Home / Skills Assessment / Electrician
Get your overseas electrician licence recognised in Australia
You’ve got the skills. We help you get the licence. From your TRA skills assessment to your Australian electrician licence, we guide overseas-trained electricians through every step.
Sound familiar?
Most overseas electricians have no clear roadmap. We’ve built one, and we walk you through it.
You’re working as a labourer or in another role, way below your skill level.
You’ve been told you need to “redo” your trade, but no one explains what that really means.
You’re earning $30–45/hr while licensed electricians earn $55–70/hr doing the same job.
You’ve spent hours on government websites and still don’t know your first step.
What getting recognised actually means
Same skills, same job. The difference is a piece of paper, and the right pathway.
- Labourer or unlicensed work
- No clear visa pathway
- Skills not recognised
- Stuck at the bottom of the pay scale
- Licensed electrician in your state
- Eligible for skilled & sponsored visas
- Certificate III and an Australian licence
- Work independently and set your rate
The pathway to your Australian licence
Electricians are 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).
Provisional licence
With your OTSR, you apply to your state or territory regulator for a provisional or restricted licence. You can then work, and earn, under the supervision of a licensed electrician, and build up the supervised work hours (around 1,000 hours) you need to enrol in gap training.
Gap training
Training that bridges your overseas experience and Australian standards, including the AS/NZS 3000 wiring rules. It is not a full apprenticeship: it covers what is different here, not the basics you already know.
Capstone assessment
A final practical assessment run by a registered training organisation to confirm you meet Australian competency standards.
Certificate III and full licence
You receive your Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician (UEE30820) and apply for your full electrical licence. Licences are issued by each state and territory, so the exact steps depend on where you work.
For electricians, plumbers and air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics, a TRA skills assessment is compulsory for permanent migration. Timeframes vary: for licensed trades, it often takes several months.
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 arrived in Australia as a French-qualified electrician and went through this exact process: the paperwork, the dead ends, the months of uncertainty. I know every step, every document and every trap. That’s why I can help you do it faster, and right.
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 electricians?
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 need to redo my trade in Australia?
No. Electricians go through gap training rather than a full apprenticeship: a condensed course of a few days, with a final exam. It covers Australian wiring rules and local standards, not the basics you already know.
Can I work as an electrician while going through the process?
Yes, once you hold a provisional or restricted licence from your state regulator. You work under the supervision of a licensed electrician while you complete gap training.
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. Electricians need a TRA skills assessment, because it leads to a state licence. RPL is for non-licensed trades such as carpenters or welders.
Is my licence valid everywhere in Australia?
Electrical licences are issued by each state and territory. Once you hold a full licence, working in another state usually goes through mutual recognition, but check with the regulator where you plan to work.
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 Australian licence?
It takes 60 seconds. No commitment. Just clarity.