Skilled migration · Trades
Trades Skills Assessment for Migration
Skilled trades are in steady demand across Australia, and many trade occupations lead to points-tested or employer-sponsored visas with a path to permanent residency. For most trades, one body runs the migration skills assessment: Trades Recognition Australia (TRA).
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Assessing authority
- TRA
- Pathways
- OSAP · Job Ready
- Visas
- 189 · 190 · 491 · 482
- PR pathway
- 482 → 186
MARN 1576536 · Verifiable at mara.gov.au
RPL and the skills assessment are not the same thing
This is the point that trips up the most tradespeople. There are two separate things:
An RPL qualification (for example a Certificate III) is a VET credential an RTO can issue based on your existing skills. Useful, but it is a qualification.
The TRA migration skills assessment weighs your qualification together with verified work experience against Australian trade standards, for your visa. The qualification can support it — it does not replace it.
OSAP vs the Job Ready Program
TRA assesses most trades through the Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) for applicants overseas, or the Job Ready Program (JRP) onshore. The Job Ready Program includes a period of paid, skilled employment in Australia under scrutiny plus a workplace assessment before the final skills assessment is issued. Which pathway suits you depends on where you are and your visa plan.
Choose your trade
Each page below covers the TRA pathway, the evidence expected, any licensing note, and FAQs for that trade:
- Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic (ANZSCO 342111)
- Automotive Electrician (ANZSCO 321111)
- Baker (ANZSCO 351111)
- Bricklayer (ANZSCO 331111)
- Butcher or Smallgoods Maker (ANZSCO 351211)
- Cabinetmaker (ANZSCO 394111)
- Carpenter (ANZSCO 331212)
- Chef (ANZSCO 351311)
- Cook (ANZSCO 351411)
- Diesel Motor Mechanic (ANZSCO 321212)
- Electrician (General) (ANZSCO 341111)
- Fitter (General) (ANZSCO 323211)
- Floor Finisher (ANZSCO 332111)
- Glazier (ANZSCO 333111)
- Hairdresser (ANZSCO 391111)
- Joiner (ANZSCO 331213)
- Metal Fabricator (Welder / Boilermaker) (ANZSCO 322311)
- Metal Machinist (First Class) (ANZSCO 323214)
- Motor Mechanic (General) (ANZSCO 321211)
- Motorcycle Mechanic (ANZSCO 321213)
- Painting Trades Worker (ANZSCO 332211)
- Panelbeater (ANZSCO 324111)
- Pastrycook (ANZSCO 351112)
- Plumber (General) (ANZSCO 334111)
- Roof Tiler (ANZSCO 333311)
- Sheetmetal Trades Worker (ANZSCO 322211)
- Solid Plasterer (ANZSCO 333212)
- Stonemason (ANZSCO 331112)
- Vehicle Painter (ANZSCO 324311)
- Wall and Floor Tiler (ANZSCO 333411)
- Welder (First Class) (ANZSCO 322313)
More on the TRA skills assessment → · How RPL fits the pathway →
Which skilled visa?
- Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent (points-tested, no sponsor)
- Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated (state nomination)
- Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional (regional nomination)
- Subclass 482 — Skills in Demand (employer sponsorship)
- 482 → 186 permanent residency pathway
- Check your points for 189/190/491
Planning your move as a tradesperson?
Book a consultation to confirm your trade’s TRA pathway (OSAP vs Job Ready), whether RPL helps, and the best visa for your points.
Book a consultation ($200 + GST)Which TRA pathway fits your trade?
Tell us your trade, your qualification and where you are, and we'll come back to you on the realistic assessment route and the visa beyond it. Free, no obligation.
General information only, not migration advice. Occupation lists, assessing-authority arrangements and licensing requirements change — confirm the current position for your situation. Skills assessments are conducted by TRA and RPL qualifications are issued by Registered Training Organisations, not by WIDEN. No qualification or assessment guarantees a visa. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) only after a paid consultation under a written service agreement.
Questions we get asked first
Who assesses trade occupations for skilled migration?
Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is the assessing authority for most trade occupations. TRA assesses through the Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) or, in Australia, the Job Ready Program (JRP), looking at both your qualification and verifiable work experience.
Is a TRA skills assessment the same as an RPL qualification?
No. An RPL qualification (for example a Certificate III) is a VET credential issued by a Registered Training Organisation based on your existing skills. The TRA migration skills assessment is a separate process that weighs your qualification together with verified employment evidence against Australian trade standards. The qualification can support the assessment but does not replace it.
What is the Job Ready Program?
The Job Ready Program is TRA’s onshore pathway for many trades. It involves stages of assessment including a period of paid, skilled employment in Australia under scrutiny, plus a job-ready workplace assessment, before a final skills assessment is issued. The offshore alternative is the Offshore Skills Assessment Program.
Do I need an Australian licence to work in my trade?
Some trades — such as electrical and plumbing work — require a state occupational licence to work, which is separate from your migration skills assessment. Others are not licensed. Each occupation page notes where licensing commonly applies, but you should confirm the requirement in the state where you intend to work.
Which visa can a tradesperson use?
A positive TRA assessment can support points-tested skilled visas (189, 190, 491) and employer-sponsored pathways (482 and the 186 permanent pathway), subject to the current occupation lists and any nomination. The right option depends on your points, age, English and whether an employer will sponsor you.
Keep reading