2.2 Job Ready Employment (JRE)

The JRE step requires you to complete employment in an Australian workplace to further develop your skills. Employment must be in the occupation, or one closely related to the occupation assessed in your PSA outcome. You must still be working with your employer when you submit your JRE application online.

2.2.1 Eligibility

To be eligible for JRE you must:

have successfully completed the JRPRE
have four months or less remaining on your student visa
hold a visa or bridging visa that has full (unrestricted) work rights and provides sufficient time to complete the remaining requirements of the JRP (a minimum of 12 months)
have secured eligible employment relevant to your nominated occupation (See section 2.2.9 of the Guidelines).

Please note:

If you are on a training visa or a student visa with more than 4 months remaining you are not eligible for this step.
The following licensed occupations are not assessed under the JRP: Electrician (General), Electrician (Special Class) and Plumber (General). Please refer to the TRA Offshore Skills Assessment Program.

2.2.2 Online application process

To apply for JRE, you will need to sign in to the TRA Online Portal on the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au with the username and password created when you registered your JRP application.

You should then select the Job Ready Employment link and follow the instructions to complete the application and pay the application fee. You will need to upload the application documents listed in section 2.2.3 of the Guidelines. Your application cannot be submitted until all required documents are uploaded on the TRA Online Portal and the fee payment is made.

A migration agent or representative can only act on behalf of an applicant for Job Ready Program Registration and Eligibility and Job Ready Final Assessment. (See section 3.2 of the Guidelines).

JRE and Job Ready Workplace Assessment are employment based and require regular contact between TRA and the JRE applicant. TRA will only communicate directly with the JRE applicant during these steps. Applicant contact details must be provided to enable each step to progress.

If you are unable to submit your application because you do not have your username and password, contact TRA via TRAEnquiries@dewr.gov.au to obtain these details. You will need to provide your TRA Reference number, personal email address and date of birth with your request.

2.2.3 Application documents

Your JRE application documents include the following:

an Employment Verification Report (EVR) for each employer registered in your JRE application, signed and dated by your employer and nominated supervisor (See sections 2.2.11 and 3.1.1 of the Guidelines)
a copy of your current Visa Grant Notification listing your visa expiry date, visa conditions and work rights. If you currently hold a bridging visa, a Bridging Visa Grant Notification should be provided. TRA does not accept VEVO records or Acknowledgement letters in place of a Visa (or Bridging Visa) Grant Notification
pay evidence covering your prior employment claim period, if applicable. Pay evidence must be provided as a single PDF document with pay slips in date order.

2.2.4 JRE Verification process

Your JRE application will be assessed based on the documents provided to establish if your visa and registered employment will provide sufficient opportunity to meet the requirements of the remainder of the JRP.

If additional documents are requested by TRA to support your application, these can be uploaded through the TRA Online Portal.

Your application will be ineligible if:

you have not successfully completed the JRPRE
your employment is not relevant to your nominated occupation
you do not have sufficient time remaining on your visa to complete the remainder of the JRP
your visa does not provide you with full (unrestricted) work rights
your documents contain insufficient detail to satisfy JRE eligibility requirements
TRA cannot verify your employment (see section 2.2.11 of the guidelines); and/or
documents are found to contain false or misleading information.

2.2.5 Additional employer or change of employer

If you have more than one employer, or change employers during the program, you must register the employment details through the TRA Online Portal. You do this by selecting Add New Employer under the Job Ready Employment link and completing the online form.

It is recommended you do this as soon as possible after commencing your new employment. Your employment hours with any additional or new employers will be calculated from the date the employer’s details were registered in the TRA Online Portal. TRA will not accept any hours worked before the date you registered the employer online. There is no JRE application fee payable to register any additional employers for JRE.

You must also complete an EVR for any additional or new employer. EVRs can be accessed from the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au/employment-verification-report. Please select the form relevant to your occupation. (See section 2.2.11 of the Guidelines).

You cannot exceed five (5) employers, and at least 863 paid work hours must be completed with the one employer. This is to allow you sufficient time to develop and demonstrate your skills in your nominated occupation.

2.2.6 JRE Start Date

Your JRE Start Date is the date you submitted your JRE application through the TRA Online Portal unless that date is varied by TRA. Your JRE Start Date is available in your TRA Online Portal account.

2.2.7 Claiming prior employment

You can claim up to three consecutive months of paid employment that was undertaken immediately prior to applying online for JRE. This can only be claimed at the time of submitting your JRE application online.

To make a claim, you must complete the prior employment section of your JRE online application and provide TRA with acceptable pay evidence for the period being claimed.

Pay evidence must be provided as a single PDF document with pay slips in date order. TRA will assess your claim based on the pay evidence submitted as part of your JRE application. (See section 2.2.13 of the Guidelines for acceptable pay evidence).

Prior employment will only be considered where it was:

undertaken with the first eligible employer you registered for JRE
in your nominated occupation
undertaken in the three months immediately prior to your online JRE application
current and ongoing on the date you submitted your online JRE application
not already used to meet work requirements for a previous TRA skills assessment outcome (including a PSA) supported with acceptable pay evidence
for employment arrangements approved by TRA.

A revised JRE Start Date and any approved claimed work hours will be added to the Total Approved Hours table in the TRA Online Portal if your employment is approved by TRA (See section 2.2.11 of the Guidelines for employment verification). TRA will email you once your claim has been processed.

2.2.8 Employment requirements

You must complete at least 1725 hours of paid employment in your nominated occupation over a minimum of 12 calendar months from your JRE Start Date. Periods of leave (including paid leave) cannot be included in the 1725 hours.

If you are in part‐time employment or have periods of unemployment or extended leave, it may take you longer than 12 calendar months to complete the required 1725 hours.

If you complete 1725 hours in less than 12 calendar months, you will still be required to complete 12 months from your JRE Start Date to be eligible to apply for your Job Ready Final Assessment.

2.2.9 Eligible employment

For your employment to be eligible, it must:

be with your current employer when you register the employer online
not already used to meet work requirements for a previous TRA skills assessment outcome (including a PSA)
involve work at an appropriate skill level and include a range of tasks and duties relevant to your nominated occupation
be paid in accordance with applicable industrial awards or agreements and Australian workplace relations laws
be in an employer‐employee arrangement where:
- work is assigned to you by your employer/supervisor and you complete the work under their direction
- you work the number of hours per day/shift as agreed by your employer
- the employer provides you with pay slips
- the employer makes superannuation contributions on your behalf
- you accrue annual leave and/or other leave entitlements, such as leave loading under a casual employment agreement
be registered and approved by TRA following validation of your EVR.

All employment information provided to TRA must be true and accurate. See section 3.4 of the Guidelines for information on the consequences of providing false, misleading, non-factual or incorrect information to support your employment.

2.2.10 Subcontractor work

TRA may consider subcontractor work where your contracting arrangements meet the below requirements:

your contracting arrangements meet the general JRE employment eligibility requirements (See section 2.2.9 of the Guidelines)
you are able to complete at least 863 hours of your work with a single contractor
the contractor you work for is willing to sign your EVR and Skills Progress Report (See sections 2.2.11 and 2.2.12 of the Guidelines) as if they were your supervisor.

2.2.11 Employment verification

An EVR is used to clarify if your employment arrangements provide sufficient opportunity for you to meet the requirements of the program. This includes the ability to do a range of tasks and duties to demonstrate your skills, using industry‐accepted practices and tools/equipment relevant to your nominated occupation.

The employer and nominated supervisor listed in your online application must complete and sign the EVR. The EVR must be uploaded in the TRA Online Portal with your JRE application documents.

An EVR must also be completed and uploaded in the TRA Online Portal for any additional employer details submitted. (See section 2.2.5 of the Guidelines).

EVRs can be accessed from the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au/employment-verification-report. Please select the form relevant to your occupation.

TRA may use a range of online verification checks to satisfy itself relating to the workplace listed in your TRA Online Portal account and EVR. As part of this process, TRA may also contact your employer or supervisor to confirm your work arrangements, and if necessary, a site visit will be arranged.

You are responsible for ensuring your employment allows and continues to allow you to do the tasks and duties for your nominated occupation.

For your employment to be considered suitable, you should ensure:

it includes tasks and duties at the skill level appropriate for your nominated occupation and qualification
it provides you with access to an appropriate range of tasks and duties for your nominated occupation
it provides you with access to industry‐accepted tools and equipment relevant to your nominated occupation, or an environment in which you can apply and demonstrate your skills
you are being paid and/or you are provided with acceptable pay evidence (see section 2.2.13 of the Guidelines.

If you receive advice from TRA, or you become aware during your time in the program, that your employment is not suitable, that period of employment cannot be counted towards the JRP. To successfully complete the program, you must be in employment that meets the JRP requirements.

2.2.12 Skills Progress Report

A Skills Progress Report (SPR) is a self-assessment record of the skills and activities you have undertaken in your workplace.

The purpose of the SPR is to confirm you are developing your skills and experience in the workplace, using the appropriate tools and equipment, and doing the duties expected for your occupation in an Australian workplace.

You must provide a SPR under any of the following circumstances if you have not yet achieved a successful JRWA:

you have worked with an employer for more than six months since your JRE Start Date
you are ending your employment with an employer you had previously registered
TRA requests a SPR.

The SPR must be confirmed and signed by your supervisor or employer nominated for the workplace. TRA will email you when your SPR is due.

Completed SPRs and corresponding pay evidence must be uploaded through the TRA Online Portal document uploads link in PDF format. Pay evidence must be provided as a single PDF document with pay slips in date order.

SPRs can be accessed from the TRA website www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au/skills-progress-report. Please select the form relevant to your occupation.

Once your SPR and pay evidence are verified by TRA, your work hours will be updated in the Total Approved Hours table on your Home Page in the TRA Online Portal. Any work completed prior to registering your employment in the TRA Online Portal may not be considered towards program requirements.

Completed SPRs will be provided to the TRA-appointed workplace assessor to guide the planning of your JRWA. Therefore, it is important that SPRs are an accurate record of the work you undertake in your workplace.

2.2.13 Pay evidence

You will be required to provide acceptable pay evidence for any employment approved by TRA.

TRA will not consider proof of cash payments for employment undertaken as acceptable pay evidence.

The table below provides information on the pay evidence accepted by TRA. TRA will email you when your pay evidence is due.

Employees

Sub‐contractors

Copies of pay slips showing a minimum of:

Name of employee
Name of employer
Employer ABN, if they have one
Hours worked and/or hourly rate
Gross pay
Dates worked

Copy of payroll printout from the employer showing a minimum of:

Name of employee
Name of employer
Employer ABN, if they have one
Dates worked
Hours worked
Gross payments

PLUS

If requested, copies of bank statements showing the deposits for the above pay slips or payroll print out.

Copies of invoices showing a minimum of:

Your ABN as a subcontractor
Dates worked
Hours billed for each job
Total amount of hours billed
Business name and ABN of the other party to the subcontracting arrangements