Recent Work Experience or Australian Study Requirement

At the time of making your application you must:

• meet the recent work experience requirement
  or
• have met the Australian study requirement in the last six (6) months.

Recent work experience requirement

To meet the recent work experience requirement, you must demonstrate that you have been employed in an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) for 12 of the 24 months immediately before lodging your visa application.
See: Form 1121i Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and Employer Nomination Scheme Occupation List (ENSOL) (129KB PDF file)

To meet this requirement you must have been employed at a skilled level for at least 20 hours a week.

Australian study requirement

To meet this requirement, you must have completed in no less than 16 calendar months either:

• a single qualification requiring at least two (2) academic years study
  or
• more than one qualification resulting in a total period of at least two (2) academic years study.

Two (2) academic years study

Two (2) academic years study means the equivalent of two (2) years study enrolled at 100 per cent of a full time load. It is a measure of the amount of study you have completed rather than how long it took you to complete the study.

If you are given credit from prior learning it will reduce the amount of study you have completed.

The department will use the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) to determine the standard duration of a course. A course that has a registered duration of 92 weeks is considered to be a two (2) year course.

Example 1:
If a course is CRICOS registered for 138 weeks (3 years) and consists of 24 units, 100 per cent of full-time enrolment would equate to 8 units per year. In that course, a student will have completed two (2) academic years when they have successfully completed 16 units.

That means a student enrolled in that course can be given credit for prior learning for up to 8 units and still complete two (2) academic years study.

Example 2:
If a course is CRICOS registered for 92 weeks (2 years) and consists of 12 units, 100 per cent of full-time enrolment would equate to 6 units per year. Students would be required to complete all 12 units to meet the Australian study requirement.

A student enrolled in this course who is given any credit for prior learning will not have completed two (2) academic years study and may have to complete an additional degree, diploma or trade qualification to meet the Australian study requirement.

Course requirements

Each qualification that you have completed and are relying on to meet this requirement must:

• be either a degree (a bachelor or any higher degree), a diploma (includes associate and advanced diplomas), or a trade qualification
• have been undertaken at an Australian educational institution in Australia
• have been conducted in English
• be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

Note: English language proficiency courses cannot be used to meet the Australian study requirement.

Qualifications must be closely related to nominated occupation

The Australian qualification(s) you have completed must be closely related to your nominated skilled occupation. This means that the subject matter and the skills gained from your qualifications can be applied at the level you achieved them in your nominated skilled occupation.

Examples:

• Diploma in Business and Certificate IV in Carpentry would be consistent with nominating Carpenter as your occupation as applicants could find those qualifications genuinely useful in operating their own business as a carpenter.

• Masters in IT and Certificate III in Carpentry would not be consistent with nominating Carpenter as your occupation as you have attained skills at a significantly higher level in a professional field and skills at that level will not have any practical application in working as a carpenter.

What if you have completed study outside Australia?

If you have undertaken study whilst not physically present in Australia, this study cannot be used to satisfy the Australian study requirement.

Example: If you have studied at an overseas campus of an Australian educational institution, or undertaken study online or by correspondence with an Australian educational institution while outside Australia, this study will not be accepted. This is because all study must be undertaken while you are physically present in Australia.

Evidence to attach to your application

The evidence that you need to supply depends on whether you are meeting the Recent Work Experience requirement or the Australian study requirement.

Requirement or exemption you need to meet	Evidence to attach
Recent work experience requirement	Certified copies of your work references for any positions held during the relevant period. Your work experience references must meet the following requirements: the reference should show the official letterhead of the company or government department providing the reference the letterhead should indicate clearly the full address of the company and any telephone, fax numbers, email and website addresses the name and position of the person authorised to sign the employment reference should be typed or stamped below that person's signature – a reference with an illegible signature will not be accepted the direct contact number of the person writing the reference should be included in the letter the letter should indicate the exact period of employment, including whether permanent or temporary, full or part time, position/s held, the main five (5) duties undertaken, and the salary earned – positions should not be described by generic titles (for example, research officer, public servant) but according to the nature of the duties undertaken (for example, research chemist, accounts clerk) a payslip from your current employment should also be included – this is especially important for applicants working in government departments. Other documents which may assist you in evidencing your work experience claims could include, but are not limited to: contracts pay slips tax returns group certificates superannuation information.
Two (2) years study in Australia	certified copy of completion letter from your educational institution, including: the date that the course commenced and ended the date that course requirements were met the location of campus where the study was undertaken whether the study involved any distance learning the language in which instruction was given certified copies of course transcripts.

 

Before lodging an application, please read all related eligibility requirements.
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