The process involves four stages, each of which entails a cost.  The cost totals $4,550, which may, however, be paid at each stage rather than upfront.

First stage: provisional assessment

The first stage is assessment for a temporary visa.  This appears to be not much different from the procedure that has applied up to now, with the exception that the applicant now requires a satisfactory IELTS result (6 or more on each band) at time of application to TRA, and evidence of six months skilled employment rather than 900 hours.  TRA does not state whether it will continue to accept voluntary employment for this purpose.

Second stage: employment

At this stage the applicant is expected to obtain paid employment in his or her skilled occupation in Australia for 12 months.  The employer must pay award wages and enter into a formal contract of employment which must be registered with TRA.  At present one is referred to a link on TRA’s website in order to register, but it turns out the link does not exist.  A log is supposed to be kept recording the applicant’s duties and skills, and it appears that TRA will conduct monitoring visits to workplaces to ensure that the reporting is accurate.  The employee must also undergo training, to be provided through TRA, in “Australian workplace English” and “Australian workplace culture”.  What these waffly phrases may mean is anybody’s guess at this stage, as TRA gives no details; nevertheless, apparently employees are going to be tested at the workplace on these matters.

Third stage: workplace assessment

In addition to the above monitoring and testing, applicants will have to pass a practical test, to be conducted by qualified TRA assessors, of their skills in the workplace.  This can be undertaken after 6 months of the above formal employment.  Details are not yet available; we are told that they will be available later this year.

Fourth stage: final assessment

This is the assessment for permanent residence.  It seems that this is to involve checking that all previous stages have been completed and passed, followed by a final interview with applicant and employer.

It is not hard to see that the new procedures are aimed at dodgy practices which have been going on involving fraudulent letters of employment and the exploitation of desperate students by unscrupulous employers.  I should say that it is likely to be effective in wiping out such practices.  However, it is also easy to see that, as so often happens, things have not been properly thought through and many loose ends have not been tied up.  The procedures appear to have been introduced in haste.  There is going to be significant disadvantage even to honest and competent students, in terms of the cost they must now pay for assessment, and in terms of finding an employer who will be willing to go through the rigorous and onerous requirements that employers must now meet when employing an overseas student in a trade position.  Australia is anxious to attract skilled tradespeople, but this, I believe, is not the way to do it.