TRA OSAP, the Offshore Skills Assessment Program run by Trades Recognition Australia, is a two-phase trade skills assessment carried out by a TRA-approved Registered Training Organisation (RTO): first your documents are assessed, then your skills are tested in a technical interview and, for licensed trades, a practical assessment. It applies when your occupation is on the OSAP Occupation List and your passport is on the OSAP Country List, and for four licensed trades it applies whatever your passport. Pathway 1 costs up to $5,320 and Pathway 2 costs $2,020, and TRA gives about 15 weeks as a guide once your documentary evidence is complete.
Does OSAP apply to you? Check two lists, not one
OSAP is for skilled migration visa applicants, and TRA uses two lists to decide who goes through it. Your occupation must be on the OSAP Occupation List, and your passport must be from a country or SAR on the OSAP Country List for that occupation.
The country list changes from trade to trade, which is why two people with the same passport can end up in different programs. A few examples from TRA's list:
- Chef and Cook: the list includes Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and others.
- Carpenter: Brazil, Fiji, Hong Kong SAR, India, Macau SAR, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
- Motor Mechanic (General) and Diesel Motor Mechanic: Fiji, Hong Kong SAR, India, Macau SAR, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.
The four licensed trades work differently. For Electrician (General), Electrician (Special Class), Plumber (General) and Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic, TRA says applicants from all countries must have an OSAP assessment, unless they are applying for a subclass 482 or 485 visa. OSAP is compulsory for permanent migration in those occupations.
One older change still matters for construction trades. 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. If you are in one of those trades, check which program TRA now points you to before you pay anything. Our overview of the five TRA programs and how to tell which one is yours sets them side by side.
Always confirm your own occupation and passport combination on TRA's OSAP occupations and countries page.
Pathway 1 or Pathway 2: the choice that sets your cost
Once OSAP applies, your pathway depends on what you already hold in Australian terms. 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.
Most people applying from overseas start on Pathway 1. TRA sets these fees, in Australian dollars:
| Stage | Pathway 1 | Pathway 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Documentary Evidence Assessment | $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 your Pathway 1 assessment does not need a practical, the first two stages add up to $3,120.
How much experience Pathway 1 expects
TRA's OSAP Guidelines (July 2026) set a minimum period of full-time paid employment for Pathway 1. It depends on whether your trade is licensed in Australia and whether you had formal training:
- Licensed trade, no formal training: 6 years.
- Licensed trade, with formal training: 4 years.
- Non-licensed trade, no formal training: 5 years.
- Non-licensed trade, with formal training: 3 years.
Count only the years you can prove with documents. A welder with seven years in the trade but paperwork for four should plan around four.
Choosing an RTO and getting your Payment Identifier Code
You do not apply to TRA directly for OSAP. You use TRA's RTO Finder to choose a TRA-approved RTO for your occupation, contact that RTO yourself, and get a Payment Identifier Code from it for each step of the assessment.
Keep each code with your records. The RTO runs the assessment and recommends an outcome; TRA approves it.
Phase one: the documentary evidence assessment
The first phase is decided on paper. TRA's OSAP evidence requirements ask for employer statements on business letterhead showing your exact employment dates, hours, job title and detailed tasks, plus pay evidence such as three payslips that name both you and your employer.
The detailed tasks matter most. A statement that says "worked as a carpenter" tells the assessor almost nothing. One that lists framing, formwork, reading plans and fitting doors and windows gives them something to match against the units.
Applicants without a relevant Australian qualification must also provide specified photographic, documentary or video evidence showing they have the skills for each unit of competency, or each cluster of competencies. Start collecting this early: photos of finished work are easy to take today and hard to find later.
Our evidence checklist for TRA skills assessments goes through employer forms and pay records item by item, and if some of your records are missing, our guide to what to do when your paperwork has gaps covers the honest options.
Phase two: the technical interview and the practical
The second phase is the Technical Skills Assessment. It includes a technical interview, and for licensed occupations a practical assessment as well.
The interview is your chance to show you really did the work your documents describe. Expect to talk through the tasks in your employer statements, the tools and materials you used, and how you worked safely. Answers that walk through a real job, step by step, are far more convincing than general statements.
If you have not been interviewed in English for a long time, practise out loud first. A tool such as InterviewTraining.ai's skills interview practice lets you rehearse explaining your trade before the real technical interview.
Electricians face both parts, and our electrician skills assessment guide covers what is different for them.
Timing, the outcome letter and what it leads to
TRA says OSAP applications are typically processed within 15 weeks of submitting complete documentary evidence, and that this is a guide only.
A positive result is a skills assessment, not a qualification. TRA says it does not award Australian qualifications, occupational registrations or occupational licences. Home Affairs says that without a positive assessment you cannot apply for a skilled migration visa, and for points tested visas an assessment with no validity period shown is valid for 3 years from the date of issue.
For the four licensed trades, completing the assessment through a TRA-approved RTO gives you an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR). It records the technical skills you demonstrated against the relevant Australian VET qualification, but it is not itself a nationally recognised qualification: it is a pathway towards one. TRA's licensing steps then run from the OTSR to a provisional licence, Australian context gap training, the Australian VET qualification and finally a full occupational licence, and requirements vary by state or territory. Our guide to the steps from an OTSR to a full electrical licence follows that road for electricians.
If the outcome names skill gaps
An outcome that identifies skill gaps is not the end. If you have since addressed those gaps, you can apply for a reassessment, but it must be lodged within 12 months of your original outcome letter, and only one reassessment is allowed per assessment stage.
Diarise the 12-month date the day the letter arrives, and plan how you will close each gap: more supervised experience, extra evidence or training.
Your OSAP route in order
- Find your occupation's assessing authority on the Home Affairs list and confirm it is TRA.
- Check the OSAP occupation and country lists for your exact trade and passport.
- Work out your pathway and count the years of paid work you can prove.
- Collect employer statements, pay evidence and photos or videos of your work for each unit.
- Choose a TRA-approved RTO through the RTO Finder and get the Payment Identifier Code for the first step.
- Submit your complete documentary evidence and keep copies of everything.
- Prepare for the technical interview, and the practical if your trade needs one.
- Read your outcome letter carefully, note the 12-month reassessment date, and check your state's licence rules if your trade is licensed.
Where an Australian qualification and RPL fit in
OSAP and recognition of prior learning (RPL) answer different questions. OSAP is a migration skills assessment. RPL, as ASQA describes it, recognises the skills you have gained through previous training, work or life experience towards a nationally recognised qualification: a qualified assessor at an RTO compares your evidence with the course requirements, and you might get full or partial credit.
The evidence overlaps a lot. Employer references, payslips and photos of your work are useful for both. If you are already in Australia and working in your trade, it may be worth checking which qualification matches your experience, such as the Certificate III in Carpentry, the Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician or the Certificate III in Commercial Cookery. Licensing rules can limit how RPL is used for some qualifications, so ask the RTO before you start, and never treat a qualification as a promise of a visa, licence or job.
Common mistakes with OSAP applications
- Checking only the occupation list. Your passport decides whether OSAP applies to most non-licensed trades, so check both lists.
- Assuming a construction trade still needs OSAP. Since 31 July 2024, qualified applicants in some construction trades from specified passport countries can use the Migration Skills Assessment.
- Vague employer statements. Statements without exact dates, hours, job title and detailed tasks on letterhead slow everything down.
- Counting years you cannot prove. The experience minimum is about documented, full-time paid work.
- Too few photos or videos. Pathway 1 applicants need evidence for each unit or cluster of competencies, not a handful of general pictures.
- Missing the reassessment window. It closes 12 months after the original outcome letter.
Frequently asked questions
Who does the TRA OSAP assessment?
A TRA-approved Registered Training Organisation carries out the assessment and recommends an outcome, and TRA approves it. You choose the RTO yourself through TRA's RTO Finder and contact it directly.
How much does OSAP cost?
TRA lists up to $5,320 for Pathway 1, including a $2,200 practical assessment if required, and $2,020 for Pathway 2, in Australian dollars. You get a Payment Identifier Code from the RTO for each step.
How long does an OSAP assessment take?
TRA says applications are typically processed within 15 weeks of submitting complete documentary evidence, as a guide only. Gaps in your documents can add time, so send a complete set.
What happens at the OSAP technical interview?
The technical interview is part of the second phase, the Technical Skills Assessment, and licensed occupations also have a practical assessment. Expect to explain the work described in your employer statements, so practise talking through real jobs in English.
Can I try again if OSAP finds skill gaps?
Yes, if you have addressed the gaps. A reassessment must be lodged within 12 months of your original outcome letter, and only one reassessment is allowed per assessment stage.
Key takeaways
- OSAP applies when both your occupation and your passport are on TRA's lists, and to the four licensed trades from every country.
- Pathway 1 costs up to $5,320; Pathway 2 costs $2,020, paid stage by stage with a Payment Identifier Code.
- Detailed employer statements and photos or videos for each unit decide the documentary phase.
- Prepare to explain your real work in the technical interview.
- The outcome is a skills assessment, not a qualification or licence; a reassessment must be lodged within 12 months.
