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Optional Migration Assessment

Transition of the application process for migration and employment purposes to Online lodgement

The AASW Migration and Eligibility Assessment Team (MEA) is excited to announce that the migration and/or employment assessment process is moving to an online lodgement via the AASW website.

What types of applications can be lodged online:

 

The MEA Team is looking forward to assisting applicants and will be available to guide you through the new online process if you’re planning to migrate to Australia and need recognition as a qualified social worker for migration and/or employment purposes.

The MEA process will go online on Wednesday 27 March 2024.

The online MEA process will be updated with the continuing plan for a friendly, consumer-focused experience.

What this means:

  • A quicker, easier application process.
  • Uploading documents online will make it easier for an applicant to submit a complete application.
  • Online applications will promote a flowing approach to the process, which is beneficial to applicants
  • Priority is placed on the type of application linked to employer recruitment demands, not how/when you apply.
  • A faster turnaround time for all applications
  • Paper based applications will be available for a period and then applicants will transition to the online process.

 

How will it all work?

The AASW website through a MyAASW account will be where you will link into the online process

To assist you with lodging your application online, a series of Guides for specific types of applications have been developed.

 

Paper-based applications are still accepted until 26 May 2024, and paper-based application forms will be available on the website until 26 April 2024.

We look forward to working with you, as the MEA program moves to an online application process.

We will let you know with further updates as to the launch of online applications via the AASW website.

Assessment of post-qualifying social work experience

This application is for social workers who would like to apply for a skilled employment assessment after previously having had a successful migration skills assessment. The skilled employment assessment is an optional additional assessment for those with at least one year of post qualifying social work experience in Australia or at least three years of post-qualifying social work experience overseas.

To assist applicants with preparing their application, please see below the criteria that will be considered in the assessment. The AASW is unable to comment on the information provided as to specific employment positions prior to lodging an application. The Skilled Employment assessment will determine as to whether applicants will meet the criteria.

Skilled Employment applications are assessed according to the following requirements. It is suggested that applicants take time to read the information below.

  • The Applicant must have had their social work qualifications assessed by the AASW and gained a positive outcome prior to a Skilled Employment application being lodged.
  • the assessment of an Applicant’s post qualifying employment as a qualified Social Worker is assessed from the date of lodgement of the application and in this instance, with the AASW.
  • the evidence of a minimum of 3 years or more of post qualifying social work employment overseas in employment as a qualified Social Worker in the past 10 years.

AND/OR

  • minimum of 1 year of post qualifying social work employment in Australia in the past 10 years, in employment as a qualified Social Worker (with evidence of the employment as on-going for the full period of employment; if there were gaps in service these should be verified with documentation and the reason why a gap in employment existed).
  • the date that it is deemed the Applicant is skilled in the nominated occupation is based on evidence of when the applicant successfully met the requirements of their social work qualification and commenced employment in the specific position and that employment is within the last ten (10) years in the nominated occupation.
  • To claim points for skilled employment, the experience must be in an applicant’s nominated occupation, or a closely related occupation. For the occupation of ‘Social Worker’ as stated by Dept of Home Affairs, the Dept Home Affairs will take into consideration the occupations within one unit group classified under Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). Regarding the occupation unit group of ‘Social Worker’, there is no closely related occupation, there is only one occupation within the Social Worker Unit group, and this is as a Social Worker. 

1220.0 – ANZSCO – Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 2013, Version 1.3 (abs.gov.au)

As such, only employment where you were in a position titled as a qualified Social Worker and/or a tertiary qualification in Social Work was required for the position, is very significant to the assessment.

  • Employment must be on a fulltime paid basis however the Dept Home Affairs can consider employment from 20 hours or more each week. As such, the assessment will be determined based on this definition of fulltime employment- working in excess of 20 hours per week which must be ongoing.
    • Working less that 20 hours paid employment as a qualified Social Worker will not meet the criteria.
    • Employment less than 3 months is not considered.
    • Where paid Social Work positions are in excess of 20 hours per week and overlapping, only one position will be considered for the specific time period, not both. The assessment will not consider overlapping positions to make up hours. eg. one SW position of 10 hour and another SW position of 11 hours to equate to in excess of 20 hours per week. Each of these positions would be assessed as separate positions and neither would meet one of the threshold SE criteria due to each not being in excess of 20 hours per week.
    • Unpaid, voluntary, pro-bono work is not considered as paid full time employment
    • Paid or unpaid maternity leave where you are not working in the position is not deemed as paid full time employment.

Please mail your application form, supporting documentation and assessment fee to:

Postal address:

Australian Association of Social workers
MEA Program
PO Box 2008
Royal Melbourne Hospital VIC 3050

Courier address

Australian Association of Social workers
MEA Program
Level 7
14-20 Blackwood Street
North Melbourne VIC 3051

You will receive email notification acknowledging the receipt of your application.

Please allow five (5) weeks for your application to be processed.

 

Post-qualifying assessment of overseas social work employment

Optional) Skilled employment assessment for 1-3 positions if correspondence address is outside Australia

AU $840

(Optional) Skilled employment assessment for 1-3 positions if correspondence address is within Australia

AU $924 (incl GST)

(Optional) Skilled Employment fee per additional (4+) employment position if correspondence address is outside Australia

AUD $157.27

(Optional) Skilled Employment fee per additional (4+) employment position if correspondence address is within Australia

AU $173 (incl GST).

Post-qualifying assessment of Australian social work employment

(Optional) Skilled employment assessment for 1-3 positions if correspondence address is outside Australia

AU $367.27

(Optional) Skilled employment assessment for 1-3 positions if correspondence address is within Australia

AU $404 (incl GST)

(Optional) Skilled Employment fee per additional (4+) employment position if correspondence address is outside Australia

AU $157.27

(Optional) Skilled Employment fee per additional (4+) employment position if correspondence address is within Australia

AU $173 (incl GST).

Assessment of doctorate social work qualification

The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) is the professional association for qualified social workers in Australia. It is a self-regulating profession. The AASW is an assessing authority on behalf of the Australian Government for migration purposes against the Criterion set out below.

The Migration and Eligibility Assessment (MEA) Team assesses:

• overseas social work qualifications for migration purposes
• overseas social work qualifications to determine eligibility for AASW membership for employment purposes.


The AASW is also able to assess a Doctorate of Philosophy majoring in Social Work for migration assessment, first and foremost the applicant must hold a specific social work qualification that must be comparable to a Bachelor of Social Work or a Master of Social Work (qualifying) in Australia which has been assessed by AASW.

A Doctorate Degree Assessment is an additional optional assessment that applicants can apply for: (the applicant must have had their international SW qualification or AASW accredited SW qualification assessed prior to this).
The qualification of a Doctorate in Philosophy is NOT accepted as an entry to practice social work qualification in Australia and thus not a specific social work qualification. Applicants must be a professionally qualified Social Worker and thus hold tertiary qualifications in social work.
If they hold international social work qualification it must be comparable to a Bachelor of Social Work or a Master of Social Work (qualifying) in Australia.

When completing your application if any question/s in the application is/are not relavant please state ‘Not Applicable’

Please mail your application form, supporting documentation and assessment fee to:

Postal address:

Australian Association of Social workers
MEA Program
PO Box 2008
Royal Melbourne Hospital VIC 3050

Courier address

Australian Association of Social workers
MEA Program
Level 7
14-20 Blackwood Street
North Melbourne VIC 3051

You will receive email notification acknowledging the receipt of your application.

There are four criterion which must all be met for a for a positive doctorate degree assessment:
Criterion 1: Proof of identity.
Criterion 2: A previously successful AASW application file reference number (in the case of a individual lodged PhD application). Or the lodgement of a doctorate assessment application combined with a migration and eligibility assessment application.
Criterion 3: The qualification must be a specific PhD in social work comparable to a Doctorate of Philosophy in Australia.
Criterion 4: A high level English language skill (as per the AASW English language policy) is demonstrated.

Please allow five (5) weeks for your application to be processed.

 

Assessment of doctorate degree

(Optional) Doctorate Degree assessment if correspondence address is outside AustraliaAU $472.72
(Optional) Doctorate Degree assessment if correspondence address is within AustraliaAU $520.00 (includes GST)