The majority of General Skilled Migration visas for Australia require the applicant to obtain a formal assessment which verifies that their skills are suitable for migration to Australia in a skilled occupation. This is known as a “pre-application skills assessment”. (PASA)
For an applicant to make a valid application for an Australian visa, he or she must nominate a skilled occupation and provide a suitable skills assessment in the nominated occupation.
The latest Skilled Occupation List is available at http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1121i.pdf
There are a range of skill assessing authorities which are nominated to carry the pre-application skill assessment. Common authorities would be TRA or VETASSESS. The criteria for skills assessment is left up to the assessing authority to determine which can vary extensively but generally based on the applicant’s qualifications and work experience usually verified by work references.
