No points-tested Australian visa can be applied for without a positive skills assessment, and no other step decides as much about what follows. The assessing authority confirms your occupation, decides how much of your experience counts, and sets the date from which your points are calculated. This guide explains which authority assesses which occupation, what it costs in 2026, how long it takes, and what Indian applicants most often get wrong.
By Meeras Resource | Published 23 October 2026 | Last reviewed 23 October 2026
Key Takeaways
- A skills assessment confirms that your qualifications and experience meet the Australian standard for your nominated occupation. It is required before you can be invited for the subclass 189, 190 or 491.
- The authority depends on your occupation: the ACS for ICT, Engineers Australia for engineering, VETASSESS for many professional and general occupations, and separate bodies for accountants, nurses and trades.
- Published 2026 fees range from about A500toaboutA1,500 depending on the authority and pathway.
- Assessing authorities may accept only part of your experience as skilled. Your points must be based on the period they accept.
- Most outcomes are valid for three years, but an ACS assessment is valid for two years.
The short answer
A skills assessment for Australia PR is an evaluation by the authority designated for your occupation. It checks that your qualification is comparable to the Australian level required and that your employment is skilled and closely related to the occupation. You need a positive outcome before you can submit a competitive Expression of Interest, and the outcome letter states which part of your experience counts for points. Choosing the right occupation code before you apply is the most important decision in the whole process. This step sits at the start of every route described in our guide to Australia PR from India
Which authority assesses your occupation
| Occupation group | Assessing authority | Common Indian applicant occupations |
| ICT | Australian Computer Society (ACS) | Software Engineer, Developer Programmer, ICT Business Analyst, Cyber Security Engineer |
| Engineering | Engineers Australia (EA) | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
| Professional and general occupations | VETASSESS | Management, marketing, HR, science and many other professional roles |
| Accounting | CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA | Accountant (General), External Auditor |
| Nursing and midwifery | ANMAC | Registered Nurse |
| Trades | Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) | Electrician, Plumber, Carpenter, Chef |
The assessing authority for each occupation is set in the occupation list. If your role could fit more than one occupation code, the choice of code also decides which authority assesses you, so it should be settled first.
Skills assessment fees and processing times in 2026
| Authority and assessment | Published fee | Published processing time |
| ACS, General Skills assessment | A$1,498 (excluding GST) | About 4 to 6 weeks if no further information is requested |
| Engineers Australia, Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) | A940(A1,034 including GST) | About 15 weeks to allocation to an assessor |
| Engineers Australia, Washington Accord qualification | A505(A555.50 including GST) | Similar to the CDR pathway |
| VETASSESS, full professional assessment | A1,096odshore(A1,205.60 in Australia) | About 7 weeks |
| CPA Australia, qualification assessment | A514offshore(A565 onshore) | About 10 business days |
| ANMAC, full skills assessment | A$595 | No fixed period published |
Fees and processing times are those published by each authority as reviewed in 2026. Authorities update them regularly, often from 1 July, so confirm the current figure on the authority’s own website before paying. Priority processing, reviews and appeals cost extra. Our guide to Australia PR cost from India puts these fees alongside the other costs of the process.
How the main authorities differ
ACS: ICT occupations
The ACS assesses your degree for its ICT content and your employment for its relevance to the nominated occupation. It commonly treats an initial period of your work as the time needed to reach a skilled level and counts only experience after that point for migration. Applicants without an ICT qualification may apply through the Recognition of Prior Learning pathway, which involves a written project report. An ACS outcome is valid for two years, which is shorter than most other authorities
Engineers Australia: engineering occupations
Applicants with a degree accredited under the Washington Accord can use a shorter qualification-based pathway. Most Indian engineering graduates from institutions outside that accord apply through a Competency Demonstration Report, which includes three career episodes and a summary statement showing how you applied engineering competencies in practice. The CDR must be your own work. Engineers Australia checks for plagiarism and can reject or ban applicants who submit copied reports. Relevant skilled employment is assessed as a separate, optional component.
VETASSESS: professional and general occupations
VETASSESS assesses whether your qualification is at the required level and in a field highly relevant to the occupation, and whether your employment is at the skill level the occupation demands. For many professional occupations, at least one year of highly relevant employment after the qualification is needed for a positive outcome. A degree in an unrelated field can lead to a negative result even when your job title matches.
Documents that decide the outcome
- Degree certificates and full academic transcripts, with certified copies where the authority requires them.
- Employment reference letters on company letterhead, signed, dated and showing your title, dates, hours per week and a detailed list of duties. This is the document most often responsible for experience being discounted.
- Supporting evidence of paid employment, such as payslips, bank statements, Form 16 or salary certificates.
- Identity documents, usually the passport bio page.
- Occupation-specific material, such as a CDR for engineers or an RPL report for non-ICT graduates applying to the ACS.
Our guide to apostille, attestation and credential evaluation explains how to prepare documents so they are accepted the first time.
How the skills assessment affects your points
Your points for employment are not based on your own count of years. They are based on the period the assessing authority accepts as skilled employment, as stated in the outcome letter. If an authority treats your first two years as the time needed to reach a skilled level, those years do not count for points. This is why two applicants with the same CV can end up with different scores. Our Australia PR points calculator guide shows how the accepted period converts into points.
Step-by-step: the skills assessment process
- Choose the occupation code whose duties match what you actually do, not only your job title.
- Identify the assessing authority and pathway for that occupation.
- Collect reference letters that describe your duties in terms that match the occupation description.
- Prepare and certify your documents to the authority’s standard.
- Submit the application and pay the fee, then respond promptly to any request for further information.
- Review the outcome letter to confirm the occupation and the date from which experience is counted.
- Submit your Expression of Interest while the outcome is valid. The choice of route is covered in our 189 vs 190 vs 491 visa guide.
Common mistakes Indian applicants make
- Choosing the occupation by job title. Authorities assess duties, not titles.
- Reference letters without duties. A letter that only confirms dates and designation will not support skilled employment.
- Copied CDR content. Engineers Australia treats plagiarism seriously and can bar applicants.
- Claiming points for unaccepted years. Use the period stated in the outcome letter.
- Letting the outcome expire. An ACS assessment lasts two years and most others three, so time it against your English test and Expression of Interest. Our PTE score for Australia PR guide covers English validity.
How Meeras Resource supports skills assessments
We match your actual duties to the right occupation code, identify the assessing authority and pathway, and review your reference letters and documents before anything is submitted. For engineers, we guide you on how a Competency Demonstration Report must be structured, while the content remains your own. We then plan your English test and Expression of Interest around the validity of the outcome.
We provide consultancy, documentation and preparation support. Assessment outcomes rest solely with the assessing authority, and visa decisions with the Department of Home Affairs. Our Australia page outlines the routes we advise on, and you can request a profile evaluation through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
What is a skills assessment for Australia PR?
It is an evaluation by the authority designated for your occupation that confirms your qualifications and employment meet the Australian standard for that occupation. A positive outcome is required before you can be invited to apply for the subclass 189, 190 or 491.
How much does a skills assessment cost for Australia?
Published 2026 fees include A1,498foranACSGeneralSkillsassessment,A940 for an Engineers Australia CDR assessment, A1,096foranoffshoreVETASSESSprofessionalassessmentandA514 for an offshore CPA Australia qualification assessment. Fees change regularly, so confirm the current amount with the authority before paying.
How long does a skills assessment take?
Published processing times vary by authority, from about 10 business days for a CPA Australia qualification assessment and 4 to 6 weeks for the ACS, to about 7 weeks for VETASSESS and around 15 weeks before allocation for an Engineers Australia CDR.
How long is a skills assessment valid?
Most skills assessments are valid for three years from the date of the outcome. An ACS assessment is valid for two years. The assessment must be valid when you are invited and when you lodge your visa application.
Why did the assessing authority not count all my experience?
Some authorities treat an initial period of employment as the time needed to reach a skilled level and count only experience after that date. Experience may also be discounted if reference letters do not show duties closely related to the nominated occupation.
About Meeras Resource
Meeras Resource Pvt. Ltd. is a career and immigration consultancy established in 2022 and based at 913, 9th Floor, Hemkunt Chambers, 89 Nehru Place, New Delhi 110019. We advise individuals on overseas study, work and migration routes, and we support them through eligibility assessment, documentation, application preparation and interview preparation. Our guidance is grounded in the published rules of the issuing authorities, and we tell clients what those rules mean for their specific profile, including when a route is not open to them.
