VETASSESS Skills Assessment: General Professional Occupations Guide
Complete VETASSESS skills assessment guide for general professional occupations. Understand assessment groups A-E, document requirements, evidence standards, and the appeals process.
VETASSESS Skills Assessment Guide
VETASSESS is Australia's largest skills assessment authority for general professional occupations. VETASSESS assesses over 360 occupation titles across professional and para-professional categories. A positive VETASSESS assessment is mandatory for skilled migration visa applications for nominated occupations within their scope.
Assessment Groups Explained
VETASSESS classifies occupations into five assessment groups. Group A occupations require a qualification highly relevant to the nominated occupation with no work experience required if the qualification is at the required AQF level. Group B requires a qualification with major relevance plus one year of post-qualification employment, or less relevant qualification plus two years, or a qualification plus three years of pre-qualification experience. Group C requires a Diploma-level qualification plus one year of experience, or a higher qualification with three years of experience. Group D requires a Certificate IV-level qualification plus one year of experience. Group E requires a Certificate III-level qualification plus two years of experience.
Document and Evidence Requirements
VETASSESS requires certified copies of: qualification certificates and academic transcripts, employment evidence including detailed reference letters on company letterhead, pay slips, tax records, and organizational charts. Reference letters must clearly describe duties performed, employment dates, and positions held. Self-employment requires business registration documents, tax returns, client contracts, and detailed statements of service. All documents in languages other than English require NAATI-certified translations.
Employment Evidence Standards
VETASSESS has strict employment evidence requirements. Reference letters must include: company letterhead, dates of employment (month and year), positions held, duties performed (corresponding to the nominated occupation), and the referee's signature and contact details. Employment must be paid, full-time (or equivalent part-time), and at the appropriate skill level. Unpaid or voluntary work generally does not meet requirements. Employment must be post-qualification unless pre-qualification experience is explicitly counted under the assessment guidelines.
Application Process and Timeline
The VETASSESS application involves: online account creation, payment of AUD 1,045 for the standard application, document upload, and assessment. Processing takes 8-12 weeks for most applications. Priority processing is available for an additional AUD 660 and reduces time to 3-4 weeks. A Pre-Application Skills Assessment (PSA) is available for AUD 300 to check qualification relevance before applying. Positive assessments are valid for three years.
Appeals and Review Process
If your VETASSESS assessment is negative, you can request a Formal Review within 90 days at 50% of the original fee. The review is conducted by a different assessor who evaluates whether the original decision was correct based on the provided evidence. A Re-application is also possible with additional or corrected evidence. Common reasons for negative assessments include insufficient qualification relevance, inadequate employment evidence, and documentation not meeting certification requirements.