If you are looking to travel to, and live in Australia, there are multiple options provided by the Australian government you can choose from. But if you are also a professional whose skills and expertise match the criteria that Australian Authorities are looking for, your chances just got better. 

Australia has multiple employers who are constantly scanning the globe for international hiring. With an Employer Sponsorship visa, you can live, work and also study in the country for a significant period of time. In order to apply for this visa, the first priority would be to have your skills tested; hence, a Skills Assessment. 

This Assessment procedure can come in handy for you if you are vying for either of the following visas: 

Visas Covered 

Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186): 

This Visa grants you the chance to stay, work and study in Australia permanently, given that you’ve been sponsored by an Australian employer. This Visa gives way to three streams: The Direct Entry stream, Labor Agreement stream & Temporary Residence Transition stream. All these streams, after acceptance, grant you a permanent stay in the country. 

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187):

This visa is united for you given that you are a skilled worker employed by an Australian resident. After acceptance, you can live and work in regional Australia. This visa expands to two streams: Direct Entry Stream and Temporary Residence Transition Stream. If you’re picking the latter, then an assessment will not be required during the time of the application. But if you’re choosing the Direct Entry stream, get a skills assessment in step one. 

Things to keep in mind: 

• Your Skills Assessment will be primarily required in the Direct Entry Stream. 
• You can have your skills assessed after you apply for a Visa. But it is mandatory to provide a copy of the skills assessment along with your application. 
• Your Skills assessment report might have an expiry date. So ensure that when you submit it during the visa application process, it is valid. 
• Skill Set required may vary depending on your occupation, and the affiliated authority. Commonly, it is necessary that you have been working in your respective field for at least 3 years. 

Procedure 

• Contact your relevant authority and apply for an assessment. 
• Each authority has its own process, steps, and charges. Make sure you check their requirements and contact them further for any queries that you might have. 
• Since the procedure varies with each authority, your assessment processing time may also vary. 
• When you receive your Positive Skills Assessment, add a scanned copy of it to your visa application. 

Processing Times 

The processing times for each occupation will vary. This depends entirely on the Authority producing your report. Commonly, it can take anywhere from three to five weeks, or perhaps more.