Engineers Australia Skills Assessment: MSA Overview
Who is Engineers Australia and why do you need an assessment?
Engineers Australia (EA) is the professional body representing engineers in Australia and the sole authority appointed by the Department of Home Affairs to assess skills for most engineering ANZSCO codes. If you want to migrate to Australia in an engineering occupation — whether for a subclass 482, 189, 190, 491 or 186 visa — the EA Migration Skills Assessment (MSA) result is a mandatory document before you lodge an EOI or are sponsored for a visa.
Unlike ACS (which assesses IT), EA requires you to submit a CDR (Competency Demonstration Report) — a set of documents describing your technical competence based on real experience. This is the part many applicants underestimate, and it is a common reason applications are refused or take many months to redo.
The four engineering occupation categories in the MSA
EA classifies engineering ANZSCO codes into four main groups for assessment purposes:
1. Professional Engineer — The most common group, applying to engineers with an engineering degree equivalent to the Bachelor of Engineering standard. Examples: Civil Engineer (233211), Mechanical Engineer (233512), Electrical Engineer (233311), Structural Engineer (233214). This group requires a full CDR with Career Episodes and a Summary Statement.
2. Engineering Technologist — Applies to engineers with a technology or applied engineering degree, usually equivalent to a Bachelor of Engineering Technology. It requires a CDR similar to Professional Engineer, but the competency assessment criteria differ.
3. Engineering Associate — The higher-level technician group, equivalent to a diploma or associate degree in engineering. It typically applies to a Technical Officer or Engineering Associate in ANZSCO.
4. Engineering Manager — For engineers who have moved into technical management (Engineering Manager, ANZSCO 133211). It requires a base engineering degree plus management experience.
Most engineers from overseas apply under Professional Engineer. A four- to five-year engineering degree from an overseas university is often recognised by EA as equivalent to the Professional Engineer standard, particularly if the institution is in the Washington Accord network (many engineering institutions have been recognised or are in the process of seeking recognition).
The Washington Accord and its impact on your application
The Washington Accord is an international agreement that recognises equivalence between undergraduate engineering programs. If your degree is from an institution in this network, EA can consider your qualification without examining the program in detail — shortening processing time and reducing the risk of being asked for additional documents.
If your institution is not in the Washington Accord network, EA will assess your program subject by subject — you will need to submit a detailed transcript and a course description. This does not rule you out, but it makes the application more complex and increases processing time.
CDR: the centrepiece of the EA application
A CDR (Competency Demonstration Report) has three main parts:
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD): A list of continuing learning and professional development activities — courses, conferences, technical reading, or learning projects from the most recent 5 years.
- Career Episodes (CE): Three pieces of writing (each around 1,000–2,500 words) describing three specific projects or periods of work. Each CE must clearly demonstrate technical competence — not a narrative of your day-to-day work.
- Summary Statement: A table linking each EA competency standard to a specific paragraph in the Career Episodes. This is the part EA uses to assess you directly.
A step-by-step guide to writing a CDR is available in the companion article on how to write a CDR for Engineers Australia.
Cost and processing time
The EA MSA fee (the current fee — check the official site of the assessing authority) varies by assessment type and the country you lodge from — check the EA site for the current fee before you lodge. EA also offers a fast-track service (priority assessment) for an additional fee.
Typical processing time: 8–16 weeks once your application is complete. With priority assessment this can be shortened to 4–6 weeks. In practice, many applications take 3–6 months in total because the CDR has to be redone or additional documents supplied.
A positive MSA result is valid for 3 years from the date of issue.
Summary of what to prepare before you lodge
- Determine your ANZSCO code and occupation category (Professional / Technologist / Associate / Manager)
- Check whether your qualification is from a Washington Accord institution
- Gather your transcript and graduation certificate (certified English translation if needed)
- Prepare a list of CPD from the most recent 5 years
- Choose three projects or work periods suitable for the Career Episodes
- Write the CDR and Summary Statement — see the companion guide on writing a CDR