VETASSESS Professional vs Trade: Two Different Processes
When you look up assessing authorities and see the name VETASSESS, many people assume it is a single process. In fact VETASSESS handles two very different groups of occupations — and that directly affects the evidence you need, the fees, and the waiting time.
The Professional group — degree-level occupations
VETASSESS Professional is for occupations that require a university degree or equivalent. The list is very broad: management, niche accounting, human resources, marketing, education, health occupations not covered by ANMAC, and hundreds of other professional occupations with no dedicated assessing authority of their own.
Assessment process: VETASSESS compares your qualification (AQF level and content) against the standard for the nominated occupation, then considers your years of relevant experience. These two parts interact — a qualification that falls short of standard can be offset by more experience, and vice versa.
Evidence needed: degree and transcript (certified translation if not in English), evidence of work experience (reference letters, task descriptions), and sometimes reference letters from a supervisor.
Fees for the Professional group vary by assessment type and over time — see the official fee schedule on the VETASSESS website. Processing time varies by assessment type and the volume of applications — check the current figures on the official VETASSESS website — and there is a Priority Processing service for an extra fee if you need a faster result.
The General group — occupations not requiring a degree
VETASSESS General (or Skills Assessment for General Occupations) handles occupations that require skills but not a university degree — usually the AQF 4–5 group (certificate, diploma). These occupations call for evidence of practical skills more than academic evidence.
How the process differs: VETASSESS General places more weight on practical evidence, relevant trade certificates and relevant experience — a university degree is not necessarily required. The specific criteria depend on each ANZSCO code.
When to check TRA instead of VETASSESS
Many people confuse VETASSESS General with TRA (Trades Recognition Australia). These are two completely different authorities:
TRA — Job Ready Program is for traditional technical trade occupations: electricians, welders, plumbers, painters, fitters and so on. The TRA process is fundamentally different — you must take part in the Job Ready Program, which includes a period of supervised work in Australia (usually 12–24 months), not just lodging a paper file. The total time is far longer than VETASSESS.
If your occupation is in the trades group (a tradesperson with a technical trade certificate), check TRA before looking at VETASSESS — in many cases TRA is the right one, not VETASSESS.
How to work out which group you are in
The first step is always: find your correct ANZSCO occupation code, then check each authority’s website to see whether that code is on their list. Don’t guess based on the occupation title — the actual title can match several different codes and lead to different authorities.
Because choosing the wrong authority or assessment group can cost you fees and many weeks of waiting, an uncertain case is best confirmed with a registered migration agent (MARA) before lodging.