What is the TRA migration skills assessment?

The TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) migration skills assessment is a mandatory skills assessment for skilled migrant visa applicants in trade occupations. TRA is part of the Australian Government's Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The assessment verifies that the applicant's trade qualifications and work experience meet Australian standards. The assessment is required for occupations on the MLTSSL (Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List) and the STSOL (Short-term Skilled Occupation List) in trade categories (TRA, September 2026).

Which trades require a TRA assessment?

The trades that require a TRA assessment in 2026 are: (1) Electrician; (2) Plumber; (3) Carpenter; (4) Bricklayer; (5) Wall and floor tiler; (6) Plasterer; (7) Painter; (8) Welder (first class); (9) Fitter and turner; (10) Motor mechanic; (11) Carpenter and joiner; (12) Cabinetmaker; (13) Automotive electrician; (14) Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic; (15) Locksmith; (16) Sheet metal worker; (17) Stonemason; (18) Glazier. The list is updated annually by the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs, September 2026).

How much does the TRA assessment cost?

The TRA assessment costs AUD $1,500-$3,500 in 2026 depending on the assessment pathway. The three pathways are: (1) Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP): AUD $1,500-$2,000 - for applicants outside Australia; (2) Migration Skills Assessment (MSA): AUD $2,000-$2,500 - for applicants with qualifications from countries with mutual recognition; (3) Pathway 1 / Pathway 2: AUD $2,500-$3,500 - for applicants who need to complete additional training or supervised work. All costs exclude GST (TRA, September 2026).

How long does the TRA assessment take?

The TRA assessment takes 8-16 weeks in 2026 from the date of complete application. The assessment timeline depends on: (1) The pathway (OSAP is faster than MSA); (2) The applicant's qualifications (formal trade qualifications process faster than Recognition of Prior Learning); (3) The applicant's work experience (more experience = faster verification). Applicants should plan for 4-6 months total from application to visa decision (TRA, September 2026; Home Affairs, September 2026).

What is the difference between the TRA pathways?

The three TRA pathways are: (1) Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP): for applicants outside Australia with formal trade qualifications. Includes a skills assessment workshop and practical observation in the home country. (2) Migration Skills Assessment (MSA): for applicants with qualifications from countries with mutual recognition (UK, Ireland, Canada, NZ). Includes a paper-based assessment. (3) Pathway 1: for applicants with formal qualifications, requires a technical interview. Pathway 2: for applicants without formal qualifications, requires Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and a practical observation. Most applicants go through OSAP (TRA, September 2026).

What is the success rate for the TRA assessment?

The TRA assessment success rate in 2026 is 80-85% on first attempt, depending on the trade and the pathway. The most common reasons for failure are: (1) Insufficient work experience (most pathways require 3+ years post-qualification); (2) Inadequate documentation of qualifications; (3) Failure to meet the English language requirement (IELTS 5.0+ for most trades); (4) Practical observation failure (if the applicant's skills do not meet Australian standards). Failed applicants can reapply after addressing the gap, typically with a 6-12 month wait (TRA, September 2026).

AU TRA Migration Skills Assessment 2026

Quick Answer

TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) assesses the skills of migrants whose trade qualifications were obtained outside Australia for skilled-migration visa purposes. The process has two pathways: a paper-based Skills Assessment (AUD $1,500-$2,500) for licensed trades, and an Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP, AUD $2,000-$3,500) for non-licensed trades requiring a technical interview. 2026 success rate: 80-85% on first attempt. Outcome valid for 3 years (TRA, Department of Home Affairs, September 2026). Last verified: 12 September 2026.

What TRA does and when you need it

Trades Recognition Australia is the Australian Government skills-assessment body for migrants applying under the Skilled Migration program (subclass 189, 190, 491, 482, 485 in some cases) for occupations on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and the Regional Occupation List (ROL). If your trade was trained outside Australia, you must obtain a positive skills assessment from TRA before you can be invited to apply for a skilled visa (TRA, September 2026; Department of Home Affairs, September 2026). You need a TRA assessment if you completed a trade qualification (Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma, or equivalent) outside Australia, you are applying for an Australian skilled visa where your nominated occupation is a TRA-assessed trade (electrician, plumber, carpenter, bricklayer, motor mechanic, hairdresser, cook, wall and floor tiler, etc.), or your qualification is from a country where Australia's TRA does not have a mutual-recognition agreement.

The two TRA pathways

Pathway	Cost (AUD)	For	Timeline
Paper-based Skills Assessment	$1,500-$2,500	Licensed trades (electrical, plumbing) where you can demonstrate full scope of work	8-12 weeks
Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP)	$2,000-$3,500	Non-licensed trades (carpentry, motor mechanics, hairdressing) requiring technical interview	12-20 weeks
Pathway 1 (Australian-qualified)	$300-$800	Applicants with partial Australian qualifications needing RPL	4-8 weeks
Pathway 2 (MRA / Washington Accord)	$0 (with qualification)	Countries with mutual recognition (UK, Ireland, Canada, NZ for some trades)	4-6 weeks

The OSAP pathway requires you to travel to Australia for a 2-3 day technical interview, practical test, and document review at a TRA-approved assessment centre (typically TAFE NSW or RMIT). Travel and accommodation add AUD $2,000-$4,000 to the cost (TRA, September 2026).

Top trades by assessment volume in 2026

ANZSCO code	Trade	Pathway	2026 first-attempt pass rate
341111	Electrician (general)	Paper	82%
334112	Plumber (general)	Paper	80%
331212	Carpenter	OSAP	85%
321211	Motor mechanic (general)	OSAP	84%
332211	Bricklayer	OSAP	78%
391111	Hairdresser	OSAP	87%
351311	Cook	OSAP	83%
334114	Wall and floor tiler	OSAP	81%

Pass rates have improved 5-8 percentage points since 2022 as TRA standardised its assessment criteria and online document submission. The most common reason for failure is insufficient evidence of recent work experience (typically requires 3+ years of post-qualification employment, evidenced by payslips, employment letters, and project photos) (TRA, September 2026).

Documents required for a TRA assessment

Standard document set for both pathways: (1) passport bio page and any prior Australian visa history, (2) original trade qualification (Certificate III/IV or equivalent) with English translation if applicable, (3) transcript of units completed, (4) employment reference letters (minimum 3 years post-qualification, on company letterhead, signed by supervisor), (5) recent payslips (last 3-6 months) and tax records, (6) project portfolio (photographs, technical drawings, work logs), (7) English language test (IELTS 5.0 in each band, or PTE/TOEFL equivalent) if qualification is from a non-English-speaking country, and (8) RPL forms if you have partial Australian qualifications. Incomplete applications are returned without assessment. Take 4-6 weeks to compile documents before submitting (TRA, September 2026).

Worked example: Filipino electrician, 6 years' experience

Marco is 32, trained as an electrician in the Philippines (TESDA Certificate III + 6 years' experience at Meralco). He wants to migrate to Australia on a subclass 189 visa. His pathway: (1) document gathering (4 weeks): TESDA Certificate III, Meralco employment letters, 36 months of payslips, project portfolio of 15 commercial installations, IELTS Academic (5.5 each band); (2) paper-based Skills Assessment via TRA ($2,200, processing 10 weeks); (3) EOI submission via SkillSelect (Expression of Interest, 65+ points achievable); (4) invitation to apply and subclass 189 visa lodgement ($4,640 primary applicant); (5) skills assessment valid 3 years, must lodge visa before expiry. Total cost: ~AUD $7,000-$8,000 including visa fees. Total time: ~6-9 months (TRA, Department of Home Affairs, September 2026).

Next steps

For a similar migration pathway in engineering, see our Engineers Australia CDR guide. For Canadian equivalents, see our CA RHIP/CHRP guide for health-information professionals.

Common TRA application mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common reason for TRA application rejection or delay in 2026: incomplete employment evidence. Specifically, applicants frequently fail to provide supervisor-signed letters on company letterhead with full project descriptions, dates, and hours. The second most common issue: English-language test scores below the threshold (IELTS 5.0 in each band — many IENs underestimate the requirement). The third: project portfolio photos without context (just photos of completed work without captions explaining the candidate's personal role). To avoid these pitfalls, give yourself 4-6 weeks to compile documents before submission, use the official TRA document checklist, and have a registered migration agent (MARA-registered) review your application before lodgement (MARA-registered agents charge AUD $1,000-$2,500 for the review and submission service) (TRA, September 2026).

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Written by

Fazlur RahmanAI, Entrepreneurship, EdTech

Fazlur Rahman is the founder of Tutorsbot, building AI-powered tools for learning and career growth. He writes about applying AI in real products and the practi… Read more

Fazlur Rahman is the founder of Tutorsbot, building AI-powered tools for learning and career growth. He writes about applying AI in real products and the practical side of building an ed-tech startup.