Quick Answer: VETASSESS is Australia's primary skills assessment body for professional, managerial, and para-professional occupations. If your occupation is assessed by VETASSESS, you must obtain a positive outcome before submitting an Expression of Interest for most skilled visas. The standard assessment fee starts at $850, and processing typically takes 10–14 weeks, though this varies by application type.
At VJ Consulting and Education, we work with skilled migrants every day who are navigating the VETASSESS skills assessment process — and understanding the details upfront makes a significant difference to the outcome.
What is VETASSESS?
VETASSESS (Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services) is a government-approved skills assessing authority responsible for evaluating overseas qualifications and work experience for over 360 professional and para-professional occupations in Australia. It operates under the Skills Assessment framework mandated by the Department of Home Affairs, sitting alongside other bodies such as Engineers Australia, ACS, and ANMAC.
A positive VETASSESS outcome confirms that your qualifications and experience are comparable to Australian standards for your nominated occupation. Without it, your Expression of Interest (EOI) cannot be validated — and you will not receive a visa invitation.
"Duration in Australia isn't really relevant for skilled migration. You need to have a relevant occupation and the required skills assessment and experience to be competitive against other applicants." — A migration agent responding to a client query about eligibility
VETASSESS assesses across two broad categories: Group A occupations (degree-level qualifications required) and Group B occupations (diploma or trade-certificate qualifications). Understanding which group your occupation falls into determines which evidence package you need to prepare.
→ Deep Dive: VETASSESS Skills Assessment: Requirements, Costs and Processing
Is VETASSESS required for all visas?
No — but for the occupations it covers, a VETASSESS assessment is required for most skilled visa pathways. The requirement applies across the following visa subclasses: In VJ Consulting and Education's experience, applicants often underestimate how critical occupation selection is at this stage — choosing the wrong ANZSCO code can lead to an unsuccessful assessment even when the underlying skills are strong.
| Visa | VETASSESS Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 189 | Yes | Must be positive before EOI |
| Subclass 190 | Yes | Required at EOI and nomination stage |
| Subclass 491 | Yes | Required before EOI lodgement |
| Subclass 482 | Sometimes | Depends on occupation; employer may apply for exemption |
| Subclass 186 | Sometimes | Required for some streams and occupations |
| Subclass 494 | Yes | Applies for employer-sponsored regional pathway |
For the Subclass 482 visa, some occupations require a positive skills assessment while others do not — your employer's sponsorship approval and the specific occupation code determine this. A migration agent responding to a client in a skilled visa discussion group clarified: "Your occupation requires a positive skills assessment for the 482 visa. If you received a negative outcome, work experience is the most common reason."
Tip: Always verify the current requirements via the Department of Home Affairs Skills Assessment page, as the occupation list and assessing authority assignments are updated periodically.
→ Deep Dive: VETASSESS Skills Assessment: Requirements, Costs and Processing
How long does VETASSESS take?
Standard VETASSESS processing takes 10–14 weeks from the date your complete application is received. However, actual turnaround varies significantly based on the application type, document complexity, and current volume of applications. Among the applicants VJCE has assisted, those who submitted well-prepared, complete documentation from the outset consistently experienced smoother processing, while incomplete applications were a common cause of avoidable delays.
| Application Type | Estimated Processing Time |
|---|---|
| Standard assessment | 10–14 weeks |
| Priority processing (if available) | 4–6 weeks |
| Additional information requested | Adds 4–8 weeks |
| Review or reassessment | 12–16 weeks |
One of our clients, a statistician who successfully obtained his 189 visa with 90 points, noted that VETASSESS deducted one year of his work experience as part of the qualification offset process — an outcome that was unexpected but ultimately still positive. His VETASSESS application was filed in September 2022, with the outcome delivered in January 2023 — approximately four months end-to-end.
"My skills assessment for Statistician was filed in September 2022 and the positive outcome was provided in January 2023." — A recent client who successfully transitioned to a 189 visa
Tip: Submit your VETASSESS application as early as possible. Processing times can extend without notice, and starting late often delays your entire EOI timeline by months.
→ Deep Dive: VETASSESS Skills Assessment: Requirements, Costs and Processing
How much does VETASSESS cost?
The standard VETASSESS fee starts at $850 for a General Skilled Migration assessment, but total costs depend on the assessment category, any additional services required, and whether you engage a migration agent to manage the process.
| Service | Fee (AUD) |
|---|---|
| General Skilled Migration (GSM) assessment | $850 |
| Priority processing (if offered) | $650–$750 additional |
| Review of decision | $450–$550 |
| Reassessment (new application) | $850 |
| Skills assessment renewal | $450 |
| Migration agent professional fee | $1,500–$4,000+ |
Agent fees are the largest variable cost. One of our clients shared that their lawyer was quoting $3,300 for a project administration VETASSESS assessment — a figure that is within normal range for complex cases involving Masters-level IT qualifications and multi-country experience, though straightforward applications may cost considerably less.
"My lawyer is asking for $3,300 for a project admin VETASSESS assessment for my experience with a Masters in IT degree. Is this fee normal?" — A client who approached us for a second opinion on their legal fees
Tip: VETASSESS government fees are fixed — the variation is in agent fees. For straightforward cases, a competent registered migration agent should not need to charge more than $2,000–$2,500 for full assessment preparation. If your case involves multi-country experience, qualifications from non-English-speaking countries, or a negative history, higher fees are justified.
→ Deep Dive: VETASSESS Skills Assessment: Requirements, Costs and Processing
What occupations need VETASSESS?
VETASSESS covers more than 360 occupations across professional, managerial, and para-professional categories. These span industries including accounting, architecture, social work, environmental science, statistics, computing, and project management — but notably excluding occupations assessed by specialist bodies such as Engineers Australia or ANMAC. VJ Consulting agents generally advise clients to carefully review the specific qualification and employment requirements tied to their nominated occupation, as the criteria can vary considerably even between closely related roles on the VETASSESS list.
The occupations are divided into two groups:
| Group | Qualification Standard | Example Occupations |
|---|---|---|
| Group A | Bachelor degree or higher in a closely related field | Statistician, Economist, Architect, Social Worker, ICT Business Analyst |
| Group B | AQF Diploma or higher, or extensive relevant experience | Project Administrator, Environmental Consultant, Graphic Designer |
A VETASSESS-assessed architect described the process in detail after obtaining an 189 visa with 85 points in under three months:
"An immigration consultant advised me to go for a partner visa rather than a skilled migrant as it would be 'very difficult and take much longer.' I eventually decided to go for a skilled visa — and got my 189 granted within three months of starting the entire application process." — A client, an architect who went through the 189 skilled pathway
One detail applicants frequently overlook: VETASSESS deducts one year of work experience when your nominated occupation requires a qualification you hold — this offsets the time spent studying rather than working. One of our clients applying as a Statistician found this deduction applied to his case and was initially confused, but the outcome remained positive.
For ANZSCO code changes — which VETASSESS updates periodically — a positive assessment under an old code may still be valid, but you should confirm the current code with VETASSESS before lodging your EOI. One applicant we assisted had a positive outcome under code 224113 (2021 ANZSCO release) before it was updated to 224116 in November 2022, creating a brief period of administrative ambiguity.
Tip: Always cross-reference your occupation on the VETASSESS website and the Department of Home Affairs' skilled occupation lists simultaneously. The two lists are not always identical in their wording or codes.
→ Deep Dive: VETASSESS Skills Assessment: Requirements, Costs and Processing
Ready to Start Your VETASSESS Application?
A VETASSESS skills assessment is not a box-ticking exercise — the evidence you submit, how you frame your work experience, and whether your qualifications are correctly matched to your nominated occupation can be the difference between a positive and negative outcome.
Our MARA-registered agents at VJ Consulting have guided hundreds of applicants through VETASSESS assessments across Group A and Group B occupations. We review your qualifications, identify risks before you apply, and prepare a document package that gives your application the strongest possible foundation.
Book a consultation today to have one of our agents assess your eligibility before you invest time and money in a VETASSESS application.
Contact VJ Consulting — MARA-registered migration agents, Melbourne
