Part-time work is a common option for students and those who want to earn additional income while gaining experience in Australia. However, because part-time work involves fewer working hours than full-time employment, many people wonder whether it can be used for skills assessment.

The answer is yes. However, the process requires much more careful preparation. Let’s explore the details with Skill Direct so you can better understand how part-time employment may be assessed and how to prepare your application properly.

1. Understanding the Role of Skills Assessment

Skills assessment is a mandatory requirement for skilled migration pathways in Australia, including independent skilled visas and state-nominated visas such as subclasses 189, 190 and 491. Through skills assessment, the Australian Department of Home Affairs can ensure the quality of skilled migrants and confirm whether applicants have skills that match the needs of the Australian labour market.

Therefore, whether you work full-time or part-time, you may still be eligible to undertake a skills assessment. The purpose is for the relevantAssessing Authoritiesto determine whether your part-time work experience is equivalent to the standard expected of a skilled worker in your nominated occupation.

2. When Can Part-Time Experience Be Recognised?

For this reason, you should carefully check the requirements and prepare your documents thoroughly to reduce the risk of your application being rejected.

2.1 Key Requirements and Documents to Prepare

For part-time employment, three key factors can determine the success of your skills assessment application:

• Working hours: Depending on your ANZSCO occupation and assessing authority, there will be specific minimum working hour requirements that you must satisfy.
• Wage level: Your hourly part-time wage should not be lower than the minimum wage required under Australian law or the market rate for a comparable role.
• ANZSCO occupation code: Your actual duties must align with the description of the ANZSCO occupation you intend to nominate. This is a fundamental requirement to avoid refusal due to employment being considered unrelated to your nominated occupation.

You should also prepare supporting documents carefully, including:

• Identity documents
• Labor_Contract
• Payslips

2.2. Assessing Authorities That May Recognise Part-Time Employment

Each occupation and assessing authority has its own assessment criteria, particularly regarding working hours.

• For VETASSESS:

  • For Professional Occupations such as Marketing, Management, Accounting and Human Resources, applicants generally need paid employment of at least 20 hours per week. If you work 20 hours or more per week continuously for one year, this may be recognised as one year of skilled employment, equivalent to full-time employment for assessment purposes.

  • For Trade Occupations such as Chef, Electrician or Carpenter, some cases may be assessed on a pro-rata basis. For example, if the full-time standard is 38 hours per week but you only work 19–20 hours per week, you may need two years of part-time employment to be counted as one year of skilled experience for skills assessment purposes.

• For ACS 

  • For ACS assessments, employment must generally be at least 20 hours per week: Any employment below 20 hours per week is usually considered unsuitable and may not be accepted for assessment.

  • ACS also does not combine hours from concurrent part-time employment: For example, if you work 15 hours per week for Company A and 10 hours per week for Company B at the same time, ACS will not combine these hours to meet the 20-hour threshold. Instead, ACS will assess whether each job independently satisfies the requirement or select the most suitable employment period. If both jobs are below 20 hours per week, neither may be counted.

3. Common Risks When Claiming Part-Time Employment

When applying for skills assessment using part-time work experience, many applicants make avoidable mistakes that can lead to refusal:

• Unclear working hours: This is one of the most common issues. The risk often arises when the reference letter does not clearly state the number of hours worked per week. Assessing authorities need an exact figure to determine whether the employment meets the minimum threshold.
• Misunderstanding how average working hours are calculated: Many applicants assume that if they work 10 hours in one week and 30 hours the next week, the average of 20 hours per week will be accepted. However, many assessing authorities, including ACS and VETASSESS, usually expect consistent employment. Weeks below the required minimum hours may be excluded from the total recognised period.
• Inconsistent documents: Another common issue is inconsistency between documents. For example, your reference letter may state that you worked 20 hours per week, but your payslips show wages that do not match 20 hours multiplied by the minimum hourly rate. This can cause the assessing authority to question the credibility of your application and may lead to refusal.
• Being paid in cash: Cash payments are common in some part-time jobs. However, this can create serious issues if there is no tax record or bank statement to support the employment. Without clear evidence, your work experience may carry little or no value for skills assessment purposes.

Part-time work can absolutely be used for skills assessment if you understand the rules of the relevant assessing authority. The most important points are to maintain consistent working hours, ensure all income is transparent through bank records, and make sure tax obligations are properly met.

If you are planning to migrate to Australia and are unsure whether your part-time employment can be claimed, contact Skill Direct to have your profile carefully reviewed before proceeding with your skills assessment.