341111 Electrician (General): Why TRA's OSAP Is Compulsory, What It Costs, and Your Visa Options

Electrician (General), ANZSCO 341111, is assessed by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA), and it's one of TRA's four licensed occupations. That one fact decides almost everything. The cheaper Migration Skills Assessment isn't open to electricians, and neither is the Job Ready Program for Australian graduates.

For the Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (subclass 190), Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491), Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) and Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visas, TRA's Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) is compulsory whatever passport you hold. It includes a practical test. On the other side of the ledger, the occupation is on every one of those visas' lists and is named individually in the construction priority group for visa processing.

Not sure which TRA program applies to you? Book a consultation before you pay an RTO.

Which TRA assessment does an electrician need?

For the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa, the Department's own rules make a TRA assessment mandatory for electricians holding a passport from one of those seven places, unless an exemption applies. The exemptions are narrow, such as already holding the Australian licence or having already met TRA's OSAP standard.

With any other passport, there's no mandatory skills assessment for the 482, and TRA's TSS assessment isn't open to you, because TRA offers it only to those seven passports. The 482 still requires at least 12 months of relevant work in the 5 years before you apply, and the Department can require you to demonstrate your skills in a way it specifies.

What OSAP costs, and what it asks of you

OSAP has two pathways. Pathway 1 is for electricians without a relevant Australian VET qualification. Pathway 2 is for those with a relevant Australian VET qualification or a current, unrestricted Australian electrical licence.

On Pathway 1 the practical assessment isn't optional. TRA's guidelines say a practical demonstration of skills is compulsory for licensed occupations, so budget for the full $5,320, not the $3,120 you'd pay without it.

You also need the experience before you start. For a licensed trade like this one, TRA asks for:

• 4 years of full-time paid work in the occupation if you have formal training
• 6 years if you don't

Reviews and reassessments cost extra, from $450 to $1,100 depending on the step. OSAP is run through TRA-approved registered training organisations, so the first step is choosing one from TRA's RTO Finder. You may have to travel to an approved assessment venue.

The OTSR: OSAP is not your licence

A successful OSAP outcome for an electrician gives you two things. One is the outcome letter you use for the visa. The other is an Offshore Technical Skills Record, or OTSR.

An OTSR isn't a licence, and it isn't an Australian qualification. TRA says you use it to apply for a provisional or restricted licence with the state or territory licensing authority. To be awarded the full Australian VET qualification, you then complete Australian context gap training and a period of supervised work.

So a successful OSAP outcome on Pathway 1 is the first of three separate steps for an electrician: the skills assessment for the visa, then a provisional or restricted licence from the state or territory regulator, then gap training and supervised work for the full Australian qualification. Licensing requirements are set by each state and territory, not by TRA or the Department.

Where a positive assessment takes you

Before you check the lists, check the code. Two neighbouring codes aren't interchangeable with Electrician (General). Electrician (Special Class), 341112, is TRA's other licensed electrician. Lift Mechanic, 341113, is assessed by TRA too but isn't a licensed occupation in TRA's programs. Pick the code that matches the work you actually do, because that's what TRA assesses you against.

Invitations come regularly. In the Department's June 2026 SkillSelect data, most invited Electrician (General) expressions of interest for the 189 showed 65 or 70 points, and most for the 190 showed 70 or 75. July showed the same pattern. Invitation rounds are not a fixed cut-off. Our points calculator shows where you'd sit.

Construction status under Ministerial Direction 122 affects only the order in which a visa application is picked up, not whether you're eligible. But it does put electricians in the first processing group for the 189, 190, 491, 186 and 494.

States run their own lists and ranking systems on top of this. In the ACT's 12 October 2026 invitation round, the minimum Canberra Matrix score reached for electricians was 90 for a 190 invitation, both for Canberra residents and for overseas applicants. ACT says that minimum is an indication only. Our subclass 190 guide explains how state nomination works.

Graduates holding a Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa who plan to stay should start OSAP Pathway 2 early. The Job Ready Program, which other trade graduates use, isn't available to electricians.

FAQ

Can an electrician get PR in Australia?

Yes, Electrician (General), ANZSCO 341111, is on the occupation lists for the permanent 189, 190 and 186 visas, and for the provisional 491 and 494, which can lead to permanent residence. For any of them, Trades Recognition Australia's Offshore Skills Assessment Program is compulsory, and the visa's own points, English and other requirements still apply.

Can an electrician get a 482 visa in Australia?

Yes, Electrician (General) is on the Core Skills Occupation List for the subclass 482 with no caveats. A TRA skills assessment is mandatory for 482 applicants holding a passport from Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, the Philippines, South Africa or Vietnam, unless an exemption applies, such as already holding the Australian licence.

Can you get a 482 without a skills assessment?

For an electrician, it depends on the passport. A TRA assessment is mandatory for Electrician (General) applicants with a passport from Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, the Philippines, South Africa or Vietnam, unless they're exempt. With any other passport there's no mandatory assessment, but you still need 12 months of relevant work in the last 5 years, and the Department can ask you to demonstrate your skills.

How much is a TRA skills assessment for an electrician?

Up to $5,320 under OSAP Pathway 1: $1,120 for the documentary evidence, $2,000 for the technical interview and $2,200 for the practical assessment, which is compulsory for electricians. Pathway 2, for applicants with a relevant Australian VET qualification or unrestricted Australian licence, costs $2,020. A 485 Provisional Skills Assessment costs $130.

How long does a TRA skills assessment take?

TRA quotes about 15 weeks for OSAP after you submit complete documentary evidence, about 9 weeks for the TSS assessment used for the 482, and about 12 weeks for the Provisional Skills Assessment used for the 485. These are guides only, and incomplete applications take longer.

How can I obtain an OTSR?

By completing Trades Recognition Australia's Offshore Skills Assessment Program successfully in a licensed occupation such as Electrician (General) on Pathway 1. TRA issues the Offshore Technical Skills Record, which you can use to apply for a provisional or restricted licence with an Australian state or territory licensing authority.

How long is a TRA assessment valid for?

For the 189, 190 and 491, the assessment must be no more than 3 years old at invitation, or still within any shorter validity period it states. The same 3-year rule applies when you apply for the 494. An assessment made for a 485 can't be used for any of these visas.

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Want your TRA program, evidence and visa route checked before you pay for OSAP? Book a consultation. Our skills assessment service handles the TRA side and the visa side together.