The evidence for a TRA skills assessment under the Migration Skills Assessment comes down to five things: your passport identification page, your qualifications and transcripts, apprenticeship documents if you completed one, a completed Employer Template form for every period of employment, and pay evidence for each of those periods. Together they must show at least 3 years of paid work in your occupation, with at least 12 months of it full-time (38 hours a week), or the part-time equivalent, inside the 3 years before you apply. Anything not written in English needs an English translation.
Why your documents are the whole assessment
Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is the assessing authority Home Affairs lists for trades such as Carpenter and Chef. Its Migration Skills Assessment Program is documentary-based: TRA compares your qualifications and employment history with Australian standards. Nobody visits your site or tastes your food, so the file you upload is the only version of your career the assessor sees.
Home Affairs only accepts a skills assessment from the relevant authority, and without a positive result you cannot apply for a skilled migration visa. The program costs $795 in total, so a thin file is an expensive way to learn what was missing.
Not sure this is your program? TRA runs several, and our guide to choosing between the TRA skills assessment programs sorts that out first.
The TRA documents checklist
TRA's applicant guidelines for the Migration Skills Assessment (the July 2026 edition) ask for the items below. The last column is practical advice, not an extra TRA rule.
| Document | What it shows | Worth checking before you upload |
|---|---|---|
| Passport identification page | Who you are | Your name is spelt the same way on every other document |
| Qualifications and transcripts | The formal training behind your trade | Certificate and transcript are both included |
| Apprenticeship documents (if applicable) | Formal on-the-job training | Only needed if you did an apprenticeship |
| Employer Template form | Your employment in the trade, one period at a time | One completed form for each employment period |
| Pay evidence | That the work was paid | The dates match the Employer Template for that period |
| English translations | That the assessor can read every page | Every non-English document has one |
The Employer Template form: one for every job
This is the item people underestimate. TRA asks for a completed Employer Template form for each employment period you are relying on. Three employers means three forms. A friendly reference letter is not what the guidelines ask for.
Start here, because it depends on other people. A former boss may have moved, sold the business or be slow to reply. If you are a chef who has worked in three kitchens, write to all three now and tell each one which dates you need covered.
Pay evidence for a skills assessment: the "at least two" rule
TRA wants pay evidence for each employment period. For work done outside Australia, the guidelines ask for at least two of the following:
- official government tax records
- official government documents showing your employer and the period you worked there
- three payslips showing your name and your employer's name
- superannuation documents
- bank statements showing income from your employer
Two details catch people out. The request is for two types, so payslips alone do not meet it. And the payslips must name both you and the employer.
For jobs in Australia, check the guidelines for the pay evidence that applies to Australian employment.
Counting your years: the two employment tests
The Migration Skills Assessment guidelines set two tests, and your evidence has to satisfy both:
- at least 3 years of paid work in the occupation
- at least 12 months of that work full-time (38 hours a week), or the part-time equivalent, within the 3 years before you apply
The second test is about recency. If you are a carpenter with many years behind you who has spent the last few in a different job, you may clear the first test and still fall short on the second. Put your employment periods on a timeline before you pay the fee.
Note the word "paid". Unpaid help in a family workshop may have built real skill, but both tests count paid work.
Translations
TRA requires English translations of documents that are not in English. If a translation is done in Australia, it must be by a NAATI-accredited translator. If you are having documents translated in another country, read the translation section of the current guidelines before you pay anyone.
When your program is OSAP, the evidence changes
Some applicants cannot use the Migration Skills Assessment at all. TRA's Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) is compulsory for permanent migration as an Electrician (General), Electrician (Special Class), Plumber (General) or Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic, and it covers other listed trades for certain passport countries. One exception: from 31 July 2024, TRA removed the mandatory OSAP requirement for qualified applicants in Bricklayer, Cabinetmaker, Carpenter, Carpenter and Joiner, Joiner and Welder (First Class) from specified passport countries, so they can use the Migration Skills Assessment instead.
OSAP has two phases: a Documentary Evidence Assessment, then a Technical Skills Assessment that includes a technical interview, plus a practical assessment for licensed occupations. Employer statements must be on business letterhead with exact employment dates, hours, job title and detailed tasks, and applicants without a relevant Australian qualification also need photographic, documentary or video evidence of their skills for each unit of competency or cluster of competencies.
The experience bar differs too. Pathway 1 applicants (no relevant Australian VET qualification) must show full-time paid employment of 3 years for a non-licensed trade with formal training, 5 years without formal training, 4 years for a licensed trade with formal training and 6 years without.
Here is how the two TRA routes compare with recognition of prior learning (RPL).
| Question | Migration Skills Assessment | OSAP (Pathway 1) | RPL for a qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is it for? | Skilled migration | Skilled migration | Credit towards a nationally recognised qualification |
| Who decides? | TRA | A TRA-approved RTO recommends, TRA approves | A qualified assessor at an RTO |
| What is the core evidence? | Employer Templates, pay evidence, qualifications | Employer statements, pay evidence, photo or video evidence | Work samples or portfolios, training records, employer references |
| Do you show your skills in person? | No, it is documentary-based | Technical interview; practical assessment for licensed occupations | It can involve an interview or a practical task |
How TRA evidence differs from RPL evidence
TRA says plainly that it does not award Australian qualifications, occupational registrations or occupational licences. A positive skills assessment supports a visa application; it is not a Certificate III.
RPL is the separate route to the qualification itself. ASQA, the national training regulator, says recognition of prior learning recognises the skills you have gained through previous training, work or life experience. A qualified assessor at an RTO compares your skills and knowledge with the course requirements. You might get full or partial credit, and where your evidence falls short the provider may offer additional training.
So the two files overlap without being the same. TRA's checklist proves employment: dates, hours and pay. RPL evidence proves competence against the units in a qualification, with work samples, photos of finished jobs, references, licences and tickets. Our guide on what evidence you need for RPL covers that list, and the RPL process from first enquiry to certificate explains the order things happen in.
The employer contacts, payslips and photos you gather for one may be useful for the other. If you are a carpenter or a chef thinking about both, read through the units in the Certificate III in Carpentry or the Certificate III in Commercial Cookery while your documents are already on the table.
Building your evidence file in order
- Confirm the authority and the program. Find your occupation's assessing authority in Home Affairs' combined list of eligible skilled occupations, then confirm which TRA program fits your occupation, passport and visa.
- Read the current applicant guidelines. Each assessing authority sets its own procedures, timeframes and charges, so work from the latest edition, not a friend's old application.
- Map your employment periods. List every job in the trade with start date, end date and weekly hours, then test it against the 3-year and 12-month rules.
- Ask each employer for a completed Employer Template. Send these requests first; they take the longest.
- Match pay evidence to each period. For overseas jobs, choose at least two types from TRA's list.
- Collect your identity and training documents. Passport identification page, qualifications, transcripts and any apprenticeship papers.
- Translate, then cross-check. Get English translations where needed, then read the file as an assessor would. Do names, dates and job titles agree from one document to the next?
Common mistakes with TRA evidence
- One letter for a whole career. TRA asks for an Employer Template form for each employment period.
- A single kind of pay proof for an overseas job. The request is for at least two kinds.
- Ignoring recency. Long experience does not make up for a missing 12 months of paid work inside the last 3 years.
- Preparing for the wrong program. Electricians, plumbers and air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics cannot use the Migration Skills Assessment; nor can subclass 485 or 482 visa applicants.
- Treating the outcome as a qualification or a licence. TRA awards neither, and licence requirements vary by state and territory.
Frequently asked questions
What documents does TRA need for a Migration Skills Assessment?
TRA asks for your passport identification page, your qualifications and transcripts, apprenticeship documents if applicable, a completed Employer Template form for each employment period and pay evidence for each period. Any document that is not in English also needs an English translation.
How many payslips count as pay evidence for a skills assessment?
For employment outside Australia, three payslips showing your name and your employer's name count as one type of pay evidence. TRA asks for at least two types, so pair them with something else on its list, such as official government tax records or bank statements showing income from that employer.
Who can translate my documents for TRA?
TRA requires an English translation of any document that is not in English. A translation done in Australia must come from a NAATI-accredited translator. For translations done in another country, read the translation section of the current guidelines before you order them.
Is evidence for a TRA skills assessment the same as RPL evidence?
Not quite. The Migration Skills Assessment looks at your qualifications and paid employment history for migration purposes. RPL is assessed by an RTO against the requirements of one course, using evidence such as work samples, training records and employer references.
How long does a skills assessment stay valid?
For points tested visas, Home Affairs says a skills assessment with no validity period shown is valid for 3 years from the date of issue, and one that shows a shorter period is valid for the period stated.
Key takeaways
- The Migration Skills Assessment is decided on documents: passport identification page, qualifications and transcripts, apprenticeship papers, Employer Template forms and pay evidence.
- You need one Employer Template form per employment period, so contact past employers first.
- Overseas jobs need at least two types of pay evidence each; three payslips naming you and the employer count as one type.
- Your file must show at least 3 years of paid work, including 12 months full-time or the part-time equivalent in the 3 years before you apply.
- Non-English documents need English translations, and a TRA outcome is not a qualification: RPL through an RTO is the separate route to one.
