Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
Provisional skills assessment vs Full skills assessment
A provisional skills assessment is the documentary check an assessing authority issues to a recent Australian graduate for the 485 Temporary Graduate visa, confirming the qualification matches the occupation; for trades it is Trades Recognition Australia’s provisional assessment, the first step of the Job Ready Program, and it is not accepted for a permanent or state-nominated visa. A full skills assessment is the one the points-tested, employer-sponsored and state-nominated visas need, and for a trade graduate it comes at the end of the Job Ready Program after a year of verified paid work in the occupation and a workplace assessment. Get the provisional one for the 485 and start the full one the day the 485 is granted, because the full one is the gate to everything after.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Used for
- The 485 Temporary Graduate visa · 189, 190, 491, 186 direct entry, 494 and most state nominations
- Who issues it
- The assessing authority for the occupation; for trades, TRA’s provisional assessment · The same authority, on its full criteria
- What it checks
- That the Australian qualification is relevant to the occupation · Qualification plus employment, and for trades the Job Ready Program’s verified work and workplace assessment
- Time
- Weeks · Months; a year or more for a trade graduate through the Job Ready Program
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About the CPD →Side by side
| Provisional skills assessment | Full skills assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Used for | The 485 Temporary Graduate visa | 189, 190, 491, 186 direct entry, 494 and most state nominations |
| Who issues it | The assessing authority for the occupation; for trades, TRA’s provisional assessment | The same authority, on its full criteria |
| What it checks | That the Australian qualification is relevant to the occupation | Qualification plus employment, and for trades the Job Ready Program’s verified work and workplace assessment |
| Time | Weeks | Months; a year or more for a trade graduate through the Job Ready Program |
| Cost | Low; see the assessing authority | The authority’s full fee, and for trades the Job Ready Program’s staged fees |
| Validity | 3 years for the TRA provisional outcome; check your authority | As the authority states, commonly 3 years |
| Watch out | It cannot be used for a permanent visa | The 485 ends before the full assessment arrives for a graduate who starts late |
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
A provisional skills assessment is the documentary check an assessing authority issues to a recent Australian graduate for the 485 Temporary Graduate visa, confirming the qualification matches the occupation; for trades it is Trades Recognition Australia’s provisional assessment, the first step of the Job Ready Program, and it is not accepted for a permanent or state-nominated visa. A full skills assessment is the one the points-tested, employer-sponsored and state-nominated visas need, and for a trade graduate it comes at the end of the Job Ready Program after a year of verified paid work in the occupation and a workplace assessment. Get the provisional one for the 485 and start the full one the day the 485 is granted, because the full one is the gate to everything after.
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
Provisional skills assessment or Full skills assessment — which is better?
A provisional skills assessment is the documentary check an assessing authority issues to a recent Australian graduate for the 485 Temporary Graduate visa, confirming the qualification matches the occupation; for trades it is Trades Recognition Australia’s provisional assessment, the first step of the Job Ready Program, and it is not accepted for a permanent or state-nominated visa. A full skills assessment is the one the points-tested, employer-sponsored and state-nominated visas need, and for a trade graduate it comes at the end of the Job Ready Program after a year of verified paid work in the occupation and a workplace assessment. Get the provisional one for the 485 and start the full one the day the 485 is granted, because the full one is the gate to everything after.
What is the main difference between the Provisional skills assessment and the Full skills assessment?
Used for: Provisional skills assessment — The 485 Temporary Graduate visa; Full skills assessment — 189, 190, 491, 186 direct entry, 494 and most state nominations. Who issues it: Provisional skills assessment — The assessing authority for the occupation; for trades, TRA’s provisional assessment; Full skills assessment — The same authority, on its full criteria. What it checks: Provisional skills assessment — That the Australian qualification is relevant to the occupation; Full skills assessment — Qualification plus employment, and for trades the Job Ready Program’s verified work and workplace assessment.
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