What We Do
Frequently Asked Questions
| Questions |
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Is there a difference between an AASW membership eligibility assessment and a skills assessment for migration purposes?
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I have a qualification in one of the following; Social Care, Applied Social Studies, Sociology or Psychology, and I do a lot of the same work as a Social Worker? Can I be assessed by the AASW and would I receive a positive assessment?
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| Answers |
Is social work a registered profession in Australia?
Social Work is not yet a registered profession in Australia. However, many employers of social workers require evidence of eligibility for membership to the AASW as a basic selection criterion for certain positions. To determine if an individual is eligible for AASW membership, if they have attained their social work qualifications overseas, they must apply for an qualification assessment to determine AASW membership eligibility. This is a seperate assessment and there is a separate application form, to a migration skills assessment.
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Is there a difference between an AASW membership eligibility assessment and a skills assessment for migration purposes?
Yes, there are separate application forms.
If you have already had your skills assessment for migration/visa application purposes. Please click here for the relevant application form to determine if you are eligible for AASW membership.
Membership eligibility of the AASW is required for those to join the AASW as a member or require evidence that they are eligible to join the AASW. Many employers require evidence of eligibility for membership of the AASW as a basic selection criteria when recruiting social workers. The assessment to determine membership eligibility should not be used to migration/visa application purposes.
A migration skills assessment should be used for visa application purposes only. An assessment outcome notice for migration skills assessment purposes does not offer membership eligibility and does not constitute membership of the AASW.
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I'm not sure which application form I should use?
The relevant application form is dependent upon where you studied and for what purpose you require the assessment.
If you studied overseas (outside Australia) are you require an assessment for visa application purposes you should use: the Application for assessment of international social work qualifications for migration skills assessment purposes.
If you have studied social work in Australia, at an AASW accredited higher education provider, and require a migration skills assessment, please use: Application for migration skills assessment of AASW accredited social work qualifications.
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How much does the assessment cost?
Please click here for access to our fee schedule
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I’m on a working holiday visa and therefore have the legal right to work in Australia, which form should I use?
You would need to complete the Application for assessment of international social work qualifications to determine AASW membership eligibility.
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I had an assessment with the AASW over two years ago and my skills assessment for migration purposes has expired. What should I do?
1. Send a request for renewal aaswiqa@aasw.asn.au, including your current postal address to which the renewal letter should be sent to. Please also quote your original assessment reference number and the date of your assessment
2. Pay the renewal fee of $75 Australian Dollars (if applying from within Australia, you are required to pay GST and therefore the fee is $82.50). This can be paid by bank cheque or by completing a credit card authority form
3. Contact the IQA team for further details.
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I am registered with the required authority in my country of training or employment, am I automatically eligible for membership of the AASW?
This question and response is relevant to those with the following membership or registration:
- Health and Care Professions Council (previously known as the GSCC) in England
- Health and Care Professions Council, CORU, Social Workers Registration Board in the Republic of Ireland
- Northern Ireland Social Care Council in Northern Ireland
- Scottish Social Services Council in Scotland
- Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers and or the Social Workers Registration Board in New Zealand
- South African Council for Social Services Professions in South Africa
- Or relevant councils/governments/authorities in the relevant areas or states of the United States of America
- Other countries where associations or councils exist, and are compulsory for Social Workers to be a member of, to practice Social Work.
Registration in one of the above listed organisations/countries, does not automatically compare to Australian requirements. The AASW would need to conduct an individual assessment to determine if an applicant is eligible for AASW membership and or for a migration skills assessment.
Eligibility for membership of the AASW is an automatic entitlement for those who complete the AASW accredited Bachelor of Social Work or Masters of Social Work Qualifying in Australia.
International social work qualifications are assessed against the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards. The AASW can assess the content of combinations of qualifications such as an undergraduate and a postgraduate qualification in social work.
Where there is a shortfall in units of study, length of study and or field work placement experience the AASW can take into account post qualifying social work experience, in some instances.
Please review the relevant AASW's guide to the assessment criteria (depending on the purpose of your application for assessment) for further information regarding the assessment process. This document will assist you in understanding the criteria and should provide you with a good indication of the likelihood of your qualifications being assessed as suitable.
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I trained a number of years ago and completed a two year non graduate Diploma, this was the educational requirement at the time. Will I be eligible?
A two year non graduate Diploma with no additional graduate level study does not satisfy the AASW's international qualifications assessment criteria for migration skills assessment or for AASW membership eligibility purposes. The AASW needs to determine whether or not qualifications would be educationally comparable to the AASW accredited Bachelor of Social Work degree in Australia. The length of qualifications must be equivalent to four years study. In addition, the subject content of the curriculum must correspond sufficiently in all major areas to the AASW accredited Bachelor of Social Work. The two year non-graduate Diploma in Social Work does not satisfy curriculum or length of study requirements of AASW international qualifications assessment criteria.
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I have a qualification in one of the following;
- Social Care
- Applied Social Studies
- Sociology
- Psychology
and I do a lot of the same work as a Social Worker? Can I be assessed by the AASW and would I receive a positive assessment?
The Australian Association of Social Workers is the governing body for professionally qualified social workers. The AASW assess' overseas qualifications and compares them to the Australia Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards. The AASW can only assess qualifications as eligible if the applicant has been specifically trained in social work and is eligible for membership or registration in the country of training where such registration exists.
For example, an individual with a qualification in Social Care from the Republic of Ireland, is not able to register in Ireland as a social worker. As a consequence of this, the individual would not be able to receive a positive assessment from the AASW.
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I will have completed my social work studies next year, can I apply for an assessment now?
The AASW can only conduct an assessment once the individual has completed and passed all course requirements. The AASW can not assess someone who is still studying.
The AASW can however, commence an assessment once studies have been completed and individuals are awaiting on official congregation proceedings to receive certification of this. Instead of providing a certificate as evidence of completion, applicants should provide a letter from their University/educational institution, confirming that all course requirements have been completed. Please submit this letter along with the academic transcript and course outline.
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I am an international graduate of an Australian AASW accredited course in Social Work, which form should I use and what documentation should I attach?
You should use the Application for the assessment of AASW accredited social work qualifications for migration skills assessment purposes form and attach the following;
• Certified copy of the award certificate and academic transcript or a letter from the university confirming successful completion of all course requirements.
• Evidence of meeting the English language requirements
- • Application fee
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English Language Requirements
The AASW has English Language Policy. All applicants applying for an assessment of their qualifications, are required to provide evidence to confirm that they meet one of the following;
1. Completed primary school and secondary school education in English (education must have been completed using the English language) in one of the following countries; Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom or the United States of America. Suitable evidence includes; school certificates from primary and secondary school or a birth certificate and secondary school results.
2. Completed the equivalent of 3 years or more full time study at the level of Bachelor degree or higher in one of the following countries; Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom or the United States of America. Suitable evidence includes academic transcripts showing the length of the course and the course was conducted in English.
3. Completed at least 3 years post qualifying social work employment using English as the primary means of communication in one of the following countries Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom or the United States of America. Suitable evidence of employment is provided through references verifiying dates and that English was the primary means of communication throughout practice.
4. Obtained a score of 7.0 or more in each component (listening, reading, writing and speaking) of the Academic IELTS. More detailed information on the IELTS requirements can be found here. Suitable evidence of IELTS can be submitted through a certified copy of the IELTS test report results form. Please note the AASW can not accept General IELTS tests.
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I have a 3 year degree in Social Work. Will I be eligible?
An assessment of the 3 year degree must take place prior to determining if a positive outcome is applicable. If the applicant has completed all the required units of study including field work placements, and if all other criteria are met, the AASW can accept 3 years post qualifying social work experience as compensation for the shortfall in length of academic training.
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I have an undergraduate degree and a 2 year Masters in Social Work. Will I be eligible?
Applicants with non social work but relevant undergraduate degrees (ie Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Social Science or Sociology) and accredited post graduate social work qualifying courses should submit the required documentation for both periods of study. This is recommended as some of the units completed in the undergraduate studies are likely to be relevant and used to assist in the process of ensuring all the assessment criteria are met. All applicants need to ensure that their Masters was a qualifying Masters not a Masters Advanced which is not a social work qualifying course.
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Can the AASW tell me if a particular degree from the program or school to which I am applying has been previously assessed by the AASW?
The AASW does not discuss information pertinent to other applications/applicants regarding assessment of qualifications unless the original applicant has provided the AASW with their permission to do so with a specific person or organisation. The AASW assesses each application on its own merit to determine if the programme of study is comparable to the Australian Social Work Education Standards. Degrees from the same institution and the same year are not necessarily comparable as there will be programme options and differing fieldwork choices.
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What if I can not obtain all the required documents?
If the applicant can show evidence that alll reasonable attempts to provide the required documents have been made, then a statutory declaration may be accepted by the AASW. Before lodging a statutory declaration instead of the required documents, it would be advisable to contact the AASW's assessment officer to discuss the difficulty in obtaining the required documents, so that the AASW is aware of this. The AASW will subsequently make every effort to assist the applicant to find a way to deal with obtaining documentation problems.
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I'm ready to start my assessment, what should I do?
Visit our page entitled 'Starting the application process'. Please review the relevant information and guides, and complete the appropriate application form.
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Can I lodge my qualification assessment application before I arrive in Australia?
Yes.
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Can I email my application and documentation into the AASW?
No, applications must be sent in via postal mail.
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What documents do I need to supply for assessment of my overseas social work qualification?
Please see the relevant application form and or guides for further details regarding required information, as it is dependent on what type of assessment you require.