The Overseas Qualifications Unit (OQU) provides a free assessment service to support the recognition of overseas tertiary and higher education qualifications in Western Australia.
Assessments formally establish how your overseas qualification compares to Australian standards, and may support general employment opportunities or enrolment in further study within Western Australia.
Current processing time is 20 working days
Pictured: Two wooden figurines of students wearing graduation hats, standing in front of a globe.
You may need to complete other requirements (such as registration or licensing) to gain employment in your occupation.
Assessment eligibility
Am I eligible for this service?
To have your qualifications assessed by OQU, you must be:
- an Australian or New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident of Australia and currently residing in Western Australia; or
- a temporary resident who has permission to work or study in Western Australia and currently residing in Western Australia.
We can assess many post-secondary qualifications including:
- formal technical and vocational qualifications (comparable to an Australian Certificate IV and above); and
- formal higher education qualifications (comparable to an Australian bachelor degree and above).
What is not eligible for assessment?
Some types of qualifications are not eligible for assessment by OQU.
- For recognition of overseas apprenticeships or trade qualifications; you will need to contact the WA Apprenticeship Office(opens in a new tab) for information on Trade Skills Recognition (TSR)
- Qualifications for migration purposes; if you are applying for a visa and need a skills assessment, visit the Department of Home Affairs website(opens in a new tab)
- To have your secondary school qualifications or certificates assessed visit the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website(opens in a new tab)
- Incomplete qualifications, short courses (less than one year full-time study), and single subject certificates
- Professional registration or memberships, and work experience
- Australian qualifications
For more information view our frequently asked questions
How to apply for an OQU assessment
To apply for an OQU assessment, you must:
- live in Western Australia and be one of the following:
- an Australian citizen;
- a New Zealand citizen;
- a permanent resident of Australia; or
- a temporary resident with permission to work or study in Western Australia.
- have completed a formal tertiary or technical qualification such as a diploma, bachelor degree or master's degree.
For a list of qualifications not eligible for assessment, view our frequently asked questions
The following documents need to be submitted as part of your application
Residency
- A copy of your passport or Australian citizenship certificate
- A copy of your visa document (or allow us to check VEVO online)
- A copy of your immigration card (for refugees only)
Personal details
- A copy of your proof of name change (if applicable; for example a marriage certificate)
- Statutory declaration for spelling inconsistencies in your name between documents (if applicable)
Qualification award
- A copy of your final award in original language
- A copy of your qualification award translated into English by an approved translator (if applicable)
Academic record
- A copy of your academic transcript (student book or marks sheets) showing all years of study - this is a report from the awarding institution with information on examinations/courses completed, credits and grades/score
- A copy of your academic record translated into English by an approved translator (if applicable)
Secondary school certificate
- A copy of your secondary school certificate in original language
- A copy of your secondary school certificate translated into English by an approved translator (if applicable)
NOTE
If you are applying to only have your master's degree or doctorate degree (post graduate qualifications) assessed, you will also need to provide a copy of the qualifications and academic records you completed before these qualifications. For example, if you only want your master's degree assessed – OQU will also require you to submit your bachelor degree qualification and academic records, to assist OQU in assessing your master's degree.
If your degree was issued in the Philippines, please provide evidence of passing the Professional Regulation Commission’s Licensure Examinations (if applicable).
If you are unable to supply your award certificate or academic transcript/s, in certain cases, we may be able to accept a statutory declaration.
Statutory declaration
In certain circumstances, if you do not have a copy of your award certificate or academic transcript, and are not be able to get a copy, we may be able to accept a statutory declaration. You will need to provide an official signed statutory declaration using the WA Department of Justice form(opens in a new tab), or complete on online using your MyGov account (opens in a new tab)and include the following information.
- The qualification awarded
- Year awarded
- Year study commenced, and the year study completed
- The number of years of study in total
- Whether the study was taken full-time or part-time
- Why you are unable to provide the original document
If the name on your passport and academic documents do not match, you will need to provide either a:
- Proof of name change i.e. marriage certificate; or
- Statutory declaration explaining why they do not match
Important
It is an offence to intentionally make a false statement in a statutory declaration under section 11 of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959.
Complete our online application form below, and attach your documents as instructed
Please note that all documents you provide must be in portable document format (PDF).
We cannot accept other electronic formats such as JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG or photos of documents.
You will receive the outcome of your assessment from OQU via the email address that you provide in your application.
For more information on assessment outcomes, including a review of your outcome, view our frequently asked questions
OQU frequently asked questions
Useful OQU links
The Department of Training and Workforce Development's Apprenticeship Office registers and administers training contracts and regulates the apprenticeship system in Western Australia, in accordance with Part 7 of the Vocational Education and Training Act 1996(opens in a new tab) (the Act), the associated Regulations(opens in a new tab), and the WA Apprenticeship and traineeship policy(opens in a new tab).
For information on trade skills recognition (TSR) or applying for a trade certificate, visit the Apprenticeship Office section of the Department of Training and Workforce Development website(opens in a new tab).
WA's School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) can assess and provide an equivalence statement for secondary/high school level qualifications to an academic year level in the WA school system. It does not give a grade-for-grade comparison.
Visit the SCSA website for further information(opens in a new tab).
The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) can assist with the assessment of early childhood qualifications.
If you are migrating to Australia and require an assessment of your overseas engineering degree, visit the Engineers Australia website(opens in a new tab).
If you obtained your law degree overseas and wish to practice in Western Australia, the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (LPBWA) can assist with information.
In Western Australia; the
Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS) is responsible for licensing, registration permits, exemption or accreditation. Visit the LGIRS website for more information(opens in a new tab).
If your qualification does not meet OQU’s criteria for an assessment, you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning (RPL).
RPL is a formal assessment process that can provide you with the opportunity to gain a full or partial qualification, without having to study subjects for which you already have skills and experience.
Visit the Jobs and Skills WA website for more information about RPL.(opens in a new tab)
The OQU does not assess overseas qualifications for migration purposes.
If you are applying for a visa and need a skills assessment, visit the Department of Home Affairs website(opens in a new tab).
All teachers who are teaching in WA schools must be registered with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA).
For more information visit the TRBWA website(opens in a new tab).
Western Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system offers quality courses and qualifications, with a range of training options and choices for students, industry and the community.
WA has five TAFE (technical and further education) colleges, with 70 campus locations and specialist training centres located across Perth and all regional areas of WA. There's also a number of private training providers who are registered training organisations (RTOs), operating across WA.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) is the national organisation responsible for implementing the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme across Australia's health industry.
For information on memberships and registering to work in the health industry, visit the APHRA website(opens in a new tab).