ARTC_ApplicantGuidelines

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Department of Industry

Australian Recognised Trade Certificate Applicant Guidelines


November 2013


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Australian Recognised Trade Certificate

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Document particulars

TRIM ID ED11/011108 File AustralianRecognised TradeCertificate

ApplicantGuidelines.doc

Content last updated November 2013 Documentstatus

FINAL

Due for review November 2014

Point of contact Trades Recognition Australia

Approval aut ho ri ty General Manager, Trades Recognition Australia

Date of first approvalto publish

30 August 2011

Note: This is a controlled document in its electronic form only. Paper copies of thisdocument are not controlled and should be checked against the electronic versionbefore use.

With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and where otherwise noted,all material presented in this document is provided under a Creative Commons

Attribution 3.0 Australia (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au ) licence.The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on the Creative Commonswebsite (accessible using the links provided) as is the full legal code for the CC BY3.0 AU licence (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcode ).The document must be attributed as the Aust ral ian Recognised Trade Cert if icate

Appl icant Gu idelines .

Document change history

Version Datepublished

Author s Summary of change Author ised by

1.0 30 August2011

TRA Publication Jan Febey,BranchManager TRA

1.1 28 September2011 TRA Update to refund policyadvice Jan Febey,BranchManager, TRA

1.2 24 November2011

TRA Minor amendment toformatting

Jan Febey,BranchManager, TRA

1.3 10 April 2012 TRA Update to statutorydeclaration advice

Dr MelissaMcEwen,GeneralManager, TRA
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/auhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/auhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/auhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcodehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcodehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcodehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcodehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au


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Version Datepublished

Author s Summary of change Author ised by

2.0 June 2012 TRA Update to paymentdetails and Contactinformation


2.1 October 2012 TRA Update to documentaryrequirements to proveresidency Section 1.8


2.6 December2012

TRA Update to requirementsfor making anapplication.


3.0 March 2013 TRA Update to reflect decisionto make OTSR holdersineligible, update reviewinformation and payingfees

Tracy Feeney, Acting GeneralManager, TRA

4.0 April 2013 TRA Update to change ARTCfee schedule, update toDIICCSRTE name,revised definitioninformation and updatedschedule of fees


4.1 October 2013 TRA Update trades accordingto the TradespersonsRights 2013 Regulation


5.0 November2013

TRA Change to new templateformat

Scott Neil, Acting GeneralManager, TRA


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Table of contents

Overview of Australian Recognised Trade Certificate ................. 5Section 11.1 Purpose of the Australian Recognised Trade Certificate

guidelines ..................................................................................... 51.2 Australian Recognised Trade Certificate summary ................................. 51.3 Relevant legislation ................................................................................ 61.4 Program delivery .................................................................................... 61.5 Fees payable ..................................................................................... 61.6 Paying fees ..................................................................................... 61.7 TRA roles and responsibilities ................................................................ 71.8 Applicant roles and responsibilities ........................................................ 71.9 TRA Program Officer roles and responsibilities ...................................... 7

1.10 Authorised representatives for applicants ............................................... 81.11 Privacy ..................................................................................... 81.12 False or misleading information.............................................................. 91.13 Certification of documents .................................................................... 10

Australian Recognised Trade Certificate requirementsSection 2and processes ................................................................................... 11

2.1 Overview of the Australian Recognised Trade Certificateassessment ................................................................................... 11

2.2 Purpose of the Australian Recognised Trade Certificate ...................... 112.3 Nominated occupations ........................................................................ 112.4 Eligibility for an Australian Recognised Trade Certificate ..................... 112.5 Australian Recognised Trade Certificate Criteria & Guidelines ............. 122.6 The Australian Recognised Trade Certificate assessment

process ................................................................................... 18Contact details for Trades Recognition Australia ...................... 21Section 3

Glossary ................................................................................... 22Section 4 Acronyms ................................................................................. 25Section 5


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Overview of Australian RecognisedSection 1Trade Certificate

1.1 Purpose of the Australian Recognised TradeCertificate guidelinesThese guidelines describe the Aust ral ian Recognised Trade Cert if icate (ARTC)application and assessment process and outline the requirements for applicantsseeking to apply for a skills assessment.

The primary audience for these guidelines is applicants applying for an ARTC. Termsexplained in the Glossary are bolded when they first appear in this document.

To be granted an ARTC, you will need to:

be an Australian permanent resident or citizen, hold a New Zealand Passportor hold a visa that allows you to temporarily reside and work in your trade in Australia; and

understand the other eligibility requirements for the ARTC, as set out inSection 2.4 of these Guidelines, before starting an application.

The ARTC program is administered by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). TRA isa business unit of the Department of Industry .

TRA reserves the right to amend these guidelines as needed. Information aboutchanges to the guidelines will be documented in the Document change history tableon page 2.

1.2 Australian Recognised Trade Certificate summaryThe ARTC is a trade certificate that recognises the holder as a tradesperson in aspecified electrical or metal trade or trades. It is for Aust ral ian res idents who havenot otherwise completed an Australian apprenticeship in that trade. The decision togrant an ARTC is made by Local Committees (LC) consisting of employer,employee and Australian Government representatives.

ARTC applications are assessed against the requirements of the TradespersonsRights Regulation Ac t 1946 (the Act) and the Criteria and Guidelines developed bythe Central Committees (CC), again consisting of employer, employee and

Australian Government representatives.

IMPORTANT : The ARTC is not a migration skills assessment. If you have previouslyundertaken a migration skills assessment, the outcome of that assessment does notautomatically entitle you to an ARTC.

Applying for an ARTC is not the only way that you can have your skills recognised inan electrical or metal trade - you can also apply to a Registered TrainingOrganisation (RTO). An RTO can assess your skills against industry endorsedtraining package requirements. They can then issue you a qualification (or Statementof Attainment) under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). They may alsobe able to provide you with gap training if necessary.


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You should choose which type of recognition best suits your needs, taking intoaccount:

licensing requirements your employment requirements your employers requirements (if you are currently employed) your future training, development and career expectations.

1.3 Relevant legislation ARTCs are issued under the Act. The trades in which an ARTC may be granted arespecified in the Tradespersons Rights Regulation 2013 . The applicable fees arespecified in the Tradespersons' Rights (Cost Recovery) Regulations 1993 .

1.4 Program deliveryThe ARTC program is administered by TRA, and decisions on whether an applicationmeets the requirements of the Criteria and Guidelines and the Act are made by LocalCommittees.

1.5 Fees payableTRA manages the assessment of applications for ARTCs on a cost-recovery basis.Fee adjustments are made from time to time through amendments to theTradespersons' Rights (Cost Recovery) Regulations 1993 .

The fees in Table 1, as from 30 April 2013, are payable by you as required (allamounts in these guidelines are in Australian dollars):

Table 1 Fees payable

Process Fee ($AUS) ARTC application $930 ARTC review $930Trade Test (if required) $1,000Replacement ARTC (if required) $170These fees do not attract goods and services tax (GST). 1 * For information on how to pay, refer to section 1.6 of these Guidelines. Information on refunds isavailable in the TRA Refund Policy on our website: www.industry.gov.au/tra .

1.6 Paying feesPayments for TRA services are made online by Visa or MasterCard credit/debit cardthrough the TRA Online Portal:https://extranet.deewr.gov.au/trades/Interface/Pages/Security/Logon.aspx

Instructions for paying through the portal will be provided to you when you arerequired to make a payment. Online payments are processed securely using theGovernment EasyPay service operated by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

1 As provided for in Schedule 1, Part 1, Item 4.7 in A New Tax System (Goods and ServicesTax) (Exempt Taxes, Fees and Charges) Determination 2011 (No. 1).
http://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttps://extranet.deewr.gov.au/trades/Interface/Pages/Security/Logon.aspxhttps://extranet.deewr.gov.au/trades/Interface/Pages/Security/Logon.aspxhttps://extranet.deewr.gov.au/trades/Interface/Pages/Security/Logon.aspxhttp://www.industry.gov.au/tra


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If your application is received without a valid payment, it will be returned without beingassessed.

1.7 TRA roles and responsibilities

The roles and responsibilities of TRA in relation to the assessment of ARTCapplications include:

administration of the ARTC program assessing applications and making recommendations to the LCs advising applicants of the outcome of LC considerations providing secretariat support to committees responding to enquiries about the ARTC process conducting reviews when requested responding to stakeholder feedback.

1.8 Applicant roles and responsibilitiesIf you submit an application for an ARTC, you are responsible for:

ensuring your application is complete and decision r eady accurately and honestly completing the application checklist, the application

form and declaration forms providing certified evidence that you currently reside in Australia providing certified evidence of a visa which allows you to work in Australia providing sufficient certified evidence to support the claims of training and

employment detailed in your application co-operating with requests for further action on your part, such as participating

in a technical int erview or trade test where required by an LC. If you choosenot to participate in these components of the assessment, your application willbe assessed solely on the basis of your original documentation

paying the required fee/s as stipulated at Section 1.5 of these guidelines.

1.9 TRA Program Officer roles and responsibilitiesTRA staff are trained to undertake assessments. TRA Program Officers areresponsible for assessing applications and this includes:

a) verifying evidence of training and qualifications

b) verifying evidence to support employment details

c) providing recommendations to the LC about applications and whether the

evidence meets the requirements of the Criteria and Guidelines and these

applicant guidelines

d) performing or facilitating technical interviews and reporting on interview

outcomes


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e) arranging for the provision of trade tests through contracted RTOs

f) adhering to the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct.

1.10 Authorised representatives for applicantsYou may nominate an agent or representative to act on your behalf during theapplication process. If you do engage an agent or representative to assist you, youwill need to either:

fill out the Information about your Agent or Representative section in Part 3 ofthe ARTC application form; or

provide TRA with a signed Nomination of an Agent or Representative form.

This will allow TRA to provide information about your application to your nominatedagent or representative.

You will need to submit a Nomination of an Agent or Representative form to TRAeach time you change agent or representative. The information you provide on theform will replace any previous agent or representative details held by TRA.

The form is available from the Contact Trades Recognition Australia link on the TRAwebsite at www.industry.gov.au/tra .

1.11 Privacy All personal information collected by TRA is protected by the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act). Section 14 of the Privacy Act contains the Information Privacy

Principles (IPPs) which prescribe the rules for handling personal information.The Privacy Act defines personal information as information or an opinion (includinginformation or an opinion forming part of a database), whether true or not, andwhether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity isapparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion.

More information about the Privacy Act, including a copy of the full text of the IPPs,can be obtained from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioners websiteat: www.oaic.gov.au .

TRA collects personal information from applicants for the purposes of:

processing applications, verifying evidence provided with applications, andassessing whether applicants have suitable skills in a nominatedoccupation/s

conducting investigations and ensuring compliance with relevant laws,awards or standards

ensuring compliance with the Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines(2002) .

TRA may give some or all of the information it collects to Department of Immigrationand Border Protection (DIBP), the Australian Federal Police, your employer/s, yoursupervisor/s, your nominated agent or representative, the organisations that issuedyour qualifications, TRA approved RTOs, agencies providing advice to TRA onoverseas qualifications, organisations or individuals providing in-country verification
http://www.apsc.gov.au/conduct/http://www.innovation.gov.au/skills/SkillsAssessment/TradesRecognitionAustralia/Pages/ContactUs.aspxhttp://www.innovation.gov.au/skills/SkillsAssessment/TradesRecognitionAustralia/Pages/ContactUs.aspxhttp://www.innovation.gov.au/skills/SkillsAssessment/TradesRecognitionAustralia/Pages/ContactUs.aspxhttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.oaic.gov.au/http://www.oaic.gov.au/http://www.oaic.gov.au/http://www.oaic.gov.au/http://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.innovation.gov.au/skills/SkillsAssessment/TradesRecognitionAustralia/Pages/ContactUs.aspxhttp://www.apsc.gov.au/conduct/


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services, the Fair Work Ombudsman and other Australian and state/territorygovernment agencies for the above purposes.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and validity of all informationprovided to TRA.

When you provide personal information in relation to the Department of Industrysservices, we will allow you access to your personal information and we will correctyour personal information if it is inaccurate (subject to restrictions on suchaccess/alteration of records under the applicable provisions of any law of theCommonwealth).

The information collected by TRA will not be used for any other purpose or disclosedto any other person or organisation unless such a use and disclosure is authorisedunder the Privacy Act 1988.

Complaints about breaches of privacy should be referred to:

Privacy Contact OfficerLegal BranchCorporate DivisionDepartment of IndustryGPO Box 9839CANBERRA ACT 2601

AUSTRALIA

Privacy complaints can also be made directly to the Office of the AustralianInformation Commissioner.

1.12 False or misleading informationTRA will take reasonable steps to verify the validity of the information you supply inyour ARTC application.

You are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and validity of all information providedto TRA.

If TRA determines at a later date that information previously supplied is false,misleading, non-factual or simply incorrect, and that in relying on that information TRAhas incorrectly assessed you as successful, TRA may recommend to an LC that the

ARTC be rescinded.

TRA may refer such matters to the appropriate authorities for investigation whereinformation provided to support an application is known or believed to be false.

NOTE: Penalties under the Crimes Act 1914 and the Criminal Code Act 1995 mayapply for making false or misleading statements and providing false or misleadinginformation or documents.


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1.13 Certification of documentsTRA must be able to verify, to its satisfaction, the content and validity of alldocuments that you provide.

Original documents must not be sent to TRA. All documents in support of yourapplication must be certified copies of original documents.

TRA will only accept documents certified by an Australian registered migration agentor people who are listed in Schedule 2 of the Statutory Declarations Regulations1993 , which is available through the Australian Attorney-Generals Department website:http://www.ag.gov.au/Publications/Pages/Statutorydeclarationsignatorylist.aspx

A certified copy is a true copy of an original document that has been seen andcertified by a migration agent or persons listed on the Australian Attorney-GeneralsDepartment website.

Documents must be annotated as follows:

I certify that I have sighted the original document and this is a true copy of it.

This certification must be made on a copy of the original documentation and includethe certifiers name, title and registration number (where applicable), their originalsignature and the date. Copies of signatures will not be acceptable.

If a document has multiple pages, the first page must include the signature and dateof the certifier, as well as the total number of pages of the document. Every page inthe document must have the original initial of the certifier and the date.
http://www.ag.gov.au/Publications/Pages/Statutorydeclarationsignatorylist.aspxhttp://www.ag.gov.au/Publications/Pages/Statutorydeclarationsignatorylist.aspxhttp://www.ag.gov.au/Publications/Pages/Statutorydeclarationsignatorylist.aspxhttp://www.ag.gov.au/Publications/Pages/Statutorydeclarationsignatorylist.aspxhttp://www.ag.gov.au/Publications/Pages/Statutorydeclarationsignatorylist.aspxhttp://www.ag.gov.au/Publications/Pages/Statutorydeclarationsignatorylist.aspxhttp://www.ag.gov.au/Publications/Pages/Statutorydeclarationsignatorylist.aspx


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Australian Recognised TradeSection 2Certificate requirements and processes

2.1 Overview of the Australian Recognised TradeCertificate assessmentTRA assesses applications from Australian residents who have gained electrical andmetal trade skills outside of an Australian apprenticeship. It provides secretariatsupport and makes recommendations to LCs.

Criteria and Guidelines specify the trade-based eligibility requirements an applicant needs to meet to be granted an ARTC.

2.2 Purpose of the Australian Recognised TradeCertificateThe purpose of an ARTC is to recognise the holder as a tradesperson in a specifiedelectrical or metal trade or trades.

2.3 Nominated occupationsYour nominated occupation or occupations for your ARTC application must be in thebelow list of trades:

Aircraft maintenance engineer(avionics)

Aircraft maintenance engineer(mechanical) Aircraft maintenance engineer

(structures) Boilermaker Boilermaker/Welder Diesel fitter Electrical fitter

Electrical fitter (instruments) Electrical mechanic Fitter Motor Mechanic* Refrigeration mechanic

(electrical) Refrigeration mechanic

(engineering) Welder (first class)

*Includes heavy and light vehicles

2.4 Eligibility for an Australian Recognised TradeCertificateTo be granted an ARTC, you must be able to demonstrate that you:

are an Australian permanent resident or citizen, hold a New Zealand Passport,or hold a visa that allows you to temporarily reside and work in your trade in

Australia reside in Australia have sufficient English language skills to perform the work of the trade safely

in Australia have sufficient training and experience to meet the requirements of the

Criteria and Guidelines and the Act


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have completed the requirements of the Offshore Technical Skills Record(OTSR) if one has been issued to you

have undertaken all steps in the assessment process including, whereapplicable, a technical interview, trade test or other action requested by a LC

are currently capable of performing the work of your trade in Australia.

2.5 Australian Recognised Trade Certificate Criteria &GuidelinesYou must have qualifications and/or experience that meet the relevant criteria orguideline for your country of training, as specified in the Criteria and Guidelines. TheCriteria and Guidelines are available on the TRA website at www.industry.gov.au/tra .

You must adhere to the following process to apply for an ARTC:

2.5.1 Complete application formTo apply for an ARTC, you must complete all sections of the ARTC Application Formmarked with a . The form can be completed electronically, printed and sent to TRA.Please ensure you only use a form that you have downloaded directly from ourwebsite (www.industry.gov.au/tra ) at the time of making your application.

If you use a form other than the ARTC application form currently available on the TRAwebsite, your application will be returned to you as invalid.

The benefits of filling in your form electronically are:

it will give you advice about which fields must be filled in to help TRA processyour application quickly after completing the form you can check to make sure you have answered all

the necessary questions you can pay the application fee by credit card.

If you are unable to complete the form electronically, you can print out the currentform and complete it by hand. You must write clearly so that your application can beeasily read.

The application must be decision ready.

Decision ready means that your application has:

all the fields of the application checklist checked all the mandatory fields in the form completed all the evidence required by the Local Committee included; TRA will only

consider evidence from a previous ARTC application where that applicationwas registered no more than 12 months prior to the current application

been signed and dated by you.

You must also attach your payment, or evidence of payment, of the required

application fee to your application.
http://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/tra


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It is entirely your responsibility to ensure that your application is accurate andcomplete before it is submitted to TRA. TRA will not contact you for additionalinformation to further substantiate your claims.

If you engage an agent or representative to help you to complete the ARTCapplication, you will be required to provide his or her details in Part 3 of the form ornotify TRA in writing by completing the Nomination of an Agent or Representative form available on the TRA website.

2.5.2 Pay application fee

The ARTC application fee is $930. If a LC requires further assessment and requeststhat you undertake a trade test, an additional $1,000 trade test fee will apply.

If you choose not to comply with further assessment requests from the LC, the LC willfinalise your application based solely on the evidence provided by you in your originalapplication.

When completing the form electronically, you can pay your application fee by creditcard using the TRA Online Portal. If you do this:

A payment summary containing a customer reference number and receiptnumber will be generated

You must print the payment summary and attach it to the application form.

Do not send your credit card details to TRA. Credit card payments can only be madeusing the TRA Online Portal.

2.5.3 Provide supporting documents

You must ensure that TRA receives all of the required supporting documents withyour application.

IMPORTANT : The evidentiary requirements of the ARTC program are different to therequirements of skilled migration assessments. Applicants should not rely onevidence previously provided to TRA for a migration skills assessment.

You are required to provide the following supporting documents for an ARTCapplication:

a current application form which has been completed, signed, and dated certified copies of your proof of identity, such as an:

i) Australian birth certificate

ii) Australian passport biographical identification page

iii) overseas passport biographical identification page

iv) overseas birth certificate

v) Australian Citizenship Certificate certified copies of your evidence of Australian residency, such as:

i) a statutory declaration including your Australian residential address,signed by a Justice of the Peace, confirming that you are currentlyresiding in Australia


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ii) a certified copy of your current passport with a Australian entry visastamp/label (that clearly shows your date of arrival in Australia) orwhere your visa stamp is electronic, a certified hard copy of thatelectronic visa stamp

iii) a copy of your current Australian drivers licence

iv) a copy of a bank statement with your current Australian addressv) a copy of correspondence from the Australian Taxation Office with your

current Australian address or

vi) a copy of a current tenancy agreement certified copies of evidence of working rights in Australia, such as:

i) a visa page, with the visa giving you the right to work in Australia

ii) documentation issued by the DIBP in lieu of a passport which includesa valid permanent residency visa

certified copies ofi) your qualifications and/or apprenticeship documents relevant to your

nominated occupation/s

ii) a full academic t ranscript of any results, including the dates youstarted and finished studying

iii) any training, skills recognition, apprenticeship or traineeshipdocuments, such as certificates or diplomas detailing the courseduration, date of completion, subjects covered, nature and content ofthe training and the machines, tools and equipment on which you weretrained

iv) if you have been issued with an Offshore Technical Skills Record, acopy of your Certificate III qualification as proof that you havecompleted the Australian context training and trade experiencerequirements

v) evidence of any industrial or occupational licensing or registration, ifrequired for your trade in your country of training or subsequent workexperience

vi) detailed evidence of relevant employment, such as statements fromyour employer detailing your occupation, exact employment periodsand a full description of the nature and content of your work along withthe machines, tools and equipment you used. Additional information on

employer statements can be found at Section 2.5.7 of these guidelinesvii) where past training providers and/or employers no longer exist or you

are unable to approach your current employer for a statement ofservice, you may submit a personal statement on a properly signedand witnessed Statutory Declaration detailing:

the reason/s you are submitting a Statutory Declaration; and

the exact details of your training and/or employment (asdetailed in sections iii to vi) above.

the payment summary confirming payment of your ARTC application fee.


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2.5.4 Certify documents

Do not send original documents to TRA. TRA will not return original documents.

You must have all documents certified by a certifying officer who meets therequirements set out in Section 1.13 of these guidelines.

2.5.5 Translate documents

Documents submitted as evidence must be in their original language accompanied byan English translation if the originals are not in English.

A. Translating documents in AustraliaIf you are having documents translated in Australia, acceptable translations may beobtained from translators accredited with the National Accreditation Authority forTranslators and Interpreters (NAATI). Details of these translators can be found in theYellow Pages or the telephone directory under Translations or on NAATIs website atwww.naati.com.au .

Make sure you check the translators accreditation by either calling NAATI on 1300557 470 or asking to see the translators letter or certificate of accreditation as atranslator in the language and checking the translators identification card fromNAATI. Translations done by NAATI accredited translators must include thetranslators name, NAATI identification number and accreditation status.

B. Translating documents outs ide AustraliaIf you are having documents translated outside Australia, the translator must beapproved by the authorities in the country where the translation is made. Ask yournearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate for advice if you areunsure.

Overseas translations must be done on the organisations letterhead and include anofficial stamp and the translators name (all in block letters), signature and contacttelephone number legibly printed below the signature.

This information is required so that TRA can contact the translator if necessary toverify the translated documents.

2.5.6 Provide evidence of training and/or overseas

apprenticeshipThe following documents must be provided as evidence of a qualification:

a certified copy of the qualification a certified copy of the academic transcript for the qualification.

The following documents must be provided as evidence of an apprenticeship:

a certified copy of the apprenticeship qualification or certificate evidence of employment during the apprenticeship, such as a contract of

apprenticeship.Evidence of training/apprenticeship must provide sufficient information regarding thetasks/training undertaken so that LCs can see the training/apprenticeship is:
http://www.naati.com.au/http://www.naati.com.au/http://www.naati.com.au/


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relevant to the nominated trade/s at trade level covers the broad range of duties a tradesperson in that trade would

undertake.

2.5.7 Provide evidence of employmentEmployment experience is a requirement under most Criteria and Guidelines. Thisevidence will also assist the LC to determine whether you are currently capable ofperforming the work of your trade in Australia. Where the Criteria or Guidelinesprovides a period of required employment, the period is based on full-timeemployment (equivalent of 38 hours per week).

A. EmploymentYou must provide certified employment statements for every period of employmentyou wish the LC to consider. Every employment statement must be signed by a

person authorised to make the statement. This person may have been your employeror a direct supervisor. You will need to provide evidence of their employment ormanagement role with the same organisation. This could include documents providedto you by your supervisor during your period of employment for another purpose,such as a reference.

Every employment statement provided to TRA must be unique and must include:

the name of the business the nature of the business (for example, construction company, hotel) a detailed description/overview of business and the services/products

provided by the business the address of business where you worked when you worked there, that is start date and end date of your employment the nature of your employment (full-time, part-time) your normal hours of work your job title (occupation) a detailed description of the day-to-day tasks you undertook a detailed description of the machines, tools and/or equipment you used the name, position, telephone and email contact details of the person

authorised to make the statement the length of time that the person signing the statement has been supervising

you must also be clearly indicated All employment statements must be on letterhead used by the employers

business. If you are unable to provide employment statements on letterheadyou must provide us with an explanation of why this is not possible in the formof a statutory declaration

All employment statements must be certified.

The statement should clearly describe the day to day or regular tasks that youperform in your trade. The duties need to be described in sufficient detail to enable a


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direct comparison to the tasks and duties expected of an Australian trainedtradesperson working at trade level in your nominated occupation.

TRA may contact an employer to verify information provided in an employmentstatement. TRA requires a contact telephone number for every person who suppliesan employment statement for you. A mobile telephone number will not be sufficient asa primary contact number unless TRA can verify independently that the number islinked to the organisation where you were employed.

B. Self-employmentTRA may consider self-employed work in your nominated occupation.

If you are or have been self-employed, you must provide evidence of trade, trade-related or occupation-specific self-employment.

Your application must include a personal statement on a properly signed statutorydeclaration, affidavit, sworn statement or similar legal declaration (with your signaturewitnessed by a legal authority in your country).

Your personal statement must provide the following details:

the exact commencement and completion dates of each period of self-employment

the occupation in which you were self-employed the nature and content of the work tasks you personally performed the number of staff you employed and their occupations, where relevant a description of your workshop and the tools and equipment used a list of three clients, with contact details, for each year of self-employment

you are claiming.

TRA will also require you to provide the following evidence of your self-employment:

a certified copy of your business registration certificate valid for each period ofself-employment you claim

a certified statement on letterhead paper from your accountant or legalrepresentative certifying the name and nature of your business, the exact startand end dates of your self-employment and the capacity in which you were

self-employed at least three statements from suppliers (all certified), confirming the purchase

of materials and equipment relevant to the work you were performing throughyour self-employment for a range of different self-employment trading periodsyou are claiming

certified copies of at least three quotations/invoices or contracts for clients withdetails of the work completed, the client details and job location for workundertaken during the period of self-employment claimed. You must ensurethat these documents reflect the range of work that you have undertaken inyour nominated occupation over the course of the self-employment periodclaimed

certified copies of references from three clients confirming full details of thework you did for them and the dates the work was undertaken. These


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references must be from different clients to those mentioned above, but theseclients must be included above

evidence of any trade licensing or registration and the prerequisites to obtainthe licence or registration, where relevant

any other documentation that provides support for the existence and purposeof the business. This may include information such as certified copies ofadvertising or promotional material (including internet advertising).

2.6 The Australian Recognised Trade Certificateassessment process

Assessment of an Australian Recognised Trade Certificate application will involve thefollowing:

receiving and acknowledging receipt of your application determining whether your application meets the eligibility requirements for an

ARTC as specified in these applicant guidelines, Criteria and Guidelines andthe Act

verification of supporting documents submission of your training and employment evidence to a LC for its decision undertaking any follow-up action required by the LC, if necessary resubmitting your application to the LC, if necessary finalising the assessment

notifying you of the outcome of the assessment.You will receive an unsuccessful outcome if the supporting evidence you provide:

is not relevant to your nominated occupation does not meet, or contains insufficient detail for the LC to be satisfied you

meet the eligibility requirements of these applicant guidelines, Act and Criteriaand Guidelines

cannot be verified as being a true and accurate record of your qualificationsand employment

is found to contain false or misleading information or you are unable todemonstrate that you are currently capable of performing the work of yournominated occupations/s in Australia.

2.6.1 Registration of your ARTC application

Once your ARTC application has been accepted, you or your nominated agent willreceive a letter or email confirming we have received your application.

TRAs correspondence will include a TRA reference number, which you will need touse should you contact TRA at any stage during or after the assessment process.


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2.6.2 Allocation of your ARTC application to a TRA ProgramOfficer

Applications are assessed in order of receipt by a TRA Program Officer. To ensureprocedural fairness, TRA will not fast-track ARTC applications.

The Program Officer will form an opinion on whether your application meets therequirements of these applicant guidelines, Criteria and Guidelines and the Act andwhether you would be currently capable of performing the work of the trade sought in

Australia.

The Program Officer will then prepare a submission to the relevant LC in your state.The submission will include a copy of your application and supporting documentation.

2.6.3 Consideration of your ARTC application by LocalCommittee

LCs generally meet monthly to consider applications from each Australian state.

The LC will consider each application submitted to them and make a decision to:

grant an ARTC in a particular trade or trades not grant an ARTC in a particular trade or trades, or defer the assessment of an application by requesting further supporting

evidence relating to a particular trades or trades.

The application will then be processed in accordance with the LCs decisions.

2.6.4 Deferral of a decision by a Local Committee for furthersupporting evidence

A Local Committee (LC) may require additional supporting evidence before making afinal decision. This may include a technical interview or a trade test.

Where the LC has deferred the assessment of your application by requesting furthersupporting evidence, you will be sent a letter or email advising what action is requiredand the timeframe in which this action must occur.

Should a technical interview be required, it will be conducted by a technical

interviewer over the telephone. The technical interviewer will ask technicalquestions relating to your nominated occupations/s or in a trade deemed byan LC to be appropriate. The technical interviewer will form an opinion aboutyour ability to undertake the work of that trade in Australia and submit adviceto the LC.

Should a trade test be required, it will be conducted by an RTO involved in thetraining and assessment of Australian tradespeople. A trade test fee appliesand is payable by you within 14 days. Once you have paid the fee you will besent a trade test arrangement letter, you will then have 30 days in which toundertake the trade test. Trade tests occur over one day and involve practicaland theoretical tasks, with a view to the RTO forming an opinion about your

ability to undertake the work of that trade in Australia. Applicants may have totravel interstate to undertake a trade test.


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Once the further evidential assessments have been completed your application willbe resubmitted to the LC for its consideration and decision.

2.6.5 Assessment outcome

Your ARTC application is finalised once a LC has made a decision to either grant ornot grant you an ARTC. You will be advised of the assessment outcome in a letterfrom TRA when the assessment is finalised. If you are successful, you will also besent your ARTC.

2.6.6 Review of assessment outcome

If you do not agree with an assessment outcome, you can lodge an application for an ARTC Assessment review. A fee of $930 applies.

A review w il l only consider t he evidence suppl ied by you in your or ig inalapplication. If you intend to submit new documents, you must lodge a new

application. If the decision of the LC is overturned based on the original applicationalone, the review fee will be refunded.

Further information can be found in the TRA Assessment Review Policy on ourwebsite: www.industry.gov.au/tra .

2.6.7 Replacement ARTCs

Applicants who apply for a replacement ARTC must complete the ARTCReplacement application form and statutory declaration available on the TRA website:www.industry.gov.au/tra . Where an applicant does not complete either the form orstatutory declaration, TRA will return that documentation to the applicant.

Where TRA receives a replacement application where that applicant did notpreviously receive an ARTC, the ARTC replacement fee will not be refunded.
http://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/tra


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Contact details for TradesSection 3Recogni tion Australia

To enquire about the ARTC, contact Trades Recognition Australia via:

Phone

Monday to Friday: 10.00 am 12.00 pm and 1.00 pm 4.00 pm

Australian Eastern Standard Time (GMT +10 hours), excluding public holidays

Outside Australia: +61 2 6102 8970

Within Australia: 1300 360 992

Email

[email protected]

Fax

+61 2 6290 8780

Web

www.industry.gov.au/tra

Post

Trades Recognition AustraliaDepartment of IndustryGPO Box 3022CANBERRA ACT 2601

AUSTRALIA
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/tramailto:[email protected]


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GlossarySection 4

Term used in guidelines Definition

academic transcript A record of all learning leading to an AustralianQualification Framework qualification issued by anauthorised organisation such as a registered trainingorganisation.In Australia, this may be called a transcript of results,record of results, record of achievement orstatement of results.

Act The Tradespersons Rights Regulation Act 1946.

applicant A person applying for an ARTC.

Assessment Process of collecting evidence and making judgements on the nature and extent of an applicantsskills and knowledge against those expected of an

Australian apprenticeship-trained tradesperson in linewith the Criteria and Guidelines document.

Australian RecognisedTrade Certificate

A trade certificate granted by a LC in accordance withthe Act that recognises the holder as havingcomparable skills to an Australian trainedtradesperson.

Australian residents For ARTC purposes, Australian residents are peoplelawfully residing in Australia (either temporarily orpermanently) with a right to work.

award wage An award is an enforceable document containingminimum terms and conditions of employment, inaddition to any legislated minimum terms. In general,an award applies to employees in a particular industryor occupation.The award wage for a specific occupation can befound at the Fair Work Australia websitewww.fwa.gov.au/index.cfm?pagename=awardsmoder nlist

Central Committee or

Central Trades Committee

Committee established under the Act, made up of

employer, employee and Australian Governmentrepresentatives who, amongst other things, determinethe requirements an applicant needs to meet to begranted an ARTC.

Criteria and Guidelines Criteria and Guidelines established by the CentralTrades Committee for assessing applicants trained inspecified countries. The Criteria and Guidelines areavailable at www.industry.gov.au/tra

currently capable An applicant can demonstrate that they have workedin the particular trade within the last five years.
http://www.fwa.gov.au/index.cfm?pagename=awardsmodernlisthttp://www.fwa.gov.au/index.cfm?pagename=awardsmodernlisthttp://www.fwa.gov.au/index.cfm?pagename=awardsmodernlisthttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.industry.gov.au/trahttp://www.fwa.gov.au/index.cfm?pagename=awardsmodernlisthttp://www.fwa.gov.au/index.cfm?pagename=awardsmodernlist


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decision ready An application that is on the correct form, is signedand dated, has the correct fee and represents anapplicants most comprehensive and strongest casefor a successful assessment outcome. TRA does notcontact applicants for additional information.

Department of Immigrationand Border Protection(DIBP) formerly known asthe Department ofImmigration and Citizenshipor DIAC

DIBPs key objectives are to:manage the lawful and orderly entry and stay ofpeople in Australia, including through effective bordersecuritypromote a society which values Australian citizenship,appreciates cultural diversity and enables migrants toparticipate equitablyDIBP has responsibility for administering theMigration Act 1958 and associated regulations.

DIBP works in conjunction with the Department ofIndustry to delivery skilled trades/technical people andprofessionals to Australia through the skilled migrationprogram.

Department of Industry The Australian Government department with portfolioresponsibility for industry.TRA is a branch within the Department of Industry.

Employment Full-time, part-time or casual employment from whichincome is earned and in which there exists anemployeremployee relationship. For moreinformation visit Fair Work Australia atwww.fwa.gov.au.

Local Committees or LocalTrades Committees

Committees established under the Act, comprisingemployer, employee and Australian Governmentrepresentatives who decide whether to grant anapplicant an ARTC.

migration agent In Australia, people who want to provide immigrationassistance must be registered with the Office of theMigration Agents Registration Authority. Seewww.mara.gov.au .

A registered migration agent can use their knowledge

of Australias migration procedures to offer advice orassistance to a person wishing to obtain a visa toenter or remain in Australia. They can also assistpeople who are nominating or sponsoring prospectivevisa applicants.

new application An ARTC application where an applicant submits: an ARTC application for the first time or a subsequent application where an applicant

has previously had an unsuccessful outcomeand submits any new documents.

nominated occupation/s The occupation/s selected by an applicant on his orher ARTC form. To be accepted by TRA, this must bea trade assessed by TRA under the Act.
http://www.mara.gov.au/http://www.mara.gov.au/http://www.mara.gov.au/


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Offshore Technical SkillsRecord

The document that is issued when an applicant hasbeen found competent in all aspects of the relevantassessment standard for their nominated occupationexcept for the Australian specific knowledge and skillsthat can only be acquired through training and workexperience in Australia.

Qualification A qualification awarded as a result of study andrelevant to an occupation assessed by TRA.

registered trainingorganisation (RTO)

An organisation registered by a state or territorytraining authority to deliver training and/or conductassessments and issue nationally recognisedqualifications in accordance with the VET QualityFramework.

review A request to re-examine a Local Committee decisionbased only on the original application anddocumentation where the applicant does not agreewith the assessment outcome.

supporting evidence Evidence supplied to support the claims made by anapplicant in his or her form.

technical interview An interview where an applicant is asked technicalquestions about a trade over the telephone by atechnical interviewer.

trade test A test comprising practical and theoretical trade tasks

conducted through a registered training organisation.TRA Program Officer An appropriately qualified person within TRA who

processes ARTC applications.

Trades Recognition Australia

A branch within the Department of Industry thatmanages skills assessments for people with tradeskills applying for an ARTC and for people who requirea skills assessment for migration.

Verification/verifying The quality assurance process directed at establishingthe accuracy and reliability of documentation andclaims made in applications and not to supplement or

gather further information that is missing from anapplication.

visa A document that gives someone permission to travelinto a specific country and stay there for a set period.


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AcronymsSection 5

Acronym Meaning

ARTC Australian Recognised Trade Certificate

CC Central Committee or Central Trades Committee

DIBP Department of Immigration and Border Protection

GST goods and services tax

IPPs Information Privacy Principles

LC Local Committee or Local Trades Committee

NAATI National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters

RTO registered training organisation

TRA Trades Recognition Australia

VET vocational education and training
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/1220.02006?OpenDocumenthttp://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/DetailsPage/1220.02006?OpenDocument

ARTC_ApplicantGuidelines

Documents

Transcript of ARTC_ApplicantGuidelines