TRA Documents to Prepare: Trade Skills Evidence Checklist

Why a TRA file differs from an ACS or EA file

TRA assesses practical skills — your ability to do the job on the tools, in the field. That means your documents are not just qualifications and a CV, but also direct evidence of the work you have actually done: photographs, diaries, and reference letters from employers that describe your duties in concrete terms.

The weakest files are usually the ones missing practical evidence — applicants who hold a trade qualification but have nothing to prove they genuinely worked in the trade for the required years.

Mandatory documents

Personal documents

• A valid passport (copy)
• A recent photograph as required by TRA

Qualifications and trade training

• Trade qualifications or certificates, or evidence of a completed apprenticeship — originals or certified copies
• Academic transcripts or results, if available
• Certified English translations of all non-English documents

If you do not hold a formal trade qualification but have long-term experience, TRA may consider you through RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) — but this requires more, and more detailed, evidence of experience.

Employment reference letters

This is the most important document after your qualification. TRA needs the relevant work experience required for the trade to be documented. An employer reference letter must include:

• The applicant’s full name and specific job title
• Start and end dates (or “to present”)
• A concrete description of duties: it is not enough to write “electrician”. It needs to state the type of electrical work (domestic, commercial or industrial), the standards applied, and the type of systems worked on
• The number of hours worked in the trade (if it can be provided)
• The signature and contact details of the person signing (HR, a manager, or the business owner)

If the company has closed or cannot be contacted, TRA accepts employment contracts plus payslips plus a statutory declaration, but you need to explain the reason clearly.

Work diary or log

Some applicants keep a diary recording their work by day or by week — the type of work performed, equipment used, and the job site. This is not a mandatory document in every file, but it is extremely useful when a reference letter is not detailed enough or when you have had several different employers.

A diary does not need a complicated format — an Excel sheet or a Word document with dates and short descriptions is enough. If you do not have a diary yet, start keeping one now for your current work.

Supporting evidence (depending on the trade)

TRA may ask for more, depending on the trade and the file:

Photographs of work or products: photos of you at the workplace with the actual work — wiring you installed, welds, plumbing systems, and so on. The photos should show your face and the product of your work. They do not need to be professional, but they must be clear and relevant.

Local occupational licences (if the trade requires licensing in your home country): for example, an electrical operation certificate from the relevant technical safety authority, or a class C/D/E licence for specialist vehicle mechanics.

Technical drawings or plans you produced (if any): especially useful for carpenters or industrial electricians.

Full pre-lodgement checklist

Mandatory documents:

• Passport (copy)
• Trade qualification or training completion certificate (certified plus English translation)
• Reference letter from each employer — with a concrete description of duties
• Employment contract and/or payslips (backup for the reference letter)

Supporting documents (strongly recommended):

• Work diary for the most recent 3–5 years
• Photographs on site or in the workshop — at least 10–20 photos covering a range of work
• Local occupational licence (if you have one)
• Evidence of additional training or short courses in the trade

English:

• Self-assess your ability to read technical questions in English
• If you are not confident, prepare for IELTS or take a technical English course before you apply

When the file is short on evidence

If you do not have enough documents from the list above, TRA may:

• Request more before proceeding with the assessment
• Proceed with the assessment but put more weight on the practical component to offset a thin paper file
• Find you ineligible to take part in the assessment if there is not enough basic evidence of experience

The best approach is to prepare a file with more rather than less — lodge as much detailed evidence as you can. An assessor will not mark you down for submitting a lot, but will ask questions if the file is thin.

For an overview of the TRA process, see the TRA trade skills assessment guide.