Should You Do a Skills Assessment Before or After Finding a Job?

“Do the skills assessment first, or find a job first?” is a practical question many people weigh up when considering a route to Australia. The answer depends on the visa type and your occupation.

Visa 482 — NO skills assessment needed first

The 482 visa (TSS — Temporary Skill Shortage) in most cases does not require a skills assessment. Before the CSOL existed (from July 2023), some occupations needed one. Currently, with the CSOL, most 482 applicants do not need a skills assessment from an independent authority.

Conclusion for 482: find a job first, get an employer to sponsor first, no need to do a skills assessment beforehand.

Visa 186 TRT — NO skills assessment needed

The 186 visa under the TRT stream also usually does not require a skills assessment (except for some particular occupations). If you are on the 482 → TRT 186 pathway, a skills assessment is not a mandatory requirement.

Visa 186 Direct Entry — skills assessment needed first

The 186 visa under Direct Entry requires a skills assessment (mandatory for most occupations). Because Direct Entry does not involve 2 years of work with the employer as TRT does, the skills assessment is the alternative way to demonstrate competency.

Conclusion for 186 DE: do the skills assessment before lodging the application — you cannot apply for Direct Entry without one.

Visa 189/190/491 — skills assessment needed first

All skilled independent and regional visas (189, 190, 491) require a skills assessment before lodging the EOI (Expression of Interest). There is no EOI without a skills assessment.

Conclusion for 189/190/491: do the skills assessment right at the start, before anything else.

Why many people do a skills assessment early even when not yet needed

Many people do a skills assessment when they do not yet know which pathway they will take. The reasonable arguments:

1. Understanding your options: knowing whether you are eligible for a skills assessment helps you identify which pathways are feasible
2. A skills assessment can take 3–6 months: doing it early avoids losing time later if you need it
3. Flexibility: if your plan changes from 482 to 189, the skills assessment is already in hand
4. EOI score: having a skills assessment is one of the factors that supports an EOI (although the skills assessment itself adds no points, the result confirms the occupation)

When NOT to do a skills assessment early

• When you are already certain of the 482 → TRT 186 pathway (a skills assessment is not needed)
• When you have not yet identified the correct ANZSCO code — assessing the wrong code wastes money
• When finances are tight and you do not yet have a specific plan

The ideal order by pathway

The 482 → TRT 186 pathway: Find an employer → apply for 482 → work 2 years → 186 TRT. A skills assessment is not needed.

The 186 Direct Entry pathway: Identify the occupation + assessing authority → do the skills assessment → have the skills assessment → find an employer to sponsor 186 DE.

The 189/190/491 pathway: Identify the occupation → do the skills assessment → have the skills assessment → lodge the EOI → receive an invitation → lodge the visa.

See more at After the skills assessment, what next?.