The government assessor for trade occupations. Onshore applicants run the Provisional Skills Assessment first, then the three-step Job Ready Program (12 months of Australian trade work), all priced via legislative instrument.
Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) is the Australian Government's designated assessing authority for around 133 trade occupations, the largest trade footprint of any Australian skills authority. It sits within the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and sets its fees through legislative instrument LIN 23/002. TRA runs five programs: the Job Ready Program (JRP) for trade workers building Australian employment evidence, the Offshore Skills Assessment Programme (OSAP) for offshore applicants, the TSS Skills Assessment for the Skills in Demand (482) visa, the Migration Skills Assessment (MSA) for applicants with a full Australian trade qualification, and Migration Points Advice (MPA) for points-only advice.
Live TRA wording: "The JRP has three (3) steps starting with Job Ready Employment." Before applying for JRE, you must complete the Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA, $130), which is a separate prerequisite valid for three years. The three JRP steps are Job Ready Employment ($490), Job Ready Workplace Assessment ($2,845), and Job Ready Final Assessment ($75). PSA plus the three JRP steps totals around $3,540 in TRA fees. Sequencing matters; skipping a step or attempting them out of order forces a restart.
TRA's published thresholds are split. The Workplace Assessment can be scheduled after a minimum of six months of full-time-equivalent paid employment from the JRE Start Date, not 12. The Job Ready Employment (JRE) program itself requires 12 months of full-time-equivalent paid employment with TRA-approved employers to complete. The 6-month threshold gates the Workplace Assessment; the 12-month total is what finishes the JRE program. Most applicants enter Australia on a 485 visa to accrue this employment under TRA-approved employers.
TRA publishes 8 months as the typical time from JRP Workplace Assessment Application to Invitation for Workplace Assessment. That is just the eligibility-to-test gate, not the time to outcome. Stages after the invitation (RTO scheduling, the assessment itself, the outcome letter) add weeks or months on top. Total elapsed time from PSA lodgement to JRP outcome often runs over a year.
Applicants assessed entirely offshore go through the Offshore Skills Assessment Programme (OSAP), not the Job Ready Program. OSAP combines Documentary Evidence ($1,120) with either a Practical Assessment ($2,200) or a Technical Interview at Pathway 1 ($2,000) or Pathway 2 ($900). Total OSAP cost ranges from around $2,020 to $3,320 depending on which assessment component applies. The 482 (Skills in Demand) visa uses a parallel TSS Skills Assessment with the same fee shape.
TRA fees are set by LIN 23/002, the legislative instrument that prescribes application fees under the Migration Regulations 1994. They are government fees, GST-free, and reviewed periodically (current rates set 23 March 2023). The same fees apply equally to every applicant; there is no priority processing add-on and no per-employer surcharge. Internal Review fees apply per product when a TRA decision is contested.
Source · legislation.gov.au
Passport identity page and any change-of-name documents.
Trade qualification certificates (Certificate III, IV, or higher).
Trade Reference Letters from each employer being assessed, on company letterhead, signed, with detailed duties and dates.
A minimum of 6 months of full-time-equivalent paid employment in Australia from the JRE Start Date is required before the Workplace Assessment can be scheduled. The full JRE program requires 12 months of paid employment with TRA-approved employers to complete.Job Ready Program (JRP)
Full Australian trade qualification plus relevant Australian work experience in the nominated occupation.Migration Skills Assessment (MSA)
Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA) as a prerequisite (valid 3 years), then the Job Ready Program (JRP) three steps in order: Job Ready Employment (JRE), Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA), and Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA). The PSA outcome must be within three years when applying for JRE.Job Ready Program (JRP)
The Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List. Eligible for the skilled visas (189, 190, 491, etc.).
Short-Term Skilled Occupation List or Regional Occupation List. Visa eligibility differs from MLTSSL.
This page is general information about Trades Recognition Australia and its publicly listed fees, processing times, and document requirements. It isn't immigration advice for your situation. Only a registered migration agent (MARA) or Australian legal practitioner can advise on whether you meet this authority's criteria or which visa pathway fits your circumstances. Find a registered agent at mara.gov.au.
| $2,000 |
| $2,000 |
| 23 Mar 2023 |
| Technical Interview — Pathway 1 — Internal Review | Standard | $700 | $700 | 23 Mar 2023 |
| Technical Interview — Pathway 2 | Standard | $900 | $900 | 23 Mar 2023 |
| Technical Interview — Pathway 2 — Internal Review | Standard | $700 | $700 | 23 Mar 2023 |
| $2,000 |
| $2,000 |
| 23 Mar 2023 |
| Technical Interview — Pathway 1 — Internal Review | Standard | $700 | $700 | 23 Mar 2023 |
| Technical Interview — Pathway 2 | Standard | $900 | $900 | 23 Mar 2023 |
| Technical Interview — Pathway 2 — Internal Review | Standard | $700 | $700 | 23 Mar 2023 |
