This article is Dr. Sirous Ahmadi’s answer to a question from one of our viewers, Registered Migration Agent (MARA 0854826). The question was whether part-time work experience carries the same weight as full-time experience in a skills assessment, and what happens to your current assessment if you decide to change your occupation code. Below, the basis for each rule is drawn from the official sources of the assessing authorities and the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
The short answer
In standard VETASSESS and ACS migration assessments, paid work of at least 20 hours per week counts as “full-time”. Weeks under 20 hours are not accepted, and irregular hours are not averaged out. In a DAMA assessment, however, part-time work is calculated pro rata against 38 hours. If you change your occupation code, your previous assessment does not carry over to the new occupation. You need a fresh assessment against the criteria of the new occupation, with the assessing authority for that occupation.
What does the law say?
Under the Migration Regulations 1994, each occupation has a designated assessing authority, and each authority sets its own criteria. ACS states explicitly that it reserves the right to determine relevance and the standards by which an applicant’s skills are assessed. For that reason, the precise answer to the “part-time or full-time” question depends on the assessing authority and the type of program.
VETASSESS (professional and general occupations): For skills assessment purposes, full-time employment means paid work of at least 20 hours per week. Irregular periods that average out to 20 hours per week over a year are not accepted. VETASSESS gives its own example: if you worked 12 hours a week for three months and then 40 hours a week for seven months in the nominated occupation, only the seven-month period will be considered. In its expert answers (April 2024), VETASSESS stressed that any period that does not meet the minimum of 20 hours per week does not satisfy the assessment requirements. If you hold several jobs at the same time, the hours of these relevant jobs can be combined to meet the 20-hours-per-week requirement.
ACS (ICT occupations): Full-time employment means 20 or more hours per week, and this must be stated in the employment reference letter. Employment of fewer than 20 hours per week will be assessed as not suitable.
DAMA, where part-time is calculated differently: In a DAMA assessment, VETASSESS accepts part-time employment on a pro-rata basis. The minimum acceptable hours for part-time work is 20 hours per week. For example, two years of work at 20 hours per week is equivalent to one year of work at 38 hours per week. The same rule was repeated in the DAMA webinar Q&A (May 2026): where hours of work are less than full-time (38 hours per week), VETASSESS will calculate on a pro-rata basis. For trade occupations, too, VETASSESS says that part-time employment is calculated on a pro-rata basis.
There is no single rule on length of experience: The amount of experience required depends on the assessing authority, the occupation group and how closely your qualification relates to the occupation. VETASSESS says that if your qualification is not fully relevant, you may need more work experience to meet the minimum requirements and be assessed as skilled. It also says that employment outside the last five years is not accepted and does not meet the assessment requirements. At ACS, some pathways require 5 years of relevant experience in the last 10 years, or 6 years of relevant experience at any time in the employment history.
Key requirements for part-time and full-time work experience
| Topic | VETASSESS (professional/general) | ACS | VETASSESS (DAMA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum weekly hours | 20 hours per week, paid | 20 or more hours per week, stated in the employment letter | 20 hours per week |
| Definition of full-time | 20 hours and above counts as full-time | 20 hours and above counts as full-time | 38 hours per week |
| Weeks under 20 hours | Not counted and not averaged | Assessed as not suitable | Not counted |
| Part-time work between 20 and 38 hours | Equivalent to full-time | Equivalent to full-time | Calculated pro rata against 38 hours |
- Multiple concurrent jobs: At VETASSESS, the hours of relevant concurrent jobs can be combined to reach 20 hours per week.
- Leave: Only leave on full pay counts as paid employment.
- Date skilled and points: The “qualifying period” is the length of experience required to meet the assessment criteria for the occupation. For this reason, the years spent meeting those criteria do not count as years eligible for points in the Points Test.
- The Department of Home Affairs’ separate requirement for points: The Schedule 6D policy released under FOI states: “employment of at least 20 hours per week” generally means 20 hours in every week. It also states that relevant employment in Australia and overseas is considered in the 10 years before the date of invitation for the purposes of awarding points.
- Changing your occupation code: The experience must be paid employment of at least 20 hours per week in an occupation within the same ANZSCO Unit Group as the new occupation.
What does this mean for you?
As Dr. Sirous Ahmadi explains, if every working week in your standard VETASSESS or ACS assessment was at least 20 hours and paid, being on a part-time contract is not in itself a weakness in your case. For these two authorities, that experience is treated as full-time experience. What needs careful checking is that no period falls below 20 hours and that your working hours are clearly stated in your employment reference letter. If your pathway is DAMA or a trade assessment, the calculation is different. In those pathways part-time work is calculated pro rata, and you need more time to meet the same requirement.
Extra years of experience also serve a specific purpose. They can satisfy the requirements of pathways that call for longer experience, move your “date skilled” earlier, and leave part of your experience usable for work-experience points. Only experience after the date skilled earns points.
On changing your occupation code: your current positive assessment remains valid for that same occupation and does not transfer to the new one. VETASSESS confirms that you can request that your skills be assessed against a different occupation. The new occupation may also have a different assessing authority. Before you act, weigh up three things: whether your experience falls within the Unit Group of the new occupation, what the appropriate pathway and required length of experience are for that occupation, and how your date skilled would change and what effect that has on your points. Dr. Sirous Ahmadi, Registered Migration Agent, normally reviews these three points separately for each case before a new assessment is lodged, so that a change of occupation code does not end up working against the applicant.
Sources
- VETASSESS – Application process for a professional or general skills application
- VETASSESS – Answers by experts in professional occupations (August 2024)
- VETASSESS – 6 Answers by Experts (April 2024)
- VETASSESS – Nominate an Occupation
- VETASSESS – Skilled Migration For Professionals FAQs
- VETASSESS – Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA)
- VETASSESS – Answers by Experts: DAMA Webinar Live Q&A (May 2026)
- VETASSESS – Assessment Evidence Requirements for Trade Occupations
- Australian Computer Society – General Skills Assessment Pathway
- Department of Home Affairs – Schedule 6D general points test policy (released under FOI, 2020)
Before you change your occupation code, map out your pathway carefully
Changing your occupation code can open up a new opportunity, provided you have first clarified how your part-time and full-time experience, the Unit Group of the new occupation, the assessing authority and the effect on your work-experience points all fit together. If you want to know how your employment history would be assessed under a new occupation and where your date skilled would fall, share your documents for a specialist review with the office of Dr. Sirous Ahmadi, Registered Migration Agent (MARA 0854826), so that you can lodge the new assessment with a clear plan and full awareness of the consequences.
Frequently asked questions
Does VETASSESS accept part-time work experience for a skills assessment?
Yes, provided you worked at least 20 hours every week and were paid. In VETASSESS professional and general assessments, work of 20 hours or more per week counts as full-time. Periods under 20 hours are not accepted, and irregular hours are not averaged out.
Does ACS treat part-time work as full-time?
ACS treats work of 20 or more hours per week as full-time, as long as this is stated in the employment reference letter. Experience of fewer than 20 hours per week is assessed as not suitable.
How is part-time work calculated in a DAMA assessment?
In DAMA, VETASSESS calculates part-time work pro rata against 38 hours per week, and the minimum acceptable is 20 hours per week. For example, two years of work at 20 hours per week is equivalent to one year of full-time work.
If I change my occupation code, does my previous positive assessment remain valid?
Your previous assessment is valid only for that same occupation and does not transfer to the new one. You need a fresh assessment against the criteria of the new occupation, with its assessing authority. Your experience must also fall within the same ANZSCO Unit Group as the new occupation.
Do all years of work experience count toward Points Test points?
No. At VETASSESS, the years needed to meet the assessment criteria are not counted as experience eligible for points, and only experience after the date skilled earns points. For work-experience points, the Department of Home Affairs also requires employment of at least 20 hours in every week.
This answer reflects the law and policy as verified on November 5, 2026. Immigration rules change frequently — confirm the current position before acting.
Dr. Sirous Ahmadi Registered Migration Agent 0854826
This article is general information only, current at the date shown, and is not legal advice. Do not rely on it for your own situation — immigration law and policy change frequently. Seek advice from a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer about your circumstances.