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The TRA Job Ready Program (JRP) is a four-stage skills assessment process managed by Trades Recognition Australia for international graduates who are awarded a trade qualification from an Australian CRICOS-registered institution. It serves as the transitional step from completing a Certificate III, IV or Diploma course in a trade occupation to acquiring the skills assessment required for a Skilled Migration visa (e.g., Subclass 189, 190, 491).
You must physically work within your trade in Australia, having real employment in the trade, and undergo a workplace assessment and be able to show skills to the Australian industry standard. On 12 May 2026, the Australian Government announced an $85.2 million investment in Migration Skills Recognition Reform, reinforcing support for trade skills pathways.
This guide covers everything you need, including the SPR and EVR documentation most applicants mishandle, the employer rules, and the construction priority giving housing trades a current queue advantage.
Before beginning the JRP, you must confirm eligibility across four core criteria.
Eligibility Requirement | Detail |
Australian trade qualification | Certificate III, IV, or Diploma from a CRICOS-registered RTO, completed in Australia |
Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA) | Must hold a current, positive PSA outcome (valid for 3 years from issue) |
Occupation on Skills list | Nominated occupation on Australia’s Skilled Occupation List with TRA as assessing authority |
Valid work rights | Visa with full work rights and at least 12 months remaining to complete the program |
Important exclusion: Certain licensed occupations are not eligible for the JRP — typically electricians and plumbers in most Australian states, who have their own licensing pathways. Use TRA’s Program Pathfinder tool to confirm your occupation qualifies before applying.
The TRA Job Ready Program follows a strict sequential structure — you cannot skip steps or apply for a later step before completing the prior one.
Step | Name | Fee | Processing Time |
Pre-step | Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA) | AUD $130 | ~90 days |
Step 1 | Job Ready Employment (JRE) | AUD $490 | Up to 6 months |
Step 2 | Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA) | AUD $2,845 | ~5 months |
Step 3 | Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA) | AUD $75 | ~45 days |
Total | ~AUD $3,540 | ~18–24 months total |
Note: Fees are based on the most recently published TRA schedule. Confirm current amounts on the official TRA Online Portal before paying.
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A PSA result is valid for three years from the issue date. This will cost AUD $130. It takes about 90 days to process and will confirm the authenticity of your Australian qualification and its relevance to the nominated occupation. It is also required to apply for a Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa and to register for a JRE.
PSA expiry trap: Your PSA will be valid when the JRE application is lodged (within 3 years of being issued). If expired prior to JRE submission, you will be required to apply for a fresh PSA with fees and a waiting period reinstated. Lodge the JRE application once the 485 visa has been issued.
You get actual Australian workplace experience during the JRE phase. You must complete at least 12 months of full-time (or equivalent part-time) paid employment with TRA-approved employer(s) from your JRE Start Date, approximately 1,725 hours at 38 hours per week.
Employer rules:
Two critical ongoing documents:
Skills Progress Report (SPR): Completed by you throughout JRE, documenting specific trade tasks and skill development. Becomes your primary evidence record reviewed at JRWA.
Employment Verification Report (EVR): Your employer’s signed document attesting to your hours, dates, and responsibilities. The JRWA assessor bases the assessment on tasks recorded across your EVR and SPR.
Keep both accurate, current, and detailed. Inconsistencies between SPR and EVR are the most common cause of JRE delays.
The JRWA is the most consequential and expensive step in the program at AUD $2,845. Wait for TRA’s invitation; do not apply before being invited. After TRA reviews your JRE records and confirms you have met minimum employment requirements, they will invite you to apply.
The assessor will perform the assessment on your nominated, registered, workplace. The assessment will be based on the duties expected in your occupation. It will involve both observation of practical skills and a technical interview that is directly related to your documented EVR and SPR.
The JRWA outcome is one of the following:
Employer change rule: Your JRWA should be conducted at your registered employer. If you move employers, you will need to register the new employer at the portal and complete at least one month with them prior to JRWA.
The JRFA is the administrative completion step. Within 45 days, TRA will email your final outcome letter confirming successful completion of all JRP steps. This outcome letter is your official full skills assessment; it is used to apply for skilled migration visas (Subclass 189, 190, or 491). It is not a qualification and does not represent formal accreditation, but it carries full weight as the required skills assessment evidence in your visa application to the Department of Home Affairs.
Three-year completion limit: A maximum of three years applies to complete the entire JRP from your JRE start date. Applications that lapse beyond three years must restart. Timeline management from day one of JRE is critical.
Personal contact details for JRE and JRWA: Agents can help with all stages of this process, but for the JRE and JRWA parts you will be in direct communication with TRA and you will need your own personal contact details registered for them.
TRA Online Portal MFA: All login attempts to the TRA Portal demand multi-factor authentication. Make sure that your registered email address is reachable and that you receive one-time passwords. Problems with accessing the Portal in a sensitive phase could cause major setbacks.
The TRA Job Ready Program is still one of the most formalized options in skilled migration for trade graduates but requires correct paperwork, willing employers, and timeliness.
Candidates should keep their SPR record in place from when they start employment, ensure the employer is qualified before the job change, and check for the current PSA until the end of the process. Since construction priority processing continues till 30 June 2026 this is a critical time for candidates to achieve their JRP pathway.
The TRA Job Ready Program is a skills assessment pathway for international graduates who completed a trade qualification (Certificate III, IV, or Diploma) at an Australian CRICOS-registered institution. It is required for skilled migration visa applications: Subclass 189, 190, and 491 where TRA is the nominated assessing authority for the nominated trade occupation.
Most applicants take 18 to 24 months from JRE start to receiving the final outcome letter. The 12-month minimum employment period (1,725 hours) is the largest block. Added to PSA processing (~90 days), JRWA processing (~5 months), and JRFA processing (~45 days), plan for a minimum of two years from PSA application to final skills assessment outcome.
You can register up to 5 different employers throughout the program. To qualify for the JRWA, you must have completed at least 6 months of full-time equivalent employment with a single employer. You must also register any new employer in the TRA portal and complete at least one month with them before a JRWA can be conducted at their workplace.
The Skills Progress Report (SPR) is completed by you throughout JRE, documenting specific tasks performed and your skill development. The Employment Verification Report (EVR) is signed by your employer, confirming hours worked, dates, and duties. Both documents are reviewed by the JRWA assessor and must be accurate, consistent, and detailed.
You can request a review of the decision or apply for a second JRWA at an additional fee after further training or development. A “Not Yet Job Ready” outcome does not permanently disqualify you from the program, but it delays your timeline and increases total cost.
No. Licensed occupations with their own specific licensing pathways, typically registered electricians and plumbers in most Australian states, are not eligible for the JRP. Use TRA’s Program Pathfinder tool on the official website to confirm your specific occupation and ANZSCO code qualifies for the JRP before investing in the PSA and subsequent steps.
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