International students studying in Australia

International students studying in Australia

International students studying an AASW accredited social work course in Australia

On behalf of the Australian Government, as a nominated assessing authority, we assess academic social work qualifications by assessing your qualification for migration purposes.

This application form can be used by international students studying an AASW accredited social work course in Australia who would like to apply for a skills assessment for migration / visa application purposes.

The MEA Team is looking forward to assisting applicants and will be available to guide you through the new online process if you’re planning to migrate to Australia and need recognition as a qualified social worker for migration and/or employment purposes.

How will it all work?

The AASW website through a MyAASW account will be where you will link into the online process

To assist you with lodging your application online, a series of Guides for specific types of applications have been developed. The Guide for your specific application will help you with your application.

Criteria

There are three Criteria which must be met for a positive assessment for migration purposes: 

Criterion 1: Proof of identity and evidence to verify this. 

Criterion 2: Proficiency in EL to meet the AASW EL Policy requirements and evidence to verify this. 

Criterion 3: Successful completion of an AASW accredited social work qualification in Australia and evidence to verify this. 

To be eligible to lodge a skilled employment assessment, you need a positive assessment of your social work qualification.

A skilled employment asssessment is an optional additional assessment for those with at least one year of post qualifying social work experience in Australia or at least three years of post-qualifying social work experience oversea.

Applicants with doctorate degree level qualifications may also apply for an optional additional assessment.

Complete your application

Please complete the online application below.

You will receive email notification acknowledging the receipt of your application.

Online Application
Processing times

Please allow four (4) weeks for your application to be processed.

Fees
Description FY 2025 – 2026 Fees
(Pricing effective from 1st July 2025)
1.1) Assessment fee if correspondence address is outside Australia AU $ 429.09
1.2) Assessment fee if correspondence address is within Australia AU $ 472.00 (includes GST)
1.3) Assessment fee for AASW student members if correspondence address is outside Australia AU $ 321.82
1.4) Assessment fee for AASW student members if correspondence address is within Australia AU $ 354.00 (includes GST)
1.5) (Optional) Skilled employment assessment for 1-3 positions if correspondence address is outside Australia AU $ 412.73
1.6) (Optional) Skilled employment assessment for 1-3 positions if correspondence address is within Australia AU $ 454.00 (includes GST)
1.7) (Optional) Skilled Employment fee per additional (4+) employment position if correspondence address is outside Australia AU $ 176.36
1.8) (Optional) Skilled Employment fee per additional (4+) employment position if correspondence address is within Australia AU $ 194.00 (includes GST)
FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions