Migration skills assessment
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A Migration Skills Assessment is for applicants applying for a skilled migration visa. It is an assessment of your early childhood education and care qualification/s and employment experience to determine comparability against the assessment standards for a skilled worker in your nominated occupation.
ACECQA is the approved Assessing Authority for the following occupations:
- Child Care Centre Manager
- Child Care Worker (Group Leaders only).
From 7 December 2024, the Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teacher occupation will transfer from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) to ACECQA.
ACECQA's assessment standards for the Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teacher occupation are available here. For information on how to apply, please read ACECQA's Skills Assessment Application Guidelines.
A Migration Skills Assessment is for applicants applying for a skilled migration visa for an occupation listed on the:
- Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
- Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL)
- Regional Occupation List (ROL) or
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) ROL List.
All current lists are available on the Home Affairs website.
If you require both a Skills Assessment and a NQF Qualification Assessment you do not need to submit two separate applications. You will just need to submit a skills assessment application and ACECQA will automatically complete both assessments.
However, if you are concerned that your early childhood education and care qualification may not meet the NQF qualification assessment requirements, we recommend you submit a qualification assessment first. You can then submit a Migration Skills Assessment application if you receive a successful outcome.
This assessment is for skilled migration purposes only. You will need to lodge separate applications for:
- a Provisional Skills Assessment for the purpose of the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).
- a DAMA skills assessment if your nominated occupation is Child Care Worker or Family Day Care Worker and you intend to apply under a relevant DAMA program.
Am I eligible?
You are eligible to apply for a Migration Skills Assessment if your nominated occupation is:
- listed on the Skilled Occupations List on the Department of Home Affairs website with ACECQA as the relevant skills assessing authority
- relevant to your qualification
- relevant to your employment.
You must check with the Department of Home Affairs before submitting your application to ensure your visa pathway requires a skills assessment.
How to apply for assessment
Step 1 - Read the Skills Assessment Application Guidelines.
ACECQA assesses applications against the assessment standards set out in the below documents:
- Assessment Standards for Child Care Centre Manager Occupation
- Assessment Standards for Child Care Worker (group leaders only) Occupation.
After reading the guidelines, if you are concerned that you may not satisfy these standards, you can seek general advice about the application process and assessment standards before lodging your application.
ACECQA is unable to answer questions or provide advice on migration, visa or points requirements, these questions must be directed to the Department of Home Affairs.
Step 2 - Prepare the required supporting documentation for your application.
The supporting evidence required as part of your application will depend on whether you already hold an ACECQA approved diploma level (or higher) qualification or need your qualifications assessed under the NQF as part of your Migration Skills Assessment.
You will be asked to provide certified colour copies of the following documents:
- A valid passport (identity page only)
- Evidence of change of name (if applicable)
- Evidence you hold an ACECQA nationally approved diploma (or higher level) qualification (if applicable)
- Official certificate/parchment for your qualification/s
- Official academic transcript for your qualification/s (this must include all years of study)
- Formal employment contract and formal position description in the relevant occupation
- Evidence of service registration/regulation for each period of relevant employment
- Employer Reference Template (completed by your employer) for all employment experience you are claiming
- Employment Experience Template (completed by you) for all employment experience you are claiming
- Applicant Declaration and Consent Form
- Authorised Representative Declaration and Consent Form (if applicable)
- Migration Agent Declaration and Consent Form
- Evidence of English language proficiency (only for applicants who do not currently hold an NQF approved qualification)
Any documents in a language other than English will need to be translated. Certified colour copies of both the original and translated documents will need to be provided. For further information on how to certify your documents please refer to the certifying documents information sheet.
For more information on the required documentation refer to the Skills Assessment Application Guidelines.
Step 3 - Submit online application and payment
This application will take about 40 minutes to complete. During the application, you will be asked to provide supporting documents. Please upload your documents using links provided in the online application. We are unable to assess your application until all the required information and documentation have been provided.
At the end of the application, you will be asked to pay the application fee.
Are you submitting an application on behalf of someone else?
Our online application portal requires applicants to register before submitting their application. The registration process involves the applicant providing their email address, the system will then email the applicant their login details. As such, if you are a migration agent wanting to submit an online application on behalf of a client, you must use the client’s email address and ask them to check their email and provide you with the login code.
What happens to my application?
ACECQA will email you within 10 working days once your application has been received.
We are committed to completing your assessment within 60 days from receiving all the information we require. If your application is missing information or documents, then the application process will be delayed.
Giving false or misleading information is a serious offence. ACECQA undertakes routine checks to verify the information provided in your application and conducts thorough checking of submitted documents. We will notify the relevant Australian Government Department and law enforcement agency where we have reason to believe that false or misleading information is provided.
Your personal information will be used and stored in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles which are set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and our privacy policy.
How do I receive my outcome?
Once your application has been assessed we will notify you of the outcome of your application by email.
If your application is successful, you will receive a certificate by mail and will be able to submit your skills assessment as part of a visa application. Note: a successful skills assessment does not guarantee your visa will be granted.
If your application is unsuccessful, you will receive reasons for the decision. If you have additional evidence or believe that evidence provided with your application has not adequately been considered you can request a review of your skills assessment.