Guidance through the process

1. Application Fee

When submitting your application, make sure you pay the correct application fees. For an application pricing list, see Fees and Payment. Taxes are not included in the application fees. You may be excluded from paying GST on your application fees if you are not in Australia at the time of registering. If you list an Australian address on your application form, you must back up your claim for GST exemption with evidence. The following are examples of acceptable evidence:

• a Statutory Declaration;
• A Notarial Certificate; OR
• A Declaration signed by a Registered Migration Agent.

The statement or certificate must declare clearly that you are not in Australia at the time the application is submitted.

Priority Processing: GST exemption evidence must be supplied at the time of submitting your application online.

2. Photograph

You’ll need one current passport-sized colour photograph. The photo must be no older than six months and in good condition (self-taken photographs are not acceptable).

3. Proof of identity

We require a copy of your passport biopage, which includes your name, photo, and date of birth, as verification of your identity. If you don’t have a passport, you’ll need to produce a copy of your birth certificate in its entirety.

4. Change of name

To correct any naming anomalies in the papers given, evidence of name change must be provided if appropriate. This is to help you maintain your identity.

5. Qualification evidence

Qualification evidence includes your qualification award certificate accompanied by the academic transcripts.

As part of determining your eligibility for Priority Processing, VETASSESS will need to determine if your qualifications are comparable to the Australian Qualifications Framework as outlined in the Australian Government’s published Country Education Profiles (CEPs). 

Award Certificate:

The award certificate is the formal document that verifies that a course of study has been completed. If you haven’t received your qualification award certificate yet, a provisional award certificate from the awarding body or an official declaration of completion from the awarding institution’s Registrar’s department would sufficient.

Academic Transcript:

Provide us with your complete academic transcript. Transcripts are the official records from the institution outlining the courses/units of study as well as the final grades achieved as part of your academic qualification. Additional notes for qualifications obtained from specific regions of the world:

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (PRC)

If you hold qualifications that have been awarded by educational institutions from China, you will be required to have your qualification documents verified by VETASSESS.

For Priority Processing, you must have a completed VETASSESS Chinese Qualification Verification before applying.

EUROPE

If possible, applicants with European qualifications should provide Diploma Supplements. These are usually only issued by educational institutions in nations that are members of the Bologna Process. If it contains all of the required information, a Diploma Supplement will be accepted in place of an award certificate and transcript.

NIGERIA

The awarding authority must send VETASSESS a verified copy of the award certificate and a full academic transcript in a sealed envelope.

The validated documents must have arrived at VETASSESS by registered courier mail at the time you submitted your application for Priority Processing.

PAKISTAN

A sealed envelope containing an authentic HEC (Higher Education Commission Pakistan) copy of the award certificate and entire academic transcript must be provided directly from HEC to VETASSESS. Please visit the HEC website at http://hec.gov.pk. for further information on HEC attestation via courier service.

The validated documents must have arrived at VETASSESS by registered courier mail at the time you submitted your application for Priority Processing.

LEBANON

The Equivalence Committee of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education must approve qualifications awarded by University Colleges and Institutes in Lebanon. Please provide this proof of equivalency to a Lebanese university-awarded qualification.