employed trades-persons often struggle to provide detailed employment evidence which is where using a Registered Migration Agent can be beneficial to provide guidance and alternative solutions.

  2. Technical Interview or Practical Assessment - Once you have passed stage one you will be invited to complete a technical or practical interview with an Australian trade assessor. This will take place at a specified assessment venue. Visa Bureau is the only approved VETASSESS trade venue in the whole of Scotland.

    Technical Interview

    The Technical Interview is conducted over a Skype web call with an Australian assessor who is qualified within your trade. The assessor will ask you a range of questions about your skills and knowledge required to work in your occupation. VETASSESS recommend reading over the trade fact sheet and technical interview guide on their website to prepare for your interview. There are generally 2-3 questions per unit listed in the fact sheet. Your interview is invigilated and you are required to provide valid photo ID upon arrival.

    Practical Assessment

    If you are a licensed trade - such as an Electrician, Plumber or Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic - then you must complete a Practical Assessment. You will be required to complete a series of practical work-based tasks in front of a qualified Australian assessor. The assessment will take 7-8 hours to complete and will be conducted at a VETASSESS approved venue. You can use the fact sheets and practical assessment guides on the VETASSESS website to prepare for this. You are required to provide valid photo ID upon arrival.

    If you are unsuccessful in any unit of your assessment you will have the opportunity to re-sit that unit.

How can Visa Bureau help with my trade skill assessment?

At Visa Bureau we work closely with VETASSESS to offer our clients an efficient and flexible skill assessing body, maximising your chances of securing a positive skills assessment.

As a Visa Bureau client you will receive a dedicated Case Processor who specialises in processing trade applications. We will ensure your references and paperwork contain the correct amount of detail for both the skill assessment and the visa application, saving you time and money.

You will complete your technical interview in our London or Edinburgh office. Visa Bureau is the only approved VETASSESS skill assessing venue in the whole of Scotland. Having processed thousands of trade applications, Visa Bureau are highly experienced in processing your entire visa application.

Before you apply to VETASSESS, have your eligibility reviewed for free by a Registered Migration Agent from Visa Bureau:


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