Welders and metal fabricators are assessed by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) for skilled migration, and the TRA program you end up in decides most of the cost and effort. A qualified Welder (First Class) whose passport is covered by TRA's July 2024 streamlining can use the documentary Migration Skills Assessment, at $795 in total. Without that, the Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) adds a technical interview and can cost up to $5,320. An Australian fabrication qualification, MEM31925, can also change which OSAP pathway you take.
Welder (First Class), Metal Fabricator or Fitter-Welder: choose the code your work proves
Home Affairs' combined list of eligible skilled occupations names TRA as the assessing authority for Welder (First Class) (ANZSCO 322313) and Metal Fabricator (ANZSCO 322311), both on the MLTSSL and the CSOL. A third code, Fitter-Welder (ANZSCO 323213), is also assessed by TRA and sits on the same two lists.
Structural, pipe or pressure welding most of the day points to Welder (First Class); reading drawings, cutting and assembling steel, with welding as part of it, points to Metal Fabricator; fitting machinery as well points to Fitter-Welder. Choose with care, because every employer statement, photo and interview answer is read against the occupation you nominate.
Four starting points, four TRA programs
TRA picks the program from your occupation, passport, place of study and visa. For welders, the realistic starting points are these (TRA's fees, AUD):
| Your situation | TRA program | What it involves | Fee (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified Welder (First Class) with a passport covered by the July 2024 streamlining, aiming for a permanent skilled visa | Migration Skills Assessment | Documents only: your qualifications and employment history compared with Australian standards | $795 in total |
| Occupation and passport that must still use OSAP, with no relevant Australian VET qualification | OSAP Pathway 1 | Documentary Evidence ($1,120), Technical Interview ($2,000), Practical Assessment if required ($2,200) | Up to $5,320 |
| OSAP applicant with a relevant Australian VET qualification or a current unrestricted Australian occupational licence | OSAP Pathway 2 | Documentary Evidence ($1,120), Technical Interview ($900) | $2,020 |
| Skills in Demand (subclass 482) applicant in a listed occupation and passport country whom Home Affairs requires to be assessed | Temporary Skills Shortage Skills Assessment | Run by a TRA-approved RTO on Pathway 1 or Pathway 2 | Up to $5,320 (Pathway 1) or $2,020 (Pathway 2) |
Our explainer on the five TRA programs and who each one is for sets them side by side.
"Qualified" and "specified passport": the two conditions behind the $795 route
From 31 July 2024, TRA removed the mandatory OSAP requirement for qualified applicants in six construction occupations, Welder (First Class) among them, when they hold a passport from a specified country. Those applicants can use the Migration Skills Assessment instead.
Metal Fabricator is not one of the six. A fabricator and a first-class welder with the same passport can therefore face different programs. Before you pay anyone, open TRA's OSAP list of nominated occupations and countries and check your occupation against your passport.
"Qualified" matters as much as the passport: years of experience on their own do not open the documentary route. The Migration Skills Assessment also cannot be used by subclass 482 or 485 applicants, or for occupation and passport combinations that must use OSAP. TRA's Migration Skills Assessment page sets out who can use it.
How many years of welding you need to show
- Migration Skills Assessment: TRA's July 2026 guidelines ask for proof of at least 3 years of paid work in the occupation, including at least 12 months full-time (38 hours a week) or the part-time equivalent within the 3 years before you apply.
- OSAP Pathway 1: welding is not one of TRA's licensed OSAP occupations (the two electrician codes, Plumber (General) and Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic), so the non-licensed rows apply: 5 years of full-time paid work with no formal training, or 3 years with formal training.
- The visa itself: a 482 asks for at least 1 year of relevant work experience within the last 5 years; the 186 Direct Entry stream asks for at least 3 years.
Building a welder's evidence file
For the Migration Skills Assessment, TRA asks for your passport, qualifications and transcripts, an Employer Template form and pay evidence for each employment period. For OSAP, employer statements must be on business letterhead with exact employment dates, hours, job title and detailed tasks.
For work outside Australia, TRA wants at least two kinds of pay evidence, such as government tax records, three payslips naming you and your employer, or bank statements showing your wages. Translations done in Australia must be by NAATI-accredited translators.
OSAP applicants without a relevant Australian qualification also need specified photographic, documentary or video evidence for each unit of competency or cluster of competencies. For a welder, the best material is the work itself:
- root runs and capping passes on plate or pipe, photographed before and after grinding and inspection
- fillet and butt welds in different positions, each labelled with the process (MIG, TIG, stick or flux-cored), the material and its thickness
- fabrications you set out from drawings, shown from cut list to tacked assembly to finished piece
- weld test or inspection records, and short clips of you running a bead
Tie every photo and clip to a job, a date and an employer, so it lines up with the employer statement. Only genuine evidence of your own work belongs in the file. Our checklist of evidence for a TRA skills assessment goes item by item, and if a former employer has closed, read what to do when payslips or references are missing.
The technical interview: explain your welds like the tradesperson you are
OSAP has two phases: a Documentary Evidence Assessment, then a Technical Skills Assessment built around a technical interview. The interview is where the assessor checks that the person in the photos really knows the trade.
Expect to talk through real jobs: joint preparation, your choice of process, distortion control, the defects you look for and safe hot work. Practise answering out loud with examples from your own projects. InterviewTraining.ai's skills practice lets you rehearse trade interview questions before the real call.
TRA says OSAP applications are typically processed within 15 weeks of complete documentary evidence, as a guide only. Our walk-through of each OSAP stage, from RTO choice to outcome letter covers what happens in between.
Where MEM31925 and RPL fit in
MEM31925 Certificate III in Engineering - Fabrication Trade is the current fabrication qualification on training.gov.au and is equivalent to the earlier MEM31922. Our Certificate III in Engineering - Fabrication Trade page shows the job roles it covers, such as boilermaker, welder and metal fabricator, along with its unit structure.
A relevant Australian VET qualification is what moves an OSAP applicant from Pathway 1 to Pathway 2, where the published fees drop from up to $5,320 to $2,020. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is one way to work towards it: a qualified assessor compares your evidence with the course requirements; you might get full or partial credit, or be offered further training where the evidence falls short.
Keep the roles clear. A Registered Training Organisation assesses RPL and issues any qualification; RPLDirect is not an RTO and does not assess or issue qualifications. Whether TRA accepts a qualification as relevant to your occupation is its decision. If you already lead a crew or inspect welds, compare your work with the Diploma of Engineering - Advanced Trade, whose job roles include welding supervisor and welding inspector.
Our skills check suggests a matching qualification, as general guidance only. For the industry background, see why the welding industry's skills warning matters for welders without a certificate.
Step by step: from the welding bay to the outcome letter
- Confirm your occupation code (322313, 322311 or 323213) and which lists it is on for the visa you are considering.
- Check your passport against TRA's OSAP list for that occupation, and whether your qualification could bring you under the July 2024 streamlining.
- Match the program to the visa: the Migration Skills Assessment for permanent skilled visas where it is allowed, the TSS program for a 482.
- Gather employer statements, pay evidence and translations and, for OSAP, labelled photos and clips of your welds.
- For OSAP or TSS, choose a TRA-approved RTO through TRA's RTO Finder and get a Payment Identifier Code for each step.
- Prepare for the technical interview with examples from your own jobs, then lodge complete evidence so the processing time starts.
After the outcome: the visa side
A positive result opens the door; it is not the visa, and without one you cannot apply for a skilled migration visa. For points-tested visas, an assessment with no validity period shown is valid for 3 years from the date of issue. For a 482, a mandatory skills assessment must have been undertaken or commenced within the 3 years before the visa application.
Skilled visas usually ask for English test results as well, so it helps to start preparing while the assessment is under way: PractiseNow offers IELTS and PTE practice.
Common mistakes welders make with TRA
- Nominating the wrong code. A file that says Welder (First Class) but shows mostly fitting or assembly invites questions; match the code to your real duties.
- Assuming the $795 route is open to everyone. It is for qualified welders with specified passports, so check both before paying an RTO.
- Vague employer letters. Statements without exact dates, hours, job title and detailed tasks do not meet TRA's OSAP evidence requirements.
- Believing fast-track offers. ASQA warns about marketing 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.
- Missing the reassessment window. If OSAP finds gaps you later close, the reassessment must be lodged within 12 months of the original outcome letter.
Frequently asked questions
Who assesses welders for skilled migration to Australia?
Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is the assessing authority Home Affairs names for Welder (First Class) (ANZSCO 322313), Metal Fabricator (ANZSCO 322311) and Fitter-Welder (ANZSCO 323213). Home Affairs only accepts an assessment from the relevant authority.
How much does a welder skills assessment cost?
It depends on the TRA program. The Migration Skills Assessment costs $795 in total, while OSAP costs up to $5,320 on Pathway 1 and $2,020 on Pathway 2, all in AUD. Your occupation, passport and visa decide which program applies.
Can I use the Migration Skills Assessment for a 482 visa?
No. TRA says the Migration Skills Assessment cannot be used by subclass 482 or 485 applicants. Skills in Demand applicants who must be assessed go through the Temporary Skills Shortage Skills Assessment Program, run by a TRA-approved RTO.
Does an Australian fabrication certificate change my OSAP pathway?
It can. OSAP Pathway 2 is for applicants with a relevant Australian VET qualification or a current unrestricted Australian occupational licence, and it costs less than Pathway 1. TRA decides whether your qualification is relevant to the occupation you nominate.
How long is a positive welder skills assessment valid?
For points-tested visas, Home Affairs says an assessment with no validity period shown is valid for 3 years from the date of issue. For a 482, a mandatory assessment must have been undertaken or commenced within the 3 years before the visa application.
Key takeaways
- TRA assesses Welder (First Class) (322313), Metal Fabricator (322311) and Fitter-Welder (323213) for migration.
- Qualified first-class welders with a specified passport can use the $795 Migration Skills Assessment; others may face OSAP at up to $5,320.
- A relevant Australian VET qualification such as MEM31925 moves OSAP applicants to Pathway 2, at $2,020.
- Labelled photos, detailed employer statements and two kinds of pay evidence carry the file.
- Prepare for the technical interview with your own jobs, and check which qualification matches your experience.
