Australian skilled visas - The first step: Skills Assessments
Applicants for an Australian skilled permanent visa generally will need to show evidence that a suitable skills assessment has been obtained. For some applicants like overseas students studying in Australia, different rules may apply, but by and large most independent applicants must have gone through a relevant skills assessment before applying for a skilled visa.

For IT professionals, a skills assessment should be lodged with the Australian Computer Society.

Ptlabs Consulting has extensive experience and expertise in assisting and advising clients who are applying for a skills assessment with the Australian Computer Society.

You may wish to review our ACS and RPL statistics and testimonials from past and present clients.


Australian Computer Society skills assessments
The ACS categorises applicants into four broad categories:

  1. Group A: Candidates with an IT degree.
  2. Group B: Candidates with an IT diploma.
  3. Group C: Eligible recent IT graduates of Australian universities.
  4. RPL: Candidates without formal IT qualifications, but with extensive professional IT work experience.
The ACS is the skills assessing authority for all IT occupations.

All applicants for a skills assessment, whether under Group A, B or RPL, will need to show professional IT work experience. Group C applicants do not need to show IT work experience under certain circumstances.


How many years of IT work experience do I need?
If you are assessed to be a Group A applicant, you will need at least 4 years of professional full time IT work experience.
If Group B, you will need at least 6 years of professional full time IT work experience.
For RPL candidates with a degree/diploma in any discipline: 6 years.
For RPL candidates without a degree/diploma in any discipline: 8 years.
Note that it's important to understand that IT work experience must be at a professional level.

Initial Assessment Service
If you would like to get an initial assessment on your eligibility for an ACS skills assessment, or if you would like to have a professional opinion on your work experience's suitability for the ACS skills assessment process, or if you have any queries regarding the ACS/RPL process, please use our Assessment tool. Your eligibility for MODL points within the IT occupations can also be determined or investigated.



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