Overseas applicants

Eligibility criteria

Overseas applicants have to meet certain eligibility criteria before the issue of a Queensland electrical work licence. Applicants from New Zealand may be eligible through the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act (TTMRA).

Overseas applicants must:

• have a relevant qualification
• have passed certain exams
• have a completion statement issued by a Queensland registered training organisation as evidence of their competence in the relevant electrical trade work. Examples of trade work are electrical mechanic, electrical fitter or refrigeration mechanic.

There are 2 relevant qualifications the Australian Recognised Tradesman’s Certificate (ARTC) and the Offshore Technical Skills Record.

Australian recognised tradesman's certificate

The first relevant qualification is an Australian Recognised Tradesman's Certificate (ARTC) issued by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) the federal government agency responsible for assessing the trade skills of migrants.

• Issuing the ARTC is done by TRA after migration to Australia.
• Eligible people include those who hold permanent resident status and temporary resident visa holders who have an Australian spouse or are subject to an employment nomination.
• A person holding a 12 month working holiday visa may not be eligible for an ARTC.
• TRA issue a letter of acceptance for the purposes of migration to Australia. The trade classification in the letter of acceptance does not satisfy the eligibility criteria for a licence.
• A local trades committee must be satisfied that you have the skills and experience to perform electrical work before an ARTC can be issued. The local trades committee will look for evidence of a period of trade training and employment equivalent to an Australian apprenticeship or seven years employment in the relevant electrical trade work.
• If the committee is unable to establish the required evidence of your trade you may be required to undertake a trade test to demonstrate your knowledge of theory and practical skills. The trade test will be conducted by a registered training organisation for TRA.

When you are ready to apply for an ARTC, contact TRA to discuss your individual circumstances with one of their skills assessors:

Postal Address: GPO Box 9879, Melbourne VIC 3001
Telephone: 03 9954 2537

Once an ARTC is issued you should:

• complete the application for electrical work licence (other than apprentice) (PDF, 382.0 KB) from the ESO website. You will then be issued with an electrical work training permit allowing you to work under the supervision of an appropriately licensed electrical worker.
• It is a condition of your training permit to complete a structured training program coordinated by a Queensland registered training organisation (RTO).
• Record all electrical work performed whilst on a Training Permit in a workers log book. Your Queensland RTO will be able to assist with this.

You will have to discuss your training needs with the Queensland RTO. The minimum requirement is for you to sit an examination on the Australian standards for electrical installations as the TRA assessment process does not cover this aspect of your trade skills. Examination requirements for each relevant trade work area are listed below. You will also be required to gain knowledge about legislation that is relative to electrical safety.

When you successfully complete the examinations

Your Queensland RTO will forward a completion statement to the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.

When you have confirmed that your Queensland RTO has sent your completion statement to the department you should complete an application for electrical work licence (permit holder) (PDF, 237.1 KB).

Please follow the guidelines in your application. The guidelines will ensure your application is completed correctly and reduce possible delays in processing.

Before submitting the application, please ensure that you have met all the eligibility requirements for the licence.

Offshore technical skills record

The second relevant qualification is an Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR).

This is a document issued prior to migration by Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services (VETASSESS) under the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cwlth), after a successful assessment against the relevant Australian trade qualification.

The VETASSESS document lists the technical skills demonstrated in the practical assessment and the gap in the Australian skills or knowledge component which needs to be bridged to achieve the full Certificate III qualification.

The gap training is undertaken after arrival in Australia.

An OTSR is a 'relevant qualification' under the sections 34(6)(d), 35(6)(d); 37(6)(d) and 38(7)(c) of the Electrical Safety Regulations 2002 for the issue of an electrical work training permit.

VETASSESS assessments are currently conducted in 5 countries:

• United Kingdom
• South Africa
• India
• Sri Lanka
• The Philippines.

Before migrating to Australia, contact VETASSESS to discuss the skills assessment process and your individual circumstances.
Postal Address: PO Box 2752, Melbourne VIC 3001
Telephone: +61 3 9655 4701 or +61 3 9655 4801

Upon arrival in Queensland Australia

An applicant with an OTSR:

• May Apply for Queensland Electrical Work Licence/Permit by completing the application for electrical work licence (other than apprentice) (PDF, 382.0 KB) from the ESO website
• Will enrol in a gap training course with an RTO and be issued with an electrical work training permit allowing work under the supervision of an appropriately licensed electrical worker. Electrical work performed whilst on a training permit must be recorded in a workers log book. Your Queensland RTO will be able to assist with this.
• Must work under the conditions of the training permit and complete a structured training program coordinated by a Queensland registered training organisation (RTO). This will achieve Gap Training assessed by VETASSESS and the Queensland RTO. For example a VESTASSES assessment for an Electrical Mechanic will complete a relevant Certificate III qualification, typically the national qualification UEE30807 Electrotechnology Electrician.
• After successfully completing the examinations, your Queensland RTO will forward a completion statement to the Department of Justice and Attorney-General. You should complete an application for electrical work licence (permit holder) (PDF, 237.1 KB) to be issued with your Queensland Electrical Workers Licence.

Please follow the guidelines to assist in your application. The guidelines help ensure your application is completed correctly and reduce possible delays in processing. Before submitting the application, please ensure that you have met all the eligibility requirements for the licence.

For more Information contact:

Electrical Safety Office, Licence Processing Services
Department of Justice and Attorney-General
Telephone: 1300 362 320
07 3247 4711 (callers outside Queensland)

Postal Address:
Electrical Safety Office, Licence Processing Services
Department of Justice and Attorney-General
PO Box 820
Lutwyche QLD 4030

Street Address:
Electrical Safety Office, Licence Processing Services
Department of Justice and Attorney-General
Lutwyche Shopping Centre,
Level 4, 543 Lutwyche Road,
Lutwyche QLD 4030