Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) does not run one single skills assessment; it runs several, and which one applies to you depends on your occupation, your passport country, where you studied, and the visa you are seeking. Picking the wrong program wastes time and money, so here is what each of the five actually involves, in plain terms.
Migration Skills Assessment (MSA)
The Migration Skills Assessment Program is a documentary-based assessment: TRA compares your qualifications and employment history against Australian standards, for occupations on the MLTSSL or STSOL where TRA is the assessing authority. It requires proof of at least 3 years of paid work in the occupation, including at least 12 months full-time (38 hours/week) or the part-time equivalent within the 3 years before you apply. The total cost is $795. It cannot be used for Electrician (General or Special Class), Plumber (General) or Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic, for subclass 485 or 482 visa applicants, or wherever the Offshore Skills Assessment Program is the one that is actually required.
Because this program is decided on documents alone, it pays to know exactly what to upload: see our checklist of evidence for a TRA skills assessment.
Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP)
OSAP is for skilled migration applicants working in an occupation on the OSAP Occupation List, holding a passport from a country or SAR on the OSAP Country List. A TRA-approved RTO carries it out and recommends an outcome for TRA to approve. It has two pathways: Pathway 1 for applicants without a relevant Australian VET qualification, and Pathway 2 for applicants who already hold one, or a current unrestricted Australian occupational licence. Pathway 1 costs up to $5,320 and Pathway 2 up to $2,020, and TRA says applications are typically processed within 15 weeks of submitting complete documentary evidence, as a guide only. OSAP is compulsory for permanent migration in the licensed occupations Electrician (General), Electrician (Special Class), Plumber (General) and Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic.
Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Skills Assessment
This program is for Skills in Demand subclass 482 visa applicants in listed occupations and passport countries who Home Affairs requires to have a skills assessment. It costs the same as OSAP, up to $5,320 for Pathway 1 and $2,020 for Pathway 2, but TRA emails the outcome roughly 9 weeks after you submit complete documentary evidence, and it is compulsory for 482 applicants who are Electrician (General) or Electrician (Special Class).
Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA)
The PSA is for recent international graduates of a CRICOS-registered RTO course who are applying for a subclass 485 visa. It is the cheapest of the five, at $130, and the outcome is valid for 3 years.
Job Ready Program (JRP)
The Job Ready Program is a minimum 12-month employment-based assessment for international graduates of an Australian VET course who are working in Australia with an approved employer. It runs in three paid steps: Job Ready Employment at $490, Job Ready Workplace Assessment at $2,845, and Job Ready Final Assessment at $75, for a total of $3,410. Electricians (General and Special Class), Plumber (General) and Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic are not eligible for this program.
Comparing the five programs
| Program | Who it's for | Cost (AUD) | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSA | MLTSSL/STSOL occupations, TRA the assessing authority | $795 | Documentary only |
| OSAP | Offshore applicants, listed occupation and passport country | Up to $5,320 (P1) / $2,020 (P2) | About 15 weeks |
| TSS | 482 visa applicants in listed occupations | Up to $5,320 (P1) / $2,020 (P2) | About 9 weeks |
| PSA | Recent CRICOS graduates applying for a 485 visa | $130 | Valid 3 years |
| Job Ready Program | VET graduates employed in Australia with an approved employer | $3,410 total, in 3 steps | Minimum 12 months |
What TRA does not do
It is worth being clear about one thing before you start any of these: TRA says it does not award Australian qualifications, occupational registrations or occupational licences. A skills assessment is about your migration or visa pathway, not a qualification certificate in its own right. If what you actually want behind all this is a recognised Australian qualification that reflects the trade experience you already have, that sits in a different, complementary process: Recognition of Prior Learning, where your evidence of work history, photos, references, payslips, licences and tickets is compared against the units of competency in a specific qualification, and an RTO assesses whether it meets the requirements.
Working out which program is yours, step by step
- Check your occupation against the MLTSSL, STSOL, or the OSAP Occupation List, since this narrows your options immediately.
- Check your passport country against the OSAP Country List if your occupation appears there.
- Identify the visa you are actually seeking: permanent migration, a 482, or a 485 as a recent graduate.
- If you are a VET graduate already employed in Australia with an approved employer, check whether the Job Ready Program fits instead.
- Once you know the program, check the fee and timing against your own planning, and whether your qualification history is Pathway 1 or Pathway 2 for OSAP or TSS.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Applying for the Migration Skills Assessment when your occupation or visa actually requires OSAP or TSS instead.
- Assuming a skills assessment outcome is itself an Australian qualification or licence.
- Not checking the Pathway 1 versus Pathway 2 cost difference before budgeting for OSAP or TSS.
- Missing the reassessment window if your OSAP outcome identified gaps you have since addressed.
- Assuming the Job Ready Program is available to every trade, when licensed occupations such as electricians and plumbers are excluded.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which TRA program applies to me?
It depends on your occupation, your passport country, where you studied, and the visa you are seeking; TRA runs the Migration Skills Assessment, Offshore Skills Assessment Program, Temporary Skills Shortage Skills Assessment, Provisional Skills Assessment and Job Ready Program for different combinations of these.
Does TRA award me an Australian qualification?
No, TRA says it does not award Australian qualifications, occupational registrations or occupational licences; its programs assess you for a visa or migration pathway.
How much does the Offshore Skills Assessment Program cost?
Up to $5,320 for Pathway 1 (without a relevant Australian VET qualification) or up to $2,020 for Pathway 2 (with one, or a current unrestricted licence).
How long does the Migration Skills Assessment take?
It is a documentary-based assessment requiring at least 3 years of paid work experience, including at least 12 months full-time; TRA does not publish a fixed processing time for it the way it does for OSAP and TSS.
Who is the Job Ready Program for?
International graduates of an Australian VET course who are working in Australia with an approved employer; it is a minimum 12-month, three-step program costing $3,410 in total, and electricians, plumbers and air-conditioning/refrigeration mechanics are not eligible.
What is the cheapest TRA program?
The Provisional Skills Assessment, at $130, for recent CRICOS-registered graduates applying for a subclass 485 visa, with an outcome valid for 3 years.
Key takeaways
- TRA runs five different programs: MSA, OSAP, TSS, PSA and Job Ready, each for a different occupation, passport, or visa combination.
- Costs range from $130 (PSA) to $5,320 (OSAP or TSS, Pathway 1), with OSAP taking about 15 weeks and TSS about 9 weeks.
- TRA does not award Australian qualifications, occupational registrations or licences, even after a successful assessment.
- Electricians, plumbers and air-conditioning/refrigeration mechanics face different rules: OSAP is compulsory for them, and they are excluded from the Job Ready Program.
If what you actually want is the Australian qualification behind your trade, not just a migration skills assessment, recognition of prior learning may be worth a look for qualifications such as Certificate III in Carpentry or Certificate III in Commercial Cookery, comparing your own work history against the units of competency in the qualification that matches your experience. For how overseas work history fits into this, see our earlier piece on counting overseas experience toward recognition.
