What is a skills assessment?
A skills assessment is a formal evaluation of your qualifications and work experience against Australian standards for your nominated occupation. It is issued by an assessing authority designated by the Department of Home Affairs for each ANZSCO occupation. A positive skills assessment is normally required before lodging visas such as the subclass 189 (Skilled Independent), 190 (Skilled Nominated), 491 (Skilled Work Regional), 482 (TSS) and 186 (ENS Direct Entry). The assessment looks at the comparability of your overseas qualification to an Australian Qualifications Framework level, the relevance of your studies to the nominated occupation, and the post-qualification work experience you can document with employer references and payroll evidence.
Which documents need translating?
Every document submitted in support of a skills assessment that is not originally in English must be accompanied by a NAATI certified English translation. For Spanish-speaking applicants, the documents most commonly requiring translation are:
- Bachelor and postgraduate degree certificates (título universitario) — both sides of the parchment.
- Full academic transcripts with subject lists, grades and credit hours (certificado de calificaciones, kardex).
- Employment reference letters covering each role claimed — including dates, position title, hours per week and detailed duties.
- Payslips, employment contracts, tax records or social security contribution histories as secondary evidence.
- Statutory declarations where an employer cannot provide a reference.
- Professional registration certificates from home country regulators (engineering boards, nursing colleges, etc.).
- Continuing professional development (CPD) records and vendor certifications.
- Identity documents — passport bio page and national ID card.
- Curriculum vitae if originally drafted in Spanish.
Which bodies accept Trans Lingo translations?
Trans Lingo translations are NAATI certified and are accepted by every Australian skills assessing authority. Each authority has its own document checklist, but all of them require non-English documents to be translated by a NAATI certified translator. The most common bodies for Spanish-speaking applicants are:
- VETASSESS — general professional, technical and trade occupations not assessed by a specialist body.
- ACS (Australian Computer Society) — ICT and computing occupations.
- Engineers Australia — all engineering disciplines, including the CDR pathway.
- AHPRA — regulated health professions including medicine, nursing and allied health.
- TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) — TSS Skills Assessment and Job Ready Program for trades.
How to order
Upload colour scans of every document in your skills assessment bundle through the Trans Lingo order form. We quote per page at $59, return your NAATI certified English translations within 24 hours of confirmed payment, and deliver them as searchable PDFs formatted to mirror the layout of each original document. Each translation carries the NAATI translator's stamp, certification statement and signature, and is ready to upload directly to your assessing authority's portal alongside the original Spanish document.