494 skills assessment rules in 2026: validity, ANZSCO code and why a 485 assessment fails

The Subclass 494 skills assessment test is narrow but strict: the assessment must be for the occupation nominated in your application, issued by the relevant assessing authority before the day you lodge, matched to the same 6-digit ANZSCO code, and still inside the validity window; an assessment prepared for a Subclass 485 application is not accepted, and the usual outer limit is three years from the date of issue. This is the requirement stated on the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ official Subclass 494 visa page, as at October 2026, together with the Migration Regulations 1994 and the Department’s PAM3 guidance.

What does the Subclass 494 visa ask for in a skills assessment?

The official Subclass 494 page lists one of the mandatory criteria as having a suitable skills assessment for the occupation. In the regulations and PAM3 guidance, “suitable” means a positive assessment from the relevant assessing authority for the nominated occupation, not a general or unrelated trade test. The assessment is tied to the nomination: the occupation on the assessment letter, the 6-digit ANZSCO code, and the occupation nominated by the approved sponsor must line up.

How long does a skills assessment stay valid for a 494?

PAM3 sets a three-year outer limit, but the way it is applied depends on what the assessing authority printed on the letter.

If the letter states a validity period of three years or less, the assessment must not have expired on the day you lodge the visa application; if it has expired, it is not a valid assessment.

If the letter states a longer validity period, or states no expiry date at all, the assessment is invalid if more than three years have passed between the date of issue and the date of application.

The clock runs from the date of issue, not from the date you received the letter, the date the nomination was approved, or the date your English test was booked.

Must the assessment date be earlier than the application date?

Yes. The assessment must have been issued before the application is lodged; the assessment date must not be later than the application date.

This is more than a paperwork preference. PAM3 states that an assessment obtained after the application date is invalid, and it is listed as a refusal ground when the skills assessment criterion is assessed.

If you attach an assessment that did not exist on the day you applied, a later request for information under section 56 cannot be answered with that new assessment; the request can only be satisfied by an assessment that was already issued before lodgement.

Why does the 6-digit ANZSCO code have to match?

The 494 assessment must be for the nominated occupation at the 6-digit ANZSCO level, not merely for an occupation in the same broad field or the same 4-digit unit group.

A mismatch is a common reason the criterion fails, because the assessment then shows the authority assessed a different occupation from the one the employer nominated.

There is one narrow, discretionary exception in PAM3: if the only problem is that the assessment names a different occupation within the same 4-digit ANZSCO unit group, and the same assessing authority issued it, the decision-maker may accept a confirmation letter from that authority correcting the occupation. That is a discretionary concession, not an entitlement, and it does not apply when the code is outside the unit group or when a different authority issued the assessment.

Why is a 485 skills assessment refused?

An assessment obtained for the Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa is not valid for the Subclass 494. PAM3 lists using a 485 assessment among the ways the skills assessment requirement is not met, and it appears in the common refusal grounds for this visa.

The practical reason is that the 494 needs its own suitable assessment for the nominated occupation in the employer sponsored regional context; an assessment accepted for a different visa purpose does not satisfy that requirement. If your only assessment was made for a 485 application, you need a new assessment from the relevant assessing authority that meets the 494 tests above.

What happens if the assessment is missing, expired or coded to the wrong occupation?

At the validity check stage, the decision-maker confirms a skills assessment declaration and the assessment itself. Where an assessment existed before lodgement but was not attached, PAM3 says the case officer should request it under section 56 rather than refuse immediately.

Where the assessment was expired, issued after the application date, coded to a different occupation outside the discretionary exception, or is a 485 assessment, the criterion is not met. The guidance treats these as substantive failures, not minor formatting issues, and they can lead to refusal. Because assessment rules meet individual evidence and both the regulations and PAM3 guidance are updated from time to time, this article is general information only and is not personalised professional advice; the official pages and the Migration Regulations are the reference for current requirements, and a qualified professional can advise on how they apply to your own case.

How do you check an assessment before lodging?

Find the date of issue on the assessment letter. Write down the exact application date you plan to lodge. Confirm the assessment was already issued before that date. Check whether the letter states an expiry date. If it does, confirm the expiry date is later than your lodgement date. If it does not, count three years forward from the date of issue. Compare the occupation name on the letter with the occupation on the nomination. Compare the 6-digit ANZSCO code on the letter with the code on the nomination. Make sure the two codes are identical. Confirm the assessment came from the relevant assessing authority for that occupation. If the assessment names a different occupation in the same 4-digit unit group, have the same assessing authority confirm the correct occupation in writing before you lodge.

A hypothetical example of the three tests

In a hypothetical example, assume an applicant is nominated for an occupation and holds an assessment letter that names that occupation and its 6-digit ANZSCO code.

If the letter says the assessment is valid for two years and it was issued more than two years before the planned lodgement date, the assessment has expired and fails the validity test.

If the same letter instead says nothing about expiry, the three-year outer limit is measured from the issue date; an application lodged within three years of that issue date would still be inside the window.

If the applicant lodges first and only receives an assessment after the application date, that later assessment cannot be used, because the assessment date is later than the application date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a skills assessment valid for three years from the date it was issued?

For a 494, the three-year period operates as an outer limit measured from the date of issue to the date of application. If the assessing authority printed a shorter validity period, that shorter period governs and the assessment must not be expired when you lodge.

Can I lodge my 494 application and give the skills assessment later?

No. The assessment must be issued before the application date. PAM3 treats an assessment obtained after lodgement as invalid, and a later request for information can only be met with an assessment that already existed before you applied.

Does my assessment have to show the exact 6-digit ANZSCO code?

Yes. The assessment must be for the nominated occupation at the 6-digit ANZSCO level, and the code on the letter should be identical to the code on the nomination. An assessment for a different occupation in the same 4-digit unit group is not automatically accepted, though PAM3 gives the decision-maker discretion to accept a confirmation letter from the same assessing authority.

Why is my 485 skills assessment not accepted for the 494?

A 485 assessment is not valid for the Subclass 494; PAM3 expressly lists the use of a 485 assessment as a way the skills assessment criterion is not met. You need a suitable assessment from the relevant assessing authority that is coded to the nominated occupation and issued before you lodge.

What makes an assessment “suitable” for the 494?

It must come from the relevant assessing authority for the nominated occupation, name that occupation at the 6-digit ANZSCO level, and be unexpired and issued before the application date. An assessment from a body that is not the relevant authority, or one tied to a different visa purpose such as the 485, does not meet the criterion.

What if my assessment names a different occupation in the same unit group?

PAM3 allows the decision-maker to accept a confirmation letter from the same assessing authority if the assessment was for a different occupation within the same 4-digit ANZSCO unit group and the same authority issued it. This is discretionary, so the safer course is to have the authority confirm the correct occupation before you lodge.

References

• Australian Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 494)
• Federal Register of Legislation — Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa