A skills assessment for chefs in Australia is done by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA), and the program you use depends mostly on your passport, where you trained and the visa you want. If your passport is on TRA's OSAP list for Chef, you go through a documentary stage and then a technical interview, and holding a relevant Australian qualification such as a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery can move you to the cheaper Pathway 2. Keep one thing clear from the start: TRA assesses your skills for a visa, it does not give you a qualification.
Chef or cook: get the occupation right first
Home Affairs lists two kitchen occupations with TRA as the assessing authority. Chef (ANZSCO 351311) is on the MLTSSL and the CSOL. Cook (ANZSCO 351411) is on the STSOL and the CSOL.
You can check both entries on the Home Affairs list of eligible skilled occupations, which shows each occupation's code, its lists and its assessing authority. Home Affairs uses ANZSCO 2022 for the CSOL and ANZSCO 2013 for the other lists.
Pick the occupation that matches the work you actually did, not the one with the better list: every statement and photo you send is read against it.
Which TRA program fits a chef?
TRA runs several programs, chosen by your occupation, passport country, where you studied and the visa you are seeking. For a chef, these are the realistic options:
| Your situation | TRA program | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Passport on the OSAP Country List for Chef, applying for a skilled migration visa | Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) | Documentary evidence, then a technical interview, run by a TRA-approved RTO; up to $5,320 (Pathway 1) or $2,020 (Pathway 2) |
| Passport not on that list, occupation on the MLTSSL or STSOL | Migration Skills Assessment | Decided on documents only; $795 in total |
| Skills in Demand (subclass 482) applicant who Home Affairs requires to have an assessment | Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Skills Assessment | For listed occupations and passport countries; up to $5,320 or $2,020; outcome emailed about 9 weeks after complete evidence |
| Recent graduate of a CRICOS-registered RTO course applying for a subclass 485 visa | Provisional Skills Assessment | $130, valid for 3 years, not suitable for a points tested visa |
| Graduate of an Australian VET course working in Australia with an approved employer | Job Ready Program | At least 12 months of assessed employment; $3,410 in total |
The Migration Skills Assessment cannot be used by subclass 485 or 482 applicants, or for occupation and passport combinations that must use OSAP. If you are unsure which row is yours, our guide to choosing between the TRA skills assessment programs walks through each one.
The OSAP passport list for chefs
For Chef and Cook, the OSAP Country List includes Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong SAR, India, Iran, Ireland, Macau SAR, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
The list goes by passport, not by where you cooked. If you hold a Nepali passport and cooked for years in Dubai, the passport is what counts. Check the current list before you start.
OSAP is carried out by a TRA-approved RTO, which recommends an outcome for TRA to approve. TRA says OSAP applications are typically processed within 15 weeks of submitting complete documentary evidence, as a guide only. The details are on the TRA OSAP program page.
Pathway 1 or Pathway 2: where a Certificate III or IV fits
OSAP has two pathways. Pathway 1 is for applicants without a relevant Australian VET qualification. Pathway 2 is for applicants with a relevant Australian VET qualification or a current identified Australian occupational licence without restrictions. The difference shows up in the fees, paid in AUD:
| Stage | Pathway 1 | Pathway 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Documentary Evidence | $1,120 | $1,120 |
| Technical Interview | $2,000 | $900 |
| Practical Assessment (if required) | $2,200 | Not listed |
| Total | Up to $5,320 | $2,020 |
If no practical assessment is required, the two Pathway 1 stages add up to $3,120. TRA describes the practical assessment as part of the technical stage for licensed occupations, so read your occupation's guidelines for what applies to Chef.
For kitchen work, the two Australian qualifications most people ask about are the Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (SIT30821, current on training.gov.au and equivalent to the earlier SIT30816) and the Certificate IV in Kitchen Management (SIT40521, also current). On the Australian Qualifications Framework, a Certificate IV adds more specialised knowledge and skills than a Certificate III, which suits someone who runs a kitchen.
Whether a particular qualification counts as "relevant" for Pathway 2 is TRA's call, not yours or a training provider's. Read the OSAP guidelines for Chef, or ask your TRA-approved RTO, before you plan around the lower fee.
Getting one of those qualifications through RPL
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) recognises skills you gained through earlier training, work or life experience. An RTO's assessor compares your evidence with the course requirements; if it is acceptable you may get full or partial credit, and if it falls short the provider may offer further training. An RTO issues the qualification; TRA still assesses you afterwards.
Years in kitchens overseas can count as evidence if you can show them clearly. Our article on whether overseas experience counts towards an Australian qualification explains how that works in practice.
How much kitchen experience TRA expects
The amount of paid work you need depends on the program. Chef is not one of the licensed occupations (the electricians, Plumber (General) and Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic), so for OSAP the non-licensed figures are the ones to read.
- OSAP Pathway 1: the July 2026 guidelines ask for 5 years of full-time paid employment for a non-licensed trade with no formal training, or 3 years with formal training.
- Migration Skills Assessment: proof of at least 3 years of paid work in the occupation, including at least 12 months full-time (38 hours a week) or part-time equivalent within the 3 years before you apply.
The word that matters in both is "paid": unpaid help in a family restaurant does not count.
Evidence that proves a kitchen career
TRA's OSAP evidence requirements include employer statements on business letterhead with exact employment dates, hours, job title and detailed tasks, plus pay evidence such as three payslips naming both you and your employer. For a chef, "detailed tasks" means the work you really did each week: the stations you ran, the menus you prepared, the ordering, stock and food safety jobs you handled, and the people you supervised, if any.
If you are on Pathway 1, you also need specified photographic, documentary or video evidence showing you have the skills for each unit of competency or cluster of competencies. Photos of finished plates rarely show the skill behind them; short videos of you preparing and cooking in a working kitchen show far more.
For the Migration Skills Assessment, TRA asks for a completed Employer Template form for each employment period and pay evidence for each period; for work outside Australia, at least two types, such as official tax records, three payslips naming you and your employer, or bank statements showing income from your employer.
Documents not in English need English translations, and translations done in Australia must be by NAATI-accredited translators. Our checklist of evidence for a TRA skills assessment goes through each item in more detail.
Step by step: a chef's skills assessment from start to outcome
- Confirm your occupation (Chef or Cook) and its lists on the Home Affairs list of eligible skilled occupations.
- Check whether your passport country is on the OSAP Country List for Chef, and which visa you are aiming for.
- Pick the TRA program from that answer: OSAP, the Migration Skills Assessment, the TSS program, the Provisional Skills Assessment or the Job Ready Program.
- Count your paid kitchen employment against the experience rule for that program and pathway.
- Ask every former employer for a statement on letterhead with exact dates, hours, job title and detailed tasks, and collect pay evidence for each period.
- For OSAP Pathway 1, plan the photos and videos you need for each unit of competency before you film anything.
- Choose a TRA-approved RTO through TRA's RTO Finder, get your Payment Identifier Code and lodge complete documentary evidence.
If gaps are found, OSAP allows one reassessment per stage, lodged within 12 months of your original outcome letter.
Common mistakes chefs make with TRA
- Starting the wrong program. Chefs with a passport on the OSAP list sometimes prepare a Migration Skills Assessment, which cannot be used for that occupation and passport combination.
- Job titles that do not match. If employers called you "head chef" and "cook", let detailed duties, not titles, carry the file.
- Payslips alone for overseas work. For the Migration Skills Assessment, TRA asks for at least two types of pay evidence, so payslips on their own do not meet it. If some records are gone, see what to do when payslips, references or an old employer are missing.
- Treating a TRA outcome as a qualification. TRA says it does not award Australian qualifications, occupational registrations or licences.
- Buying a quick certificate. ASQA warns about phrases such as "no study or exams required" and "fast tracked pathway to skilled migration", and it can cancel a qualification issued without proper training and assessment. Check any provider on the national register at training.gov.au.
- Letting the outcome lapse. For points tested visas, a skills assessment with no validity period shown is valid for 3 years from the date of issue, so plan your visa timing around it.
Frequently asked questions
Who does the skills assessment for chefs in Australia?
Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). Home Affairs names TRA as the assessing authority for Chef (ANZSCO 351311) and for Cook (ANZSCO 351411), and it only accepts a skills assessment from the relevant authority.
Do I have to do OSAP as a chef?
It depends on your passport and your visa. If your passport country is on the OSAP Country List for Chef and you are applying for a skilled migration visa, OSAP is your route and the Migration Skills Assessment cannot be used for that combination.
How much does a chef skills assessment cost?
Under OSAP, Pathway 1 costs up to $5,320 and Pathway 2 costs $2,020 in AUD, paid stage by stage. The Migration Skills Assessment costs $795 in total. Check the TRA page before you pay.
Does a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery mean I skip the technical interview?
No. Both OSAP pathways include a technical interview. A relevant Australian VET qualification puts you on Pathway 2, where the interview stage costs $900 instead of $2,000, but whether TRA treats your qualification as relevant for Chef is its decision.
Can RPL give me a cookery qualification for my skills assessment?
RPL is a separate process run by a Registered Training Organisation, not by TRA. An RTO compares your evidence with the units of the qualification and, if it meets the requirements, issues it; if there are gaps, it may offer further training. The outcome depends on your evidence, and a qualification on its own does not decide a visa or a job.
Key takeaways
- TRA assesses Chef (351311) and Cook (351411); pick the one that matches your real duties.
- Your passport decides whether OSAP or the documentary Migration Skills Assessment applies.
- OSAP Pathway 2, for holders of a relevant Australian VET qualification, costs $2,020 instead of up to $5,320.
- Detailed employer statements and at least two types of pay evidence carry most chef files.
- RPL towards a Certificate III or IV in cookery is a separate RTO process, and TRA still assesses you afterwards.
