Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The OQU assess post-secondary qualifications including: 

• Formal technical and vocational qualifications (comparable to an Australian Certificate IV and above); and
• Formal higher education qualifications (bachel​or degree and above). 

​ The OQU is not able to assess the following:

• For recognition of overseas apprenticeships or trade qualifications you will need to contact the WA Apprenticeship Office(opens in a new tab) or a registered training organisation such as a WA TAFE college;
• Qualifications for migration purposes – If you are applying for a visa and need a skills assessment, please visit the Department of Home Affairs website(opens in a new tab);
• Secondary school qualifications – To have you secondary school certificates assessed visit the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website(opens in a new tab);
• Incomplete qualifications and/or short courses (less than one-year full-time study) and single subject certificates;
• Professional registration or memberships, work experience; and
• Australian qualifications.

For occupational registration, licensing or professional memberships, clients need to make their own investigation and seek advice from a relevant industry or licensing body

The Overseas Qualifications Unit is unable to assess overseas qualifications for migration purposes.

If you are applying for a visa and need a skills assessment, visit the Department of Home Affairs website(opens in a new tab).

Yes, in some cases.

If you are unable to supply your award certificate / academic transcripts you will need to provide a signed statutory declaration, and include the following information:

• The qualification awarded;
• Year awarded;
• The number of years of study;
• Whether the study was taken full-time or part-time; and
• Why you are unable to provide the original document.

This will be included as part of your application, and will be considered by Overseas Qualification Unit as a part of your assessment.

Overseas trade and apprenticeship qualifications are unable to be assessed by the Overseas Qualifications Unit.

Assessments can only be undertaken through a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process called Trade Skills Recognition (TSR) at approved registered training organisations such as TAFE. TSR is often required for licensing in Western Australia. Please note, fees may apply. If you require TSR, you will need to contact an approved Registered Training Organisation (RTO), or contact the Trade Skills Recognition area at the Apprenticeship Office to discuss your needs. 

Please visit the Apprenticeship Office website(opens in a new tab) for more information regarding TSR and to find the approved list of RTOs.

Trade certificate 

Once you have completed TSR, you may be eligible to have a separate trade certificate issued. Trade certificates are recognised and sought after by many employers in WA.

A trade certificate may be issued by the Apprenticeship Office within the WA Department of Training and Workforce Development (the Department) to individuals who have achieved an apprenticeship qualification if the individual has:

• completed the qualification via a training contract registered in Western Australia;
• met the Department’s TSR requirements; or
• completed a qualification that is recognised within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) in an Australian state or territory other than WA. The qualification must be equivalent to a qualification on the Classification of prescribed vocational education and training qualifications in WA with the title of apprentice, and must have been achieved through an employment-based training arrangement.

For more information regarding TSR and Trade Certificates, please visit the Apprenticeship Office website at wa.gov.au/organisation/apprenticeship-office(opens in a new tab).

Licensed occupations and mutual recognition
If you hold a current trade licence from New Zealand or interstate, you may be eligible to have it recognised locally through the Mutual Recognition Act 1992(opens in a new tab)  or the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997(opens in a new tab) .

For more information on industry regulations, licensing and registration, please visit the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety website(opens in a new tab).

Yes, you can apply on behalf of another person. However, the person authorising you to act as their agent must complete the Third party authorisation form below.

You must attach the signed and completed Third party authorisation form when you lodge the application.

Download the Third party authorisation form here(PDF document - opens in a new tab)[PDF 143 KB]

Unfortunately the OQU service is only available for residents currently in Western Australia. If you are living overseas, you can get your qualification assessed by the Australian Government Department of Education. 

Please visit the Department of Education website for more information.(opens in a new tab) 

Yes, employers can confirm the validity of an overseas qualification assessment.

We can then confirm the validity of the applicant's overseas qualification assessment.

Download the Consent to release form here(PDF document - opens in a new tab)[PDF 144 KB]

You can ask for a review.

Please email the Overseas Qualifications Unit (OQU) at oqu@dtwd.wa.gov.a​u​(opens in a new tab), making sure you include your contact details and reference number, and state why you disagree with your assessment outcome.

Your assessment will be reviewed and you will be advised of the outcome. 

A certified copy is a photocopied document that has been checked by a recognised, independent person who confirms that it is a true copy of the original document. To have your documents certified, you will need to take a photocopy (along with the original document), and have each page signed to confirm that it is a true copy of the original.

Each page must be certified, and must show:

• the words “certified true copy of the original”; 
• the signature of the certifying officer; 
• the name, address, contact telephone number, and designation of the certifying officer legibly printed below the signature; and 
• an official stamp (where possible). 

Please note that OQU must be able to contact the certifying person if needed. 

In Western Australia, the following people can witness and certify copies of documents.

No person under the age of 18 is allowed to be a witness.​

To have your copies certified outside of Australia, you may approach:

• ​the awarding institution; 
• any consulate; 
• the Australian Education International (AEI) Section at the Australian Diplomatic Mission; or
• the Ministry of Justice.

All translations must be carried out by an accredited translator to be accepted.

People settling permanently in Australia can have up to ten eligible documents translated into English free of charge, within the first two years of their eligible visa grant date.   

To find out more information about the service, check your eligibility or start an online application, visit the Free Translating Service website(opens in a new tab) run by the Department of Home Affairs.

If you are not eligible for the free service, you can find an accredited translator in your area on the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters website(opens in a new tab).

Translations must be provided on the organisation’s letterhead with an official stamp and the translator’s signature with their name and contact numbers legibly printed for contact by the OQU if necessary. Acceptable organisations are:

• the awarding institution; or 
• ​accredited translators in the country concerned.

Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO)​(opens in a new tab) is an online facility developed by the Department of Home Affairs where organisations can confirm a person’s visa entitlements without having to refer to the visa grant letter or label in their passport.​​

If you have an electronic visa, you can give the OQU permission to access your visa details on VEVO. 

This is a free service available to Western Australian residents.

You should refer to the:

• Checklist for applying for nomination certification(PDF document - opens in a new tab)[PDF 208 KB] — Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)

Authorised Migration Representatives must include their full contact details in applications for nomination certification. WA Migration Services are unable to discuss the details of an application with representatives who are not listed on an application.

An email address is not sufficient, full contact details are required.

No. Once the assessment is complete, WA Migration Services is unable to change the Form 1404.

Applications for certification advice are assessed in order of receipt.

Our standard processing time for Regional Certifying Body (RCB) applications is five working days once all documentation is received.

It is a state requirement that the employment contract confirms a minimum of two years.

Please provide an additional statement, confirming the employee will be employed for a minimum of two years.

Yes, our Information for employers – Assessment of overseas qualifications fact sheet outlines the value of your assessment outcome and can be shown to your existing or potential employer.

Download the fact sheet here(PDF document - opens in a new tab)[PDF 246 KB]

Your employer can also contact us to confirm the validity of your overseas qualification assessment if you provide them with a completed Consent to release form, available below.

Download the Consent to release form here(opens in a new tab)
 

WA Migration Services applies the following priority order to rank EOIs for invitation. 

General stream

1. Applicants residing in Western Australia

a) Trade occupations in the building and construction industry

b) Occupations in priority sectors: building and construction – non-trades; healthcare and social assistance; hospitality and tourism; and education and training

c) Occupations in all other sectors

2. Applicants residing outside Western Australia (interstate, and overseas)

a) Trade occupations in the building and construction industry

b) Occupations in priority sectors: building and construction – non-trades; healthcare and social assistance; hospitality and tourism; and education and training

c) Occupations in all other sectors

3. EOI Points Score: preference is given to EOIs with higher points test scores.

4. EOI Submission Date: preference is given to EOIs with earlier submission dates that otherwise have the same ranking.

Graduate stream (which is divided into Higher Education and VET streams)

1. Applicants residing in Western Australia

a) Trade occupations in the building and construction industry

b) Occupations in priority sectors: building and construction – non-trades; healthcare and social assistance; hospitality and tourism; and education and training

c) Occupations in all other sectors

2. Applicants residing outside Western Australia (interstate, and overseas)

a) Trade occupations in the building and construction industry

b) Occupations in priority sectors: building and construction – non-trades; healthcare and social assistance; hospitality and tourism; and education and training

c) Occupations in all other sectors

3. EOI Points Score: preference is given to EOIs with higher points test scores.

4. EOI Submission Date: preference is given to EOIs with earlier submission dates that otherwise have the same ranking.

Qualifications within each occupation group are ranked as per Table 1.

Table 1 - Qualifications ranked within each occupation group

Invitations are issued to those with the highest-ranking expression of interest, which includes ranking based on highest points score.

If you are eligible for an invitation for both visa subclasses, you generally receive an invitation for the subclass 491 visa in the first instance, as you receive more points for State nomination for this visa. If you are invited for the 491 visa and the 190 visa (in different invitation rounds) only one application can proceed. 

In this instance WA Migration Services will contact you and ask you to decide which application you wish to proceed with - your other application will be withdrawn.

If you are invited to and apply for the subclass 189 visa the Department of Home Affairs will lock access to your expression of interest in the SkillSelect database which will prevent State nomination. In this instance your application for WA State nomination will be declined.

Invitations are issued to those with the highest-ranking expression of interest (EOI), which includes ranking based on highest points score.

Applicants must provide evidence to substantiate their ranking, and points score at the time of invitation.

If you amend your EOI during the application process and your points score and/or ranking reduce, WA Migration Services reserves the right to withdraw or decline your application.

We can provide you with information about the State nomination application process and criteria, but we cannot help you with your application or provide migration advice.

To find an Authorised Migration Representative, visit the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) website(opens in a new tab).​ or the Law Council of Australia's website(opens in a new tab).

Applicants receiving a prioritised invitation based on residing in Western Australia must be able to substantiate this claim by providing evidence that they:

• were residing in WA for a continuous period of at least three months immediately prior to the date of their Western Australian State nomination invitation; and
• are still residing in WA at the date of State nomination application.

Acceptable evidence includes:

• A signed WA residential property lease agreement (Form 1aa(opens in a new tab)) with proof of rental payments and record of bond lodgement with Bonds Administration;
• bank statements showing daily transactions, income and expenses in WA;
• mortgage account statements; and
• Government or Federal Identity checks such as a Federal police check showing the applicant’s name and WA address;

Or two or more of the following secondary evidence:

• insurance policy renewal documents showing the applicant’s name and WA address;
• renewal notices for driver’s licence or vehicle registration;
• employment contracts or payslips from a WA-based employer; and
• enrolment confirmation or transcripts from a WA educational institution.

A skills assessment for Australian migration purposes is a formal evaluation conducted by a designated assessing authority to verify that your qualifications, work experience, and skills meet the standards required to work in your nominated occupation in Australia. See the Home Affairs website(opens in a new tab) for more information on skills assessments and skills assessing authorities.

• Skills assessments must be valid at the time of the SNMP application lodgement. Skills assessments that are expired prior to the State Nomination date are not considered suitable for State nomination purposes.
• Skills assessments that are not for migration purposes are not considered suitable for State nomination purposes.

Applicants for Western Australian State nomination need to have at least competent English. To prove you have competent English, you are required to provide evidence of one of the following: 

• That you are a citizen of and hold a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland, with your application. British National (Overseas) passports are not acceptable as evidence of competent English.
• You have obtained one of the following English language test results, as per the table below.
• English language test results must be valid at the time of SNMP application lodgement. English language test results that have expired prior to the application date are not considered suitable for State nomination purposes.

Table 1 - English approved tests taken on or before 6 August 2025

Results of approved tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 can be used (within three-year validity period) as evidence of English proficiency for visa purposes until 6 August 2028.

Table 2 - English approved tests taken on or after 7 August 2025

^{*The OET scoring format was previously alphabetical; scoring changed to numerical as of 7 August 2025.}

You will need to provide a scanned copy of your employment contract when you lodge your State nomination application. It must be for full-time employment in your nominated (or closely related) occupation for the required duration. If required through the General stream, the contract must be for at least six months.

Full-time employment is an average of at least 35 hours per week, and you can provide two part-time contracts to meet this requirement. Casual contracts will not be considered.

The contract must be signed and dated by both the employer and employee and include:

1. full names of ​both the employer and the employee;

2. that it is either ‘permanent full-time’ or ‘fixed term full-time’; and

a) the start date (all contracts). If you have not yet started working, the contract start date must be within three months of the date you lodge your State nomination application unless you are currently residing offshore.

b) the end date (fixed-term contracts only).

3. job title, related ANZSCO and description of the work to be performed by the employee;

4. the terms and conditions of employment (include the position's salary, hours of work, leave entitlements, superannuation, among other things) that are no less favourable than those that would apply to an Australian citizen or permanent resident doing equivalent work;

5. location of employment;

6. a statement that the work specified in the employment contract must be perform​ed by the employee and not contracted out to a third party; and

7. must be drafted by the employer and not by the employee.

You will need a contract of full-time employment in Western Australia with a minimum of six months remaining on your contract at the time you apply for State nomination. (Full-time employment is an average of at least 35 hours per week.) This contract must be in your nominated (or closely related) occupation. 

For example, if you apply for State nomination through the General stream (and require a minimum six-month employment contract) on 1 January 2026, your employment contract end date must not be before 1 July 2026.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics(opens in a new tab) defines occupations as ‘closely related’ if they are:

• in the same ANZSCO Unit Group (as your nominated occupation) which means they share the same first four-digits; or
• consistent with a career advancement pathway; or
• recognised by an assessing authority that it is closely related to your nominated occupation, as part of your skills assessment.

The employment contract must show an agreement between the employer and employee and set out the terms and conditions of employment. Factors taken into consideration may include: 

• a minimum salary is being paid;
• the business employing you is genuine and operational in the location specified;
• the job will be completed by you and not contracted out to a third party; and
• as the employee you will bear no financial risk and be provided with the relevant tools and equipment to successfully undertake the tasks required.

Employment contracts submitted by an Independent contractor or those which demonstrate self-employment do not meet the above requirements and are not suitable to be submitted when applying for WA State nomination.

Employment contracts submitted by a sole trader will be considered in the following circumstances only:

• the sole trader is not the stated applicant of the State nomination application; and
• the employment contract meets all the State's employment contract requirements.

For further information view contract of employment requirements in the Stream specific requirements section(opens in a new tab). Employment contracts(opens in a new tab) and Independent contractors(opens in a new tab) information is also available on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.

A positive skills assessment is required for the State nomination program but does not guarantee that occupational licensing or registration requirements have been met.

Applicants with an occupation requiring licensing or registration are advised to contact the relevant occupational licensing or registering body to verify their suitability for licensing or registration.

Further information is available on the Getting your skills recognised page(opens in a new tab)

At the time you are invited to apply for WA State nomination you must have:

• at least one year of Australian work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation over the last 10 years; or
• at least one year of overseas work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation over the last 10 years.

Australian and overseas work experience in the nominated (or closely related) occupation cannot be combined to meet the one-year requirement.

Closely related means that the occupation shares the first four digits of the nominated occupation’s ANZSCO code.

You can only count work experience gained post qualification, in paid employment, where you have worked at least 20 hours per week. 

A professional year or work placement will not be considered for the purposes of State nomination, unless it meets the above requirements.

Evidence of work experience may include: 

• Records of Payment/Payslips to demonstrate paid employment in the occupation or closely related occupation. The Record of Payment/Payslip must include the Employer’s name and ABN, the name of the employee, the pay period, date the payment was issued, gross and net pay including any loadings, penalties or allowances, deductions, and tax withheld. If you are providing payslips, please enter the details into the payslip template [PDF 183 KB](opens in a new tab) and provide this as part of your application.
• A letter from an employer that provides evidence of employment, including the employee’s name, job title, location of employment, duties performed, and period of employment and the salary/hourly rate paid to the employee. The letter must include the business details, including company name and ABN (or overseas equivalent) and name and contact details of the employer for verification purposes

You will need to provide the following:

• award certificate/s;
• a record of your results, such as transcript/s or a statement of attainment showing two years full-time study in Western Australia; and
• a letter from your education provider confirming the details of your course including the delivery method, start and completion dates and study load. If you studied at multiple education providers to fulfil the two-year study requirement, a letter must be provided from each education provider.

If you were studying under an Australian student visa, you will also need to provide:

• confirmation of enrolment/s (COEs) issued by the Department of Education for the duration of your two years of Western Australian study; and
• evidence of approval from your education provider if any part of your full-time course was completed at a reduced study load. Study completed at a reduced study load due to credit transfers from outside of Western Australia is not eligible.

The education provider determines whether a course is full-time or part-time. To meet the study requirements, you will need to provide evidence to show two years of full-time study in Western Australia.

For the purpose of the two-year study requirement, Migration Services requires applicants to have completed at least 87 weeks duration of full-time study taken from the start date and end date on the completion letter(s). This can include more than one completed qualification and does not need to be one continuous study period.

If, due to COVID-19, you were required to complete some of your studies online, you will need to show evidence that you were still enrolled as an onshore Western Australian student during the concession period (1 February 2020 to 25 November 2023).

You may be eligible for the Graduate stream if you have obtained a Certificate III level or above VET qualification in Western Australia and have completed two years study in Western Australia at an accredited Western Australian educational institution.

Invitations for the Graduate stream are determined by the highest completed qualification gained in Western Australia in your EOI. If you have a Western Australian Higher Ed qualification you will only be considered for the Higher Ed Stream. If your highest Western Australian qualification is a VET qualification you will only be considered for the VET stream.

For further details, view our Graduate stream requirements information(opens in a new tab)

To be considered an accredited university or higher education provider, it must have met the below requirements at the time of your studies:

• registered as an Australian higher education provider with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)(opens in a new tab);
• registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)(opens in a new tab); and
• have a campus in Western Australia, where students study bachelor or post graduate courses full-time, on campus, through face-to-face delivery.

Current approved universities with a Western Australian campus are:

• Central Queensland University (note: Perth campus closed on 8 December 2023);
• Curtin University;
• Edith Cowan University;
• Murdoch University;
• Southern Cross University;
• University of Notre Dame Australia; and
• University of Western Australia.

To be considered an accredited VET provider it must have met the below requirements at the time of your studies:

• registered with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). You can check if your institution is registered on the training.gov.au website(opens in a new tab);
• registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)(opens in a new tab); and
• have a campus in Western Australia, where students study full-time, through face-to-face delivery.

To be considered an accredited provider of English language programs, it must have met the below requirements at the time of your studies:

• registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)(opens in a new tab); and
• have a campus in Western Australia, where students study full-time, through face-to-face delivery.

Your Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect must include the suburb and post code of your Western Australian educational institution campus where you completed your study. 

For a list of all currently accredited educational institutions please view WA accredited educational institutions in the Stream specific requirements section.(opens in a new tab)

Full-time study is determined by the applicant’s educational institution. Under Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students(opens in a new tab) (CRICOS), full-time study is defined as a minimum of 20 scheduled course contact hours per week.

Eligible study is study that has been completed in English at an accredited institution in Western Australia while holding a valid visa with study rights. The course and institution must be registered on Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students(opens in a new tab) (CRICOS), and result in an eligible qualification.

All students studying in Australia with an Australian training organisation will be able to access their Unique Student Identifier (USI)(opens in a new tab). You will be able to access your WA study results through USI.

In WA, if the provider is no longer operating, you may still be able to access your records by visiting the Training Accreditation Council (TAC) by emailing tac@dtwd.wa.gov.au.

Face-to-face study means in person attendance on campus in WA for scheduled classes and assessments. 

The Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act(opens in a new tab) states that a maximum of 25% of study can be completed online and that the student must have been enrolled in at least one face-to-face subject in each compulsory teaching period.

The processing time is for a 'decision ready' application. Decision ready means that you have provided all the documentation required for WA Migration Services to complete an assessment.

If WA Migration Services asks for more information, then your application is not decision ready until all information is provided. This may delay the processing of your application.

Once your application is decision ready, it will be assessed, and a final outcome will be issued within the advertised processing time.

Yes. As part of your agreement with the Government of Western Australia you must complete surveys upon request for a period of 24 months.

By completing this survey, you will also be kept aware of available State incentive payments that may help pay for your tools, study and/or licensing costs

WA Migration Services only issues one invitation per EOI and nominates an applicant only once per program year (July to June). 

• If you have previously been invited to apply for State nomination, you will need to submit a new EOI to receive a new invitation.
• If you have already been nominated, you will not receive a further invitation in the same program year. 

WA Migration Services may consider re-inviting and renominating applicants for WA State nomination under exceptional circumstances. In this instance you will need to submit a new EOI.

Please email WA Migration Services(opens in a new tab) if you would like further information regarding this process.