Home Affairs only accepts a skills assessment from the authority listed against your occupation, so the first decision in an Australian skilled visa application is which body assesses you, not which visa you apply for. For the points-tested visas the assessment must still be valid on the day you are invited, and each assessing authority sets its own procedures, timeframes and charges. This guide sets out who assesses what, as at August 2026, and which documents a UAE-based applicant needs to have ready before the application is lodged.
At a glance
- Home Affairs only accepts a skills assessment from the authority listed against your occupation; each authority sets its own procedures, timeframes and charges.
- ACS assesses IT, data science and cyber security roles; Engineers Australia assesses engineers; VETASSESS covers more than 341 professional occupations; CPA Australia assesses accountants; nurses go to ANMAC and doctors use Ahpra registration.
- Validity: no stated period means 3 years with Home Affairs; ACS letters last 2 years, VETASSESS three, ANMAC 2; Engineers Australia letters do not expire with EA, but the 3-year rule applies.
- For the points-tested visas (189, 190 and 491) your assessment must be valid on the day you are invited to apply.
- The document lists we checked ask for scans of originals, employer letters on letterhead and payslips, not attestation stamps. Only Ahpra asks for certified copies.
Why the assessing body matters more than the visa
The list of eligible skilled occupations shows which assessing authority sits against each ANZSCO code, and Home Affairs can only accept an assessment from that authority. An assessment from a different body does not meet the requirement, whatever it says about your qualifications.
For the points-tested visas (189, 190 and 491) you need a suitable assessment that is still valid when you are invited to apply. For the Employer Nomination Scheme (186) Direct Entry stream, the result must be obtained before the visa application date. For the Skills in Demand visa (482), certain applicants must begin or complete an assessment within the three years before submitting.
Where the authority states no validity period, Home Affairs treats the assessment as valid for 3 years from issue. A shorter stated period applies as written. A longer stated period is capped at three years.
Who assesses what: the mapping table
Confirm your ANZSCO code before you apply to any assessor. The visa side is covered on our Australia skilled migration page.
| Occupation group | Assessing authority | What is checked | Validity of the letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| IT, data science, cyber security (business analyst, developer, network engineer and similar) | ACS (Australian Computer Society) | Degree level, ICT content (major or minor), then relevant ICT experience | 2 years (ACS) |
| Professional engineers, engineering technologists, engineering associates, engineering managers | Engineers Australia | Accredited qualification under the Washington, Sydney or Dublin Accord, or a competency demonstration report | Indefinite with EA; 3 years for Home Affairs |
| Most other professional and non-trade roles (managers, marketing, HR, scientists and more) | VETASSESS | Qualification level against the AQF plus paid, skilled employment in the occupation | Three years from issue |
| Accountant (general), management accountant, taxation accountant, external auditor, finance manager | CPA Australia | Degree comparable to an Australian bachelor’s, mandatory competency areas, English; optional skilled employment assessment | Home Affairs 3-year cap applies |
| Registered nurses, enrolled nurses, midwives, direct care workers | ANMAC | Qualification, overseas registration verified directly by the regulator, English, recent paid experience | 2 years from issue |
| Medical practitioners (GPs and specialists) | Ahpra / Medical Board of Australia registration | General or conditional specialist registration counts as the assessment | Tied to your registration |
ACS: IT, data and cyber roles
ACS assesses IT, data science and cyber security professionals on behalf of the Australian Government. It grades the ICT content of your qualification as a major, a minor or insufficient, and that grade sets how much experience you need. Under the General Skills pathway, a bachelor’s degree with a closely related ICT major needs 2 years of relevant experience in the last 10, or 4 years at any time. A closely related ICT minor, or a diploma with an ICT major, needs 5 years in the last 10. Only professional ICT work of at least 20 hours a week, done after age 18, is counted.
The employer references need the most preparation. Each reference must be on company letterhead, signed and dated by an authorised person, with DD/MM/YYYY dates, hours per week, bullet-point duties for each role and the signatory’s work email address. Duties copied from ANZSCO are not accepted. You also need payment evidence showing that your pay was in line with the skill level. Upload colour scans of at least 300 dpi. ACS advises allowing 4 to 6 weeks if no further documents are requested. The outcome is valid for 2 years, and ACS does not currently renew or reassess it.
Engineers Australia: Accord pathway or CDR
Engineers Australia assesses four categories: professional engineer, engineering technologist, engineering associate and engineering manager. If your qualification was fully accredited under the Washington, Sydney or Dublin Accord for your intake year, you apply under that Accord. Provisional accreditation is not sufficient.
Applicants without an accredited qualification use the competency demonstration report (CDR) pathway. Your knowledge and skills are evaluated against EA standards for one of 31 engineering occupations, through career episodes and a summary statement, and Engineers Australia publishes a guide on writing both. Standard applications generally take 15 weeks to be assigned to an assessor. A paid fast-track option assigns the application within 20 business days. The outcome letter has no expiry with EA, but Home Affairs applies its own 3-year rule for visa purposes.
VETASSESS: the general professional assessor
VETASSESS assesses more than 341 professional and other non-trade occupations. A full skills assessment has two parts: your qualification is checked against the AQF level for the occupation, with a highly relevant major, and your employment must be paid, at least 20 hours a week and at the appropriate skill level. An applicant for a 485 visa needs only the qualification part.
Each job needs a Statement of Service on employer letterhead with dates, hours per week, employment type, job title, detailed tasks and referee contact details. Payment evidence is required as well, such as at least two payslips (first and last) or tax or superannuation records. Employment outside the last five years cannot be accepted. Scanned copies of originals are accepted and do not need to be certified. Non-English documents need a registered translation service. The outcome is valid for three years from issue and can be renewed before expiry; an expired outcome cannot be renewed.
Health and accounting: Ahpra, ANMAC and CPA Australia
Nurses and doctors
ANMAC and Ahpra have separate roles. ANMAC is approved by the Australian Government to assess nurses, midwives and direct care workers for migration; it does not register nurses. Registration sits with the Nursing and Midwifery Board through Ahpra. ANMAC asks for clear colour copies of original documents rather than certified copies, NAATI-certified translations for anything not in English, a professional reference letter for each employment period and your overseas registration verification sent directly by the regulator. It accepts IELTS, OET, PTE, TOEFL or Cambridge for English. The outcome letter is valid for 2 years from issue.
For doctors, Home Affairs accepts full Ahpra registration (general registration or conditional specialist registration) as the skills assessment. The Medical Board advises international medical graduates to wait for that registration before applying for a visa. Ahpra requires certified documents unless a verifiable third party such as an employer or regulator provides them directly.
Accountants and finance managers
CPA Australia is a designated assessing authority for Accountant (general) 221111, Management accountant 221112, Taxation accountant 221113, External auditor 221213 and Finance manager 132211. You need a qualification equivalent to at least an Australian bachelor’s degree, the mandatory competency areas for your code (Australian taxation law for taxation accountants) and English proficiency unless you are exempt. CPA Australia asks for scans of original documents, with non-English awards translated by an official translator. The separate skilled employment assessment covers closely related work in the 10 years before you apply. It requires a testimonial on official letterhead with DD/MM/YYYY dates, signed by someone senior to you with work contact details, plus at least three payslips per role. CVs are not accepted. Standard processing is approximately 10 business days from receipt of complete documents.
From the UAE: what this means for you
The employer reference letters take the longest to obtain, so we suggest starting with them. A short “to whom it may concern” letter giving your job title and dates will not satisfy ACS, VETASSESS or CPA Australia. Between them, they ask for duties, hours per week, employment type and a named signatory with a work email address, on company letterhead. It is easier to obtain a letter in this form while you are still employed than after you have left, and a company that has closed cannot issue one at all. Where no letterhead reference is possible, ACS and CPA Australia may consider a statutory declaration, though that is a fallback rather than a substitute for the letter.
Your degree certificate may already carry embassy and MOFA attestation stamps. The Australian document lists we checked do not ask for them. ACS, VETASSESS, ANMAC and CPA Australia all ask for scans of originals, and VETASSESS and ANMAC state that certified copies are not needed. Ahpra is the exception and requires certified copies unless an employer or regulator sends the documents directly. Colour scans at 300 dpi or higher meet the ACS standard and are a sensible default for the others.
Check which English tests your assessor accepts before you book one. ANMAC lists IELTS, OET, PTE, TOEFL and Cambridge. CPA Australia asks for English proficiency unless you are exempt. The assessor’s list is the one that applies to the assessment, so read that page before choosing between the tests available in the UAE.
Keep payment evidence for every job from the start. VETASSESS asks for at least two payslips (first and last) or tax or superannuation records, CPA Australia for at least three payslips per role, and ACS for evidence that your pay matched the skill level. Arabic contracts and letters need translation, and the standard differs by authority: VETASSESS requires a registered translation service, ANMAC a NAATI-certified translation and CPA Australia an official translator. Our credential verification page and Australia points calculator show how your degree and score are likely to be read. Allow for the assessment time before you submit an expression of interest: ACS quotes 4 to 6 weeks, CPA Australia approximately 10 business days, and Engineers Australia generally 15 weeks for a standard application to be assigned.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use one skills assessment for more than one visa?
Yes, if it is the right type and still valid. A provisional 485 assessment is not suitable for a points-tested visa or a subclass 186 visa.
My ACS letter is about to expire. Can I renew it?
No. ACS does not currently support renewals or reassessment, so you lodge a new application. VETASSESS offers renewal before its three-year expiry.
Does Home Affairs need my skills assessment to be certified?
Yes: Home Affairs asks for a scanned certified copy of the suitable skills assessment with the visa application.
What to do next
Not sure which body assesses your occupation? Start with a free eligibility assessment on our Australia page, call 04 357 7796, or book a 20-minute review through our contact page. We have completed 10,569 assessments since 2014 and will map your ANZSCO code and the documents your UAE employers need to issue. We do not promise outcomes; the assessing authorities and Home Affairs make those decisions.
Sources
- Skills assessment — Department of Home Affairs — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- ACS Migration Skills Assessment — information for applicants — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- ACS General Skills Assessment Pathway — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- ACS InfoHub — Employment references — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- ACS InfoHub — Experience evidence — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- ACS InfoHub — Assessment process — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Migration skills assessment — Engineers Australia — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Assessment fees and additional services — Engineers Australia — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- How to write career episodes and a summary statement — Engineers Australia — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Skills Assessment for Professional Occupations — VETASSESS — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Application process for a professional or general skills application — VETASSESS — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Skilled Migration for Professionals FAQs — VETASSESS — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Renewal of Full Skills Assessment — VETASSESS — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Skills assessment overview and process — ANMAC — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Full skills assessment — ANMAC — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- International health practitioners — Ahpra — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Pathways to registration for international medical graduates — Medical Board of Australia — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Migration to Australia — CPA Australia — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Documents required for the Australian skills assessment application — CPA Australia — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Skilled Employment Assessment — CPA Australia — accessed 27 Aug 2026
- Skills assessment services (processing times) — CPA Australia — accessed 27 Aug 2026
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