What is a Skilled Employment Statement?

A Skilled Employment Statement (SES) is an optional summary of your relevant skilled employment which you can use as part of the Points Test for skilled migration.

When can I apply for a Skilled Employment Statement?

Applicants who have obtained a suitable skills assessment outcome will be eligible to request a Skilled Employment Statement (SES). Only employment undertaken after the date you have met the AITSL skills assessment qualification criterion will be counted as skilled employment. For clarity, this is not limited to employment after the date you were found suitable, this means employment undertaken after the date you completed the qualifications required to meet the AITSL criteria. You can request an SES at any time within the two-year period your skills assessment outcome remains valid. Applicants who do not receive a suitable skills assessment outcome are ineligible to apply for an SES.

What type of employment should my application include? 

AITSL can assess skilled employment that was: 

  • completed in any country
  • closely related to your nominated school teacher occupation
  • undertaken within the past 10 years
  • undertaken after the completion of four years of higher education study (including completion of a recognised initial teacher education qualification)
  • undertaken for at least 20 hours per week
  • undertaken within a registered school setting
  • paid employment.

What other conditions need to be met?

To be eligible for points under the skilled migration points test (managed by the Department of Home Affairs), your employment in Australia must total at least one year. For employment outside Australia, it must total a minimum of three years.

What can be considered as closely related occupation?

Closely related skilled occupation is defined by the Department of Home Affairs as those occupations that fall within one unit group classified under ANZSCO. Occupations are grouped together under ANZSCO to form unit groups. Unit groups are denoted by four-digit codes and are generally at one skill level.

Examples:

  • If applying for the occupation of Primary School Teacher (ANZSCO 241213), you may not use work experience as a Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO 241411), as it is in a different unit group and would have a different range and complexity of tasks.
  • If applying for the occupation of Special Needs Teacher (ANZSCO 241511), work as a Teacher of the Hearing Impaired (ANZSCO 241512) could be considered a closely related occupation as it is in the same unit group.

How many hours do I need to work for my employment to be considered?

You must have worked a minimum of 20 hours per week before the employment can be considered as contributing to the requirement of either one year in Australia or three years overseas.

How much does a Skilled Employment Statement cost? 

The fee for each SES is AUD 234.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the employment information provided is accurate. Requests to alter an issued statement to correct errors or add/modify information will incur an additional fee of AUD 234.

How do I apply for a Skilled Employment Statement?

Once you have received a suitable Skills Assessment Outcome, you can apply for an SES through the Applicant portal. Note: You will need to lodge all SES applications in the new portal, even when the suitable skills assessment application was assessed in the SAMS portal. Your application was finalised in the SAMS portal if your reference number starts with the word SAMS, e.g., SAMS2024008000. ​

All SES applicants must submit a copy of their suitable assessment outcome and passport. Applicants must also provide the following information: reference ID, date of issue, and the nominated occupation. 

The portal will prompt you to provide employment details and supporting statements of employment. Statements of employment must be on the official letterhead of the employing authority or school, be signed and dated and include the following details and information:

  • school name
  • school setting e.g. primary school/middle school/secondary school
  • employer name (if different from school)
  • employer address
  • employment start and finish dates (day/month/year) - the finish date for current employment will be based on the date of the employment letter
  • position/job title
  • age range of students taught
  • hours of employment per week.

Skilled employment advice is based only on statements of employment; pay slips, employment contracts or offer letters will not be accepted.

For further information on how to apply in the Applicant portal for an SES, please refer to the User Guide.

When will I receive my Skilled Employment Statement?

AITSL aims to prepare your SES within four weeks from the date of payment and submission of your request. Once your SES has been completed, AITSL will notify you via email.

 

Can I apply for another Skilled Employment Statement?

Yes. Once you have been issued with a Skilled Employment Statement, you can apply for another SES via the Applicant portal. Please note:

  • You can only be issued another SES statement if you have a valid skills assessment outcome issued by AITSL. 
  • You will need to pay the fee for SES applications.
  • You will need to include all employment statements for work that you would like included in the new SES, even previously submitted statements. 
  • The ability to review your previous SES is through downloading a copy from the Applicant portal. The previous SES would still be valid. 

Can my employment as a relief or casual teacher be included?

Yes. Ask your employer to provide an employment statement which details the average hours worked in a week, total period of time you worked and the school setting in which you worked e.g. primary or secondary school, and the age ranges of students taught.

For more information on the points you can gain in relation to your visa subclass please visit the Department of Home Affairs.

I have a suitable assessment for the Early Childhood teacher occupation. Can I apply for an SES for this occupation?

No. As of 7 December 2024, the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is the assessing authority for early childhood teachers. For enquiries relating to the ECT occupation, please contact ACECQA directly.