TRA skills assessment for trades: which occupations, how it works, vs VETASSESS

If your nominated occupation is a trade, your skills assessment almost certainly runs through Trades Recognition Australia (TRA), not VETASSESS or one of the professional bodies. TRA is the assessing authority for trade occupations — the ANZSCO Major Group 3 codes — for skilled migration. This post covers which codes route to TRA, the two main pathways, and where the line with VETASSESS sits.

Which occupations TRA assesses

ANZSCO Major Group 3 is Technicians and Trades Workers — the first digit of the 6-digit code is 3. TRA is the migration skills-assessment authority for the trade occupations inside that group. The assessment decides whether you can perform at the skill level required for your nominated occupation, and a successful outcome satisfies the skills-assessment requirement for the relevant visa.

Worked examples, all Major Group 3:

• Electrician (General) (341111) — electrotechnology trade, and a licensed occupation.
• Plumber (General) (334116) — construction trade, also licensed.
• Carpenter (331212) — construction trade.
• Welder (First Class) (322313) — engineering/metal trade.

TRA publishes its own list of occupations it assesses. Not every Major Group 3 code is on it, and the exact program differs by occupation. Check the live TRA list — and the Home Affairs skill occupation list for visa-list membership — before you start.

The two main pathways

Which TRA program you use depends mostly on where you gained your qualification.

Job Ready Program (JRP) — for people with an Australian trade qualification, typically international graduates who studied with a CRICOS-registered training organisation. It is an employment-based assessment in four parts:

1. Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA) — verifies your Australian qualification. This is the gate; you cannot enter the JRP without a valid PSA.
2. Job Ready Employment (JRE) — at least 6 months of full-time-equivalent paid employment in the occupation.
3. Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA) — an on-the-job check that you work at the required skill level.
4. Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA) — a successful outcome here is the result you give Home Affairs.

Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) — for people whose trade qualification and experience were gained overseas. Your nominated occupation must be on the OSAP occupation list, and it usually requires a qualification equivalent to a relevant Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) certificate. OSAP combines a documentary assessment with a practical/technical assessment.

One thing to note: for the licensed occupations — Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic, Electrician (General), Electrician (Special Class) and Plumber (General) — TRA requires the assessment to go through OSAP. Other TRA programs exist for specific visa pathways, so confirm the right one for your occupation on the TRA skills assessment page.

TRA vs VETASSESS: where the line sits

This is the question most trade applicants ask, because VETASSESS also assesses some hands-on occupations.

• TRA handles the trade occupations — the licensed and technical trades within Major Group 3 (electricians, plumbers, carpenters, welders, mechanics, and so on). These are the roles tied to an AQF Certificate III/IV trade qualification and, often, a practical assessment.
• VETASSESS handles a large set of professional and general occupations, plus a number of technical and trade roles that are not on TRA’s list. The split is not “professional vs trade” cleanly — it is occupation by occupation.

The decider is your 6-digit ANZSCO code, not the word “trade” in your job title. Two codes that sound similar can route to different authorities. So rather than assume, read the assessing authority off the occupation page for your exact code.

Why the code, not the title, decides

A trade code carries the assessment pathway with it. Picking the wrong code — even a near neighbour — can send you to the wrong authority, the wrong program, and a wasted application fee. Because trades are Major Group 3, they are also excluded from the SID subclass 482 Specialist Skills stream, which means the Core Skills stream (and CSOL membership) is the relevant 482 route for a trade. Getting the code right is the first decision, and everything downstream depends on it.

Check before you rely on it

TRA’s programs, occupation lists and licensed-occupation rules change. Always confirm the current pathway for your occupation on the TRA skills assessment page and the live list of occupations TRA assesses, and check visa-list membership on the Home Affairs skill occupation list before acting on anything here.

To find your trade’s exact ANZSCO code and see its major group, browse the occupation index. If you are unsure which code fits your background, the CV matcher at app.anzscofinder.com matches your CV to the closest codes and shows its working.

For advice on which visa and assessment pathway are right for your situation, speak to a registered migration agent. We find codes and show sources. We do not give migration advice.