A VETASSESS skills assessment is the step that decides whether Australia treats your degree and work history as skilled in your nominated occupation. If your occupation sits with VETASSESS, you will generally need a suitable outcome before you can use it for a points-tested skilled visa. From 9 September 2026 the standard fee is AUD $1,146 for applicants who are not Australian tax residents, and the current published timeframe for professional occupations is 7 to 8 weeks.

Plenty of pages still show the old $1,096 fee or quote 12 to 16 weeks, so this guide uses VETASSESS's own schedule. It covers the requirements, the documents, the real cost and what to do with a not suitable result.

Information current to 4 November 2026. Fees, timeframes and criteria were checked against VETASSESS and Department of Home Affairs pages on that date.

VETASSESS skills assessment 2026: key facts

• Who it covers: more than 341 professional and other non-trade occupations, according to VETASSESS.
• What is tested: your qualification against the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and your employment for relevance and skill level. Both must come back positive.
• Fee: $1,146 excluding GST, or $1,260.60 including GST for Australian tax residents.
• Priority Processing: an extra $863 (or $949.30 with GST), for 10 business days after eligibility is confirmed.
• Standard timeframe: 7 to 8 weeks.
• Validity: a suitable outcome is usually valid for three years from its issue date.
• Full-time work means: paid work of at least 20 hours a week.

What VETASSESS checks, and how the groups work

VETASSESS gives each occupation a group, and the group shapes which work can count. The nomination rules set this out:

• Groups A and E: employment must be post-qualification.
• Group B: work done before the qualification needs five years of relevant employment, plus at least one year of highly relevant employment at the required skill level in the last five years.
• Groups C, D and F: the same idea, with three years of relevant employment plus that one highly relevant year.

The general baseline is a qualification at the required AQF level in a highly relevant field, plus at least one year of highly relevant, paid work of 20 or more hours a week at the required skill level in the last five years. The occupation's own information sheet has the final say, so read that before anything else.

Example: Group B pathways

Human Resource Adviser and Management Consultant are both Group B, and both offer these four pathways:

Pathway	Qualification	Employment needed
1	Bachelor or higher in a highly relevant field	At least 1 year post-qualification, in the last 5 years
2	Bachelor or higher in another field, plus a highly relevant qualification at AQF Diploma level or above	At least 2 years post-qualification, in the last 5 years
3	Bachelor or higher in another field	At least 3 years post-qualification, in the last 5 years
4	Bachelor or higher, relevant or not	At least 6 years, including 1 year of highly relevant work in the 5 years before applying

Job titles do not carry an application. The Management Consultant sheet requires independent consulting, research into client problems and recommendations for that client. Roles limited to risk, compliance or improving internal processes are generally not treated as highly relevant. HR clerks and general managers face a similar problem under Human Resource Adviser.

ANZSCO version matters

Most occupations are assessed under ANZSCO 2013. The Core Skills stream of the subclass 482 visa and the Direct Entry stream of the subclass 186 visa use ANZSCO 2022, and codes can differ. Management Consultant is 224711 under 2013 and 224713 under 2022. Check which version your visa uses, and check the occupation is available for that visa at all. Training and Development Professional, for example, is listed on VETASSESS as available only for the subclass 494.

VETASSESS fees from 9 September 2026

These figures come from the VETASSESS fees page and the August 2026 fee schedule. All amounts are in Australian dollars.

Service	Excl. GST	Incl. GST
Full skills assessment	$1,146.00	$1,260.60
Priority Processing (on top of the assessment)	$863.00	$949.30
Review: qualification only	$356.00	$391.60
Review: employment only	$637.00	$700.70
Review: qualification and employment	$955.00	$1,050.50
Reassessment within 12 months	$779.00	$856.90
Appeal	$1,132.00	$1,245.20
Renewal within 3 years	$495.00	$544.50
Points Test Advice (non-VETASSESS occupations)	$325.00	$357.50
Reissue of outcome letter	$78.00	$85.80

Standard plus Priority Processing comes to $2,009 excluding GST, or $2,209.90 including GST.

The GST column depends on tax residency, not simply where you are standing. VETASSESS adds GST if you are an Australian resident for tax purposes, so someone already in Australia on a student or graduate visa should check their position with the ATO before paying. Payment must clear 7 days before assessment. If you withdraw before assessment starts, a refund may be considered less a $179 administration fee.

VETASSESS processing time in 2026

VETASSESS moved to a 7-week target for applications from 1 December 2025. Time you spend supplying missing documents is excluded from that target. Its current processing times page shows:

Application type	Published timeframe
Professional occupations	7 to 8 weeks
Priority Processing	10 business days after eligibility is confirmed
Change of occupation reassessment	7 to 8 weeks
Outcome review	7 to 10 weeks
Appeal	12 to 20 weeks
Renewal	2 to 5 weeks
Points Test Advice	2 to 4 weeks

Trade occupations follow separate programs and timings vary, so this guide does not cover them. One caution: VETASSESS's reviews and appeals page still says about 14 weeks for a review and 14 to 16 weeks for an appeal. If a visa deadline depends on either, plan around the longer figure.

Is Priority Processing worth it?

It suits applicants with complete evidence and a date to hit. Priority Processing covers new full assessments, suitable renewals and returning applicants changing occupation. It is not available for reviews, appeals, or a repeat attempt in the same occupation after a not suitable outcome. You cannot upload more documents later, and you cannot change occupation once accepted.

If VETASSESS declines the application or misses the 10 business days, the fee is refunded less $179. There is no refund if documents turn out to be false, misleading or inconsistent.

A separate route exists if you hold an invitation with 60 days to lodge and your assessment has expired. You can email evidence of the invitation to VETASSESS and ask for urgent processing without paying the Priority Processing fee.

Documents you need

The VETASSESS checklist and eligibility page ask for high-quality colour scans of originals:

• Identity: three ID documents, including at least one primary document (passport biographical page or birth certificate), plus a recent colour passport-sized photo that is not self-taken.
• Qualifications: award certificate and full transcripts. Your qualification must be complete before you apply.
• CV: required for a formal assessment.
• Statement of service for each job: on letterhead, showing issue date, position titles, exact start and end dates, weekly hours, main duties, salary, and the referee's name, title, contact details and signature.
• Payment evidence: at least two payslips, tax records, bank statements showing salary, or employment-linked insurance or superannuation records.
• Occupation extras: organisational charts for managerial roles and some named occupations, plus project lists, sales lists, publication lists or portfolios where the occupation requires them.
• Self-employment: business registration, an accountant or solicitor letter, invoices or bank statements or tax records, and evidence such as contracts or testimonials.

For payslips, the FAQs suggest the first and last per position. For jobs longer than three years, provide the beginning, middle and end. Referees must be a manager, supervisor or HR representative, because colleagues at your level or below are not accepted. Keep their contact details current, since VETASSESS must be able to verify employment.

English is not on the VETASSESS checklist. It comes up at the EOI and visa stage, where Home Affairs' competent English standard is IELTS 6 in each component, or PTE Academic 50 in each for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025.

How to apply: step by step

1. Choose the occupation. Compare your duties, not just your title, with the information sheet, and confirm it is open for your visa.
2. Pick your pathway. Work out which pathway fits your degree and how many years of work you can prove.
3. Collect evidence. Ask former employers for statements now. This is usually the slowest part.
4. Apply online. Create an account, complete the form, upload documents and select Priority Processing here if you want it.
5. Answer any requests. You get 28 days to provide requested documents. VETASSESS makes two further attempts, then finalises the application as not suitable.
6. Download your outcome. The letter is available in the portal and shows its validity period.

You can change occupation free of charge within 10 days of your payment being processed, but not once the application is in progress.

How the outcome affects your points

VETASSESS sets a Date Deemed Skilled, the date you met the occupation's skill requirements. Under its application process, only skilled employment after that date counts toward points, and the points test looks at the 10 years before your invitation. That date can matter as much as the outcome itself.

Under the points test, overseas work earns 5 points from 3 years, 10 from 5 years and 15 from 8 years. Australian work earns 5 from 1 year, 10 from 3, 15 from 5 and 20 from 8. Combined employment points cap at 20.

Illustrative example. Priya completes an MBA in HR in Mumbai in mid-2018 and has worked as an HR generalist ever since, about eight years in total. If VETASSESS deems her skilled from mid-2019, she can claim about seven years, which is 10 points instead of the 15 she may have counted. Our Australia PR points test guide covers the full table. The Government has also flagged a redesigned test, so recheck before relying on any total.

Home Affairs says you will need a skills assessment in the occupation you nominate, and your EOI asks for the authority, reference number and date. Once invited, you have 60 days to lodge. Do not claim more than your outcome letter supports.

Not suitable outcome: review, reassessment or appeal

Option	Use it when	Deadline
Outcome review	You dispute the result and have grounds plus new evidence	90 days from the outcome
Reassessment, same occupation	The review window has passed and you have new evidence	After 90 days, within 12 months
Reassessment, different occupation	Another occupation fits you better	Within 12 months
Appeal	You believe a review outcome is wrong. No new information is considered and the decision is final	90 days from the review outcome

A review or reassessment without new evidence may be treated as invalid, with the fee refunded less an administration charge. A successful appeal refunds the appeal fee. Before you lodge anything, read the outcome letter to see which component failed. An employment problem usually needs better evidence, while a qualification problem may need a different pathway or occupation.

Renewing a VETASSESS assessment

A renewal must be requested while the outcome is still valid. Once it expires, you need a new application at the full fee. Renewal is assessed against current criteria, employment older than five years cannot be accepted, and success is not guaranteed. Upload evidence of recent work if you have kept working. The renewal page still shows the previous fee, so use the $495 figure from the fee schedule.

Common mistakes that lead to delays or a not suitable result

• Nominating by job title. Duties need to match the occupation's tasks, including seniority.
• Vague reference letters. Missing weekly hours, exact dates or salary all invite follow-up requests.
• Relying on statutory declarations. They support an application but cannot be its sole basis, and they cannot prove employment dates or pay.
• Counting part-time work. Work under 20 hours a week does not meet the requirement, although concurrent jobs totalling 20 hours can be combined.
• Using Priority Processing with gaps. You cannot add documents later.
• Ignoring the three-year clock. Letting a valid outcome lapse turns a $495 renewal into a $1,146 new application.
• Wrong ID details. Name changes need documents for each legal change. Statutory declarations are not accepted for this.

Tips for applicants from India and Malaysia

• Payment evidence: Form 16 and EPF records in India, or Form EA and EPF (KWSP) statements in Malaysia, are the closest matches to VETASSESS's tax and superannuation-type categories. Its list is general and does not name them, so keep bank statements showing salary as back-up.
• Closed or uncooperative employers: ask for statements of service before you resign, and make sure your payment trail covers every claimed job. A declaration alone cannot fill that gap.
• Consulting and outsourcing roles: Management Consultant applicants should note that setting up or running Business Process Outsourcing is generally not considered objective consulting. Check this early if you work in a captive centre.
• Translations: non-English documents, including Hindi, Tamil or Bahasa Malaysia records, need the original plus an English translation from a registered translation service.
• Farming occupations in India: VETASSESS lists land valuation certificates, sales and purchase receipts, and J Forms.
• Check your assessing authority first: IT applicants generally use a different body, so see our ACS skills assessment guide if that is you.

How EazyViza can help

Most VETASSESS problems start before lodgement, with the wrong occupation or a reference letter that does not reflect the work done. Our team, backed by the lawyers at Collins Quarters in Sydney, Melbourne, Chennai and Kuala Lumpur, can check your occupation match, review your employment evidence and map the assessment against your visa plan through our skills assessment help service. If you are still working out your options, start with the free eligibility checker.

This article is general information, not legal or migration advice. Fees, criteria and timeframes change, so check the VETASSESS and Home Affairs websites or speak with a registered migration agent or lawyer before you act.