Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Experience before the qualification vs Experience after the qualification
The points test counts skilled employment in the nominated or a closely related occupation at the required skill level in the last ten years, and whether a period counts is decided first by the assessing authority, which sets the date from which the applicant is treated as skilled: most authorities count employment only after the qualification was completed, and some, including the Australian Computer Society, deduct further years before the count begins. Experience before the qualification can support the skills assessment itself, where the authority allows experience to substitute for or supplement a qualification, but it rarely counts for points. Claim the years the authority confirms, and no others; the Department reads the assessment letter, not the résumé.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - For the skills assessment
- Can support the assessment where the authority accepts experience in place of, or beside, a qualification · Required by most authorities, often a minimum period
- For points
- Rarely counted; the authority’s deemed-skilled date usually starts after the qualification · Counted from the deemed-skilled date, at the required skill level, within the last 10 years
- Evidence
- References, payslips, tax records, for the authority · References, payslips, tax records, for the authority and the Department
- Common traps
- Claiming pre-qualification years in the expression of interest · Part-time work below 20 hours a week; work outside the occupation
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About the CPD →Side by side
| Experience before the qualification | Experience after the qualification | |
|---|---|---|
| For the skills assessment | Can support the assessment where the authority accepts experience in place of, or beside, a qualification | Required by most authorities, often a minimum period |
| For points | Rarely counted; the authority’s deemed-skilled date usually starts after the qualification | Counted from the deemed-skilled date, at the required skill level, within the last 10 years |
| Evidence | References, payslips, tax records, for the authority | References, payslips, tax records, for the authority and the Department |
| Common traps | Claiming pre-qualification years in the expression of interest | Part-time work below 20 hours a week; work outside the occupation |
| Watch out | Points claimed beyond the assessment letter are refused as unproven | Gaps and overlaps are checked against tax records |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
The points test counts skilled employment in the nominated or a closely related occupation at the required skill level in the last ten years, and whether a period counts is decided first by the assessing authority, which sets the date from which the applicant is treated as skilled: most authorities count employment only after the qualification was completed, and some, including the Australian Computer Society, deduct further years before the count begins. Experience before the qualification can support the skills assessment itself, where the authority allows experience to substitute for or supplement a qualification, but it rarely counts for points. Claim the years the authority confirms, and no others; the Department reads the assessment letter, not the résumé.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
Experience before the qualification or Experience after the qualification — which is better?
The points test counts skilled employment in the nominated or a closely related occupation at the required skill level in the last ten years, and whether a period counts is decided first by the assessing authority, which sets the date from which the applicant is treated as skilled: most authorities count employment only after the qualification was completed, and some, including the Australian Computer Society, deduct further years before the count begins. Experience before the qualification can support the skills assessment itself, where the authority allows experience to substitute for or supplement a qualification, but it rarely counts for points. Claim the years the authority confirms, and no others; the Department reads the assessment letter, not the résumé.
What is the main difference between the Experience before the qualification and the Experience after the qualification?
For the skills assessment: Experience before the qualification — Can support the assessment where the authority accepts experience in place of, or beside, a qualification; Experience after the qualification — Required by most authorities, often a minimum period. For points: Experience before the qualification — Rarely counted; the authority’s deemed-skilled date usually starts after the qualification; Experience after the qualification — Counted from the deemed-skilled date, at the required skill level, within the last 10 years. Evidence: Experience before the qualification — References, payslips, tax records, for the authority; Experience after the qualification — References, payslips, tax records, for the authority and the Department.
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