Skills, Qualifications & Experience

The following skills, qualifications, experience and employment background requirements apply to the occupations listed in the tables below in relation to the SID, SESR and ENS visas.

It is not the responsibility of the DAR to certify the skills or experience of any visa applicant under the DAMA program. Applicants or their appointed representative must deal directly with the relevant skills assessing authority and not the DAR for skills assessment certification.

Skills Assessment

Qualifications are to be assessed by the relevant Skills Assessing Authority (as specified in the Labour Agreement) as being at least equivalent to the relevant Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification detailed for the relevant tables below, in order to assist the Minister’s decision as to whether the visa applicant has the necessary qualifications for the position.
Where requested, work experience must be certified as being genuine and relevant to the nominated occupation/position, in order to assist the Minister’s decision as to whether the visa applicant has the necessary employment background for the position.

Work experience
 

Work experience to fulfil visa requirements:

• Must be relevant to the nominated occupation and at the required skill level; and
• Must be full time or part time pro rata equivalent unless otherwise specified below. Full-time work should be in accordance with the National Employment Standards; and
• Must be undertaken in the last five (5) years; and
• Can be undertaken concurrently with work experience used to substitute qualifications, provided the work experience was at the skilled level.

Occupations on the combined eligible list of skilled occupations

For the occupations in the Table 1 below, which are on the eligible lists of skilled occupations (the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), the Regional Occupation List (ROL) or the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)), any nomination for these occupations or any application for a SID, SESR or ENS visa connected with these occupations must satisfy the skills, qualifications, experience and employment background required under the standard visa programs, except:

• Where the relevant Australian Qualification Framework qualification was obtained in Australia, only 1 year of relevant full time work experience  is required for the SID visa program OR
• Have at least two (2) years of relevant work experience for the SID, SESR or ENS visa program.

Skills Assessment

A skills assessment is required for the occupations in Table 1 where the applicant is part of a class of persons specified in the relevant legislative instrument for the visa. This legislative instrument further prescribes the relevant Skills Assessing Authority that must undertake the assessment.

Table 1: Occupations on the combined eligible list of skilled occupations

Occupations not on eligible skills lists

For the occupations, which are requested under this Agreement but are not on the combined eligible list of skilled occupations, the following skills, qualifications, experience and employment background criteria will apply to any nomination for these occupations or any application for a SID, SESR or ENS visa made under the Migration Legislation.

Skills Assessment

A skills assessment is required for applications lodged for the occupations listed in
Tables 2 to 8.  Qualifications are to be assessed by the relevant Skills Assessing Authority (as specified in the labour agreement) as being at least equivalent to the relevant AQF qualification detailed for the relevant tables below, in order to assist the Minister's decision as to whether the visa applicant has the necessary qualifications for the position.

ANZSCO Skill levels 1 – 3 Occupations

The occupations outlined in Table 2 must meet the following requirements. The visa applicant must:

• Undergo a skills assessment conducted by the relevant skills assessing authority

AND

• Meet the skill level requirements as defined in ANZSCO including where work may substitute the formal qualification;

AND

• Where the relevant Australian Qualification Framework qualification was obtained in Australia, only 1 year of relevant work experience  is required for the SID visa program; OR
• Have at least two (2) years of relevant work experience for the SID, SESR or ENS visa program.

Table 2: ANZSCO Skill level 1 to 3 Occupations not on the eligible skilled occupation list

ANZSCO Skill Level 4 Occupations (non-meat-processing occupations)

The occupations outlined in Table 3 must meet the following requirements. The visa applicant must:

• Undergo a skills assessment conducted by the relevant skills assessing authority

AND

• Meet the skill level requirements as defined in ANZSCO including where work may substitute the formal qualification;

AND

• Have at least 1 year of relevant work experience (38 hours per week) for the SID visa program OR
• Have at least 2 years of relevant work experience (38 hours per week) for the SESR or ENS visa program.

Table 3: ANZSCO Skill Level 4 Occupations not on the eligible skilled occupation list

Meat processing occupations: ANZSCO skill level 4 skills requirements

The following skills and experience requirements are to be met for other meat processing occupations not included in the eligible list of skilled occupations, as outlined in Table 4.

• Overseas Workers are to be assessed and verified by a MINTRAC registered assessor, or an assessor approved by the Commonwealth, with a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment experienced in meat processing, prior to visa application lodgement.

Skilled Meat Worker (Meat Boners & Slicers and Slaughterer)

SID

• A minimum skill level commensurate with the MINTRAC referenced AQF Certificate III in meat processing; and either
• Demonstrate a minimum of two years skilled work experience obtained at an MPE acceptable to the Parties, or
• Have been working in Australia on a subclass 457, TSS or SID visa at an Australian MPE acceptable to the Parties for at least nine (9) months prior to being nominated, or
• At least one year relevant work experience in Australia on a temporary visa other than a Subclass 457, TSS or SID visa at an Australian MPE acceptable to the Parties.

SESR/ENS

• SESR visa applicants must meet the skill requirements as outlined above with the exception that they must have a minimum of two (2) years recent and relevant work experience (regardless of whether Australian or offshore work experience).   

Table 4: Meat Processing ANZSCO Skill Level 4 Occupations  

Meat and seafood processing occupations ANZSCO skill level 5 skills requirements

The following skills requirements are to be met for ANZSCO skill level 5 occupations outlined in Table 5. The visa applicant must:

• Undergo a skills assessment conducted by the relevant skills assessing authority

AND

• Meet the skill level requirements as defined in ANZSCO OR
• Have at least one (1) year of recent and relevant work experience to substitute the formal qualification.

AND

• Have at least one (1) year of relevant work experience for the SID visa; OR
• Have at least two (2) years of relevant work experience for the SESR or ENS visa program.

Table 5: ANZSCO Skill Level 5 Occupations

General ANZSCO skill level 5 occupations (not on an eligible list of skilled occupations)

For the occupations outlined in Table 6, which are requested under this Agreement but are not on an eligible list of skilled occupations, the following skills, qualifications, experience and employment background criteria will apply to any nomination for these occupations or any application for a SID, SESR or ENS visa made under the Migration Legislation. The visa applicant must:

• Undergo a skills assessment conducted by the relevant skills assessing authority

AND

• Meet the skill level requirements as defined in ANZSCO OR
• Have at least one (1) year of recent and relevant work experience to substitute the formal qualification.

AND

• Have at least one (1) year of relevant work experience for the SID visa; OR
• Have at least two (2) years of relevant work experience for the SESR or ENS visa program.

Table 6: General ANZSCO Skill Level 5 Occupations not on an eligible list of skilled occupations

Non-ANZSCO Occupations (indicative skill levels 3 and 4)

For the occupations outlined in Table 7 and Table 8 which are requested under this agreement but do not appear in ANZSCO, the following skills, qualifications, experience and employment background criteria will apply to any nomination for these occupations or any application for a SID, SESR or ENS visa made under the Migration Legislation.

Non-ANZSCO Occupations Skill level 3 occupation/s

The visa applicant must:

• Undergo a skills assessment conducted by the relevant skills assessing authority

AND

• Hold at least an AQF (or equivalent) Certificate III which includes at least two (2) years recent and relevant work experience;

AND

• Have at least one (1) year of work experience if the relevant AQF qualification was obtained in Australia for the SID or SESR visa programs; or
• Have at least two (2) years of relevant work experience for the SID, SESR or ENS visa program.

Table 7: Non-ANZSCO Occupations Skill level 3 occupation/s

Non-ANZSCO Occupations Skill level 4 occupation/s

• Undergo a skills assessment from the relevant skills assessing authority

AND

• For occupations Brewer and Housekeeping Supervisor have at least an AQF (or equivalent) Certificate III or
  Have at least one year of relevant work experience to substitute the formal qualification.
• Have at least an AQF (or equivalent) Certificate II or III or
  Have at least one (1) year of relevant work experience to substitute the formal qualification.

AND

• For occupations Brewer and Housekeeping Supervisor only, have at least one (1) year (20 hours plus per week) work experience for the TSS and SESR visa programs.
• Have at least one (1) year of full time employment for the SID visa program; or
• Have at least two (2) years of full time work experience for the SID, SESR or ENS visa program.

Table 8: Non-ANZSCO Occupations Skill level 4 occupation/s