For people applying for an Australian Work visa, particularly subclass 457, the government now requires that all applicants satisfy the skills assessment criteria. The change was made effective on July 1, 2009 to ensure safety and to prevent fraud.

The extensive skills assessment aims to confirm the skills of applicants for an Australian work visa. As part of the changes, the English language requirement has been raised form a minimum of 4.5 IELTS score to 5 IELTS.

Furthermore, Trades Recognition Australia has been tasked to introduce formal skills assessment for Australian work visa applicants and chefs. During the pilot of this program, five trades from 10 countries must undertake the five-step skills assessment. Other countries and trades will be introduced progressively as capacities increase.

In the first part of the skills assessment for the Australian work visa, the applicant will be required to use a self-evaluation tool to determine if their skills and training match the needs of the Australian labour market. Visa applicants must also submit evidence of their skills and experiences to their selected Registered Training Organisation for assessment. The applicant will be required to participate in a technical interview and the qualified assessor will provide documentation about their assessment.

Also, a separate Skills Assessment attachment will be made available to applicants of this Australian work visa. This should be submitted with the application lodged between July 1 to mid-September. From September 14 onwards, application form 1066 will include the Skills Assessment section.

In addition to this criterion, there are also other eligibility requirements for the Australian work visa including the Australian Values Statement, character requirements, health requirements and more.

About National Visas:

National Visas help people process their Australian visas.

Working Holiday Visa gives young people the opportunity to travel around Australia over a 12 month period, with the option of part-time or casual employment.

See here all Working Holiday Visa Requirements.