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Get your refrigeration and air-con skills recognised in Australia
Air-conditioning and refrigeration is a licensed trade in Australia. We guide overseas-trained mechanics from the TRA skills assessment to the licences you need to work.
Sound familiar?
Most overseas refrigeration mechanics have no clear roadmap. We’ve built one, and we walk you through it.
You’re working as an offsider or in another job, below your skill level.
You’ve heard you need an ARC licence and an electrical licence, but not in what order.
You’re earning far less than licensed technicians doing the same job.
Every state seems to have different rules for the electrical side of the work.
What getting recognised actually means
Same skills, same job. The difference is the right licences, in the right order.
- Helper or offsider work
- Not allowed to handle refrigerant
- Skills not recognised
- No clear visa pathway
- ARC refrigerant handling licence
- Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (UEE32225)
- Eligible for skilled & sponsored visas
- Qualified roles and better pay
The pathway to your Australian licence
Air-conditioning and refrigeration is a licensed trade. Here’s the official recognition process, step by step. How licensing works in your state →
Skills assessment with TRA
Run by a TRA-approved training organisation in three stages: documentary evidence, a technical interview and, if required, a practical assessment at an approved venue. A successful result gives you an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR).
ARC trainee licence
With your OTSR, you apply to the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) for a trainee refrigerant handling licence. A copy of your OTSR is part of the trainee requirements.
Supervised work and gap training
In most states you complete Australian context gap training and work under the supervision of a full licence holder. How long depends on your state and your situation. NSW has different supervision rules.
Electrical work permission
Disconnecting and reconnecting equipment needs a state permission, and each state handles it differently: a restricted licence or permit in most states, a Certificate III first in Queensland, and no electrical licence for OTSR holders in Victoria.
Certificate III and full licence
You obtain the Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (UEE32225) and apply for your full ARC licence. In Western Australia, the benchmark is the Certificate III in Engineering – Mechanical Trade (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning).
To handle refrigerants in Australia you need a licence from the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC). Overseas-trained mechanics start with a trainee licence, using their TRA Offshore Technical Skills Record.
If you live in Western Australia, the WA Government’s Skilled Migration Job Connect subsidy can reimburse up to $10,000 of approved costs, including your skills assessment, migrant gap training and licence fees.
To be eligible you must live in WA, have arrived in the last 10 years, hold a visa with work rights, and be unemployed, working below your skill level or need the assessment or licence to work in your trade.
Do you qualify?
Typical experience requirements. We confirm your exact situation in the free eligibility check.
| With a qualification | Without a qualification | |
|---|---|---|
| Work experience | 4 years minimum | 6 years minimum |
| Recent experience | 12 months in the trade in the last 3 years | 12 months in the trade in the last 3 years |
| Assessed by | TRA, through an approved training organisation | TRA, through an approved training organisation |
Check your eligibility in 60 seconds
Tell us about your trade and experience. We’ll tell you exactly what you qualify for. Free, no commitment.
I've been through this myself
I’m an electrician by trade and went through the same licensed-trade process: the TRA assessment, a provisional licence, gap training and all the paperwork in between. I know where applications get stuck, and how to avoid it.
How Oversix supports you
Three steps from first contact to an approved application.
Free eligibility check
Answer 6 quick questions. We tell you which pathway applies to you and what your first step is.
Strategy call
A 1:1 call to map out your options, realistic timelines and next steps, in plain English (or French).
Full application support
We prepare your skills assessment application, check every document and keep things moving with the assessor.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the skills assessment take for refrigeration mechanics?
It varies: for licensed trades, it often takes several months. TRA first reviews your documents, then the technical interview and practical assessment follow. Missing or weak documents are the main cause of delays, which is why we check everything before submission.
Do I also need an electrical licence?
To disconnect and reconnect equipment, yes, you need a state permission. The type depends on the state: a restricted licence or permit in most states, a Certificate III first in Queensland, while Victoria does not give OTSR holders an electrical licence. We confirm the rules for your state.
Can I work while I complete gap training?
Yes, with an ARC trainee licence and under the supervision of a full licence holder.
Do I need to be in Australia to start?
No. You can start your TRA application from overseas. Many of our clients begin before they arrive in Australia.
Is a skills assessment the same as RPL?
No. Refrigeration and air-conditioning is a licensed trade, so you need a TRA skills assessment. RPL is for non-licensed trades.
Real tradies. Real results.
Over 100 overseas tradies have already gone through the Oversix process. Here’s what some of them had to say.
Ready to get your licences sorted?
It takes 60 seconds. No commitment. Just clarity.