Public Education campaign

Migration & Eligibility Assessment

Application process for migration and employment purposes to Online lodgement

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

What types of applications can be lodged online:

The online application process and 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

How the online process works?

The AASW website through a MyAASW account is where you 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. The Guide for your specific application will help you with your application.

Please apply via the online portal.

MEA Online Frequently Asked Questions

Online applications can be made by clicking the Online Application button which is located under complete your application. This is located in the webpage for all types of applications.

Please contact the MEA team at [email protected] explaining your issue, the type of application you are applying for, and a screenshot of the issue. The AASW will contact you to resolve the problem.

Your documents are not required to be certified in an online application. Please ensure that all documents to be uploaded are required to be scanned copies of the original documents, in colour, and of a high quality upload.

Please contact the MEA team at [email protected] explaining why your application was rejected, the type of application you are applying for, and a screenshot of the rejection message. The AASW will provide you with a response.

All documents to be uploaded are required to be scanned copies of the original documents, in colour, and of a high quality upload.

No, the Criteria for an online application and paper based application is the same. This is applicable to all types of applications.

There will be a greater efficiency in processing an online application as it is expected that an applicant will have all necessary documents ready to be uploaded when lodging an online application.

No, the Criteria for an online application and paper based application is the same. This is applicable to the assessment of all types of applications

The payment screen is the final page of the online application. Payment can only be made with a debit or credit card. Please ensure that you have sufficient funds in your bank account when making payment.

In the international qualifications assessment for migration and/or to determine membership eligibility for employment purposes:

  • Criterion Three has been amended to align with the current ASWEAS standards March 2020 V 2.2 updated August 2023
  • Criterion Four has been amended to increase the minimum number of fieldwork hours across a minimum of two fieldwork placements completed from 980 hours to 1000 hours, to align with an AASW accredited social work course for Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) and Masters of Social Work (Qualifying).

The AASW is mindful of their role as an Assessing Authority nominated by the Federal Government to assess SW qualifications. Decisions will be made professionally to fully assess applications according to the AASW MEA requirements without compromise. It is unable to compromise its role in fitting in with any applicant’s migration plans.

Having said this, AASW is willing to consider requests for priority assessment only from employers who are employing internationally trained social workers who have lodged an AASW application to have their qualifications assessed for migration and/or employment purposes.

This is to support employers due to the critical focus of their program’s work and the importance of the recruitment of professionally qualified social work staff.

Employers of prospective social worker employees will be required to provide details in an email as to why they require for the application to be expedited, details as to the program and role the prospective employee will be recruited to.

The AASW will consider this information as to whether grounds exist for the application to be granted priority. If priority is granted, the application will be allocated to a Professional Assessment Officer for assessment. The assessment will not compromise MEA criteria to fit in with the applicant’s employment or migration plans. 

Other Frequently Asked Questions

The AASW does not currently accept the One Skill Retake Test. 

The IELTS Academic Test is the only English language proficiency test that is accepted to meet the AASW English Language Policy. The test is to be completed face to face in a supervised official IDP/British Council IELTS Testing Centre and completed as a computer based or paper based IELTS Academic Test.

The AASW does not accept online IELTS Tests.

Applicants must demonstrate evidence of English language proficiency in the IELTS Academic Test through one or two test sittings in six months, provided that:

  • a minimum score of 7.0 is achieved in either one or two settings; and
  • a minimum score of 7.0 is achieved in each of the four components (listening, reading, writing and speaking) in a maximum of two sittings in a six-month period, and no component score is below 6.5. Where a component score falls below 6.5, the test is not acceptable.

You may be exempt from sitting the IELTS Academic Test if you:

  • completed your secondary education in English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, United Kingdom or USA, and
  • you successfully completed the equivalent of three years or more of full-time tertiary study (at Bachelor degree level or higher) in English, in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, United Kingdom or USA.

To qualify for an exemption, please submit one of the following:

  • a certified copy of your secondary education results showing that you were taught and assessed in English, or
  • a certified letter from your secondary school, or the relevant department of education in your country of study, confirming that your secondary education was successfully completed, taught and assessed in English.

If you are not able to provide either of the above documents but you can show that you tried to get them, you can provide a Statutory Declaration stating all of your secondary education results from Year 7—12.

Even with a Statutory Declaration, we may ask you to take the IELTS Academic Test to confirm your English language proficiency.

Read more about our English language proficiency requirements

You could submit:

  • a certified copy of your secondary education results, or
  • a letter from your Secondary School or the relevant department of education in your country of study, or
  • a Statutory Declaration verifying that you successfully completed secondary education and were taught and assessed in English.

Your Statutory Declaration should include:

  • the name of your secondary school and the country of study
  • the grade level you completed
  • the years you attended the secondary school
  • confirmation that you were taught and assessed in English.

The AASW sets the professional standards for social work practice in Australia. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are important for safe, professional and accountable social work practice.

We will email the outcome of your application as soon as possible. The estimated time it takes for different application types is below:

  • Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with New Zealand – three weeks
  • Migration applications for new graduates who have completed study at an Australian accredited AASW social work course – three to four weeks
  • International Qualifications Assessments (IQAs) and Skilled Employment (SE) applications – 12 to 15 weeks
  • Skilled Employment (SE) applications – three to four weeks
  • Renewal of previous migration assessments – two weeks
  • Duplication of previous assessments for and/or eligibility for AASW membership for employment purposes – two weeks.

If you have questions about your application you can email AASW. Please provide as much detail as possible so we can fully answer your questions. 

We don’t provide progress updates but you will receive an email to advise that we received your application. This email will also let you know if we need any further information or if your application has moved to the pending assessment stage.

Fees vary depending on the application and are listed on the relevant application page.

We understand that you may need to submit additional documentation. Please note that an additional fee may be applicable. To avoid any extra charges, we recommend that you carefully review the checklist provided in each application form to ensure all necessary documents are included when you submit your application.

A Statutory Declaration is a written statement that allows a person to declare something to be true. If you intentionally make a false statement in a declaration, you can be charged with an offence. Please refer to the jurisdiction in your country for the requirements for preparing a statutory declaration. If you live in Australia, please read this information about statutory declarations.

You need to be a qualified social worker to apply to the AASW. If you are not qualified, you could contact one of the following professional associations to find out if they will assess you.

You need to be a qualified social worker to apply to the AASW. We can start your assessment after you provide a certified graduation certificate, or certified letter from your educational institution to confirm that you completed all course requirements. Please submit this letter along with the academic transcript and course outline.