Electrician | Pathway to PR

This video discusses how to get permanent residency (PR) as an electrician in Australia. This is the pathway that we have assisted many applicants go down (both onshore or offshore).

Please note, this video is explaining the pathway for someone who is already qualified as an electrician offshore. If you are not qualified and would like to study in Australia, feel free to contact Pathway to Aus.

Skills Assessment for Electricians (Australia – 2026)

The very first step in applying for Australian permanent residency as an electrician is completing a skills assessment.

A skills assessment is used to confirm that your qualifications and work experience meet Australian trade standards for your nominated occupation. Without a positive skills assessment, you generally cannot proceed with skilled migration visas and, in most cases, cannot apply for electrical licensing in Australia.

Who Conducts the Skills Assessment?

The Australian Government does not directly assess overseas trade qualifications. Instead, it appoints authorised assessing bodies to evaluate whether overseas skills are comparable to Australian standards.

For electricians, this assessment is conducted by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA).

TRA is the official government body responsible for assessing trade occupations, including Electricians, for migration purposes.

Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP)

Because electricians are a licensed trade occupation in Australia, most overseas applicants must complete the Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) pathway.

A successful OSAP outcome is commonly required for:

• Skilled migration visa applications

• Employer-sponsored visas

• Provisional electrical licensing in Australia (state-based)

While a skills assessment supports migration and licensing, final licensing is managed separately by state or territory regulators after arrival.

Two-Step Skills Assessment Process

The OSAP pathway generally involves two main stages:

1. Document (Paper-Based) Assessment

2. Technical Assessment

Both stages must be successfully completed to receive a positive skills assessment outcome.

Stage 1: Paper-Based (Document) Assessment

In this stage, TRA assesses your identity, qualifications, and employment history.

You are typically required to submit the following:

• A copy of the biographical identification page of your current passport

• Evidence of skills and work experience, which may include:

  • Trade or apprenticeship certificates

  • Training records

  • Employer references

  • Employment statements

  • Payslips, contracts, or tax records

• Copies of all documents in the original language, plus certified English translations

• Evidence of payment (TRA payment receipt)

All documents must clearly demonstrate that your training and employment align with the tasks and responsibilities of an Australian electrician.

Work Experience Requirements (2026 기준)

To be eligible for assessment, you must demonstrate full-time, paid employment as an electrician under one of the following categories:

• Licensed trade with no formal qualification:
  → Minimum six (6) years of full-time paid work experience

• Licensed trade with formal training:
  → Minimum four (4) years of full-time paid work experience

In addition, you must show that you have completed at least 12 months of full-time paid employment as an electrician within the last three years prior to lodging your skills assessment application.

This recent employment requirement is critical and often a key reason applications are delayed or refused.

Stage 2: Technical Assessment

Once the document assessment is approved, applicants proceed to the technical assessment, which evaluates:

• Practical trade knowledge

• Understanding of electrical theory

• Ability to perform tasks to Australian industry standards

• Safety awareness and compliance

The technical assessment may include:

• Practical testing

• Structured interviews

• Workplace scenario questions

This stage confirms that you can competently work as an electrician in an Australian environment.

Why the Skills Assessment Matters

A positive skills assessment is a cornerstone requirement for:

• Subclass 189, 190, and 491 skilled visas

• Employer-sponsored pathways (482, 186, 494)

• Electrical licensing processes in Australia

Without it, most migration and employment pathways as an electrician are not available.

Once you have been approved for step 1, you can then look to book in for your technical interview.

You will be required to participate in a technical assessment of your practical skills and knowledge. The assessor will focus on collecting evidence to determine if you meet the requirements of the relevant qualification in the Australian Training Package for an electrician.

This will involve a technical interview and may involve a practical demonstration of skills and/or gathering evidence from any nominated employers or other referee.

For most applicants this is done over a day or two days on the weekend. There are specific dates and times available for this, depending on the location when you apply. In Australia, it
may be every couple of months in major cities. In overseas locations it could be one or twice a year.

Successful applicants in the licensed occupations will be issued with an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR). The OTSR is sufficient evidence to apply for a provisional license with Australian state and territory licensing authorities and also to apply for most permanent visas.

Now to obtain a full license and the Australian Cert III qualification, you will need to undertake gap training and a period of supervised employment will be required. The gap training covers Australian-specific knowledge such as workplace health and safety regulations, codes of practice and other Australian standards.

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When looking to apply for different permanent visa options, there are really only 2 work visa pathways:

• General Skilled Migration or
• Employer Sponsored (Subclass 482) à Permanent Employer Sponsored (Subclass 186)

To look further at these options, please check out the related links.

I hope you found this information helpful, please note the information provided is general in nature and for a full review of your circumstances, feel free to book in for a consultation with Pathway to Aus