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Job Ready Program (JRP) for Chefs & Cooks in Australia

Key Information About the Job Ready Program

The Job Ready Program (JRP), managed by Trades Recognition Australia, is a structured pathway that allows international graduates to gain work experience and complete a skills assessment required for skilled migration in Australia.

This program is essential for Chefs (ANZSCO 351311) and Cooks (ANZSCO 351411) who want to apply for permanent residency.

General Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the Job Ready Program (JRP), follow the below checklist:

  • Your occupation assessment path must be listed on the Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) website. You can search your ANZSCO code there to check if your occupation qualifies.
  • You must have been the primary visa holder of a Student Visa.
  • You must have at least 12 months of full work rights (or equivalent part time) available to complete the program. Full work rights mean you are able to work 38 hours in a week.
  • You must be working in your nominated occupation.
  • You must be working with your registered employer.
  • Your occupation must also appear on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) to be eligible for certain skilled visa pathways after completing the JRP.

The JRP is available for a range of trade occupations assessed by TRA. If you’re in a related profession such as nursing or accounting, different skills assessment pathways may apply — check skills assessment guides to find the right process for your occupation.

Stages of Australia’s Job Ready Program (JRP)

Step 1: Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA)

This is used to check the genuineness of your educational qualifications and is the first step to meet the requirements of the 485 Visa (Graduate Work stream).

Eligibility criteria:

  • You must be a primary student visa holder in Australia.
  • You must have a qualification relevant to an occupation assessed by TRA, and awarded by a CRICOS-registered RTO as a result of your studies.

Step 2: Job Ready Employment (JRE)

This is the initial assessment of your current work. If your previous 3 months of work is considered at an eligible skill level, these hours will be counted towards the overall hours required. To meet the overall hour requirements, hours can be counted from more than one employer.

Eligibility criteria:

  • You must have received a successful PSA outcome.
  • You must have less than 4 months remaining on your student visa.
  • You must hold or have lodged a 485 visa or other visas that have full work rights and are valid for a minimum of 12 months.
  • You must complete 1,725 hours of relevant skilled work with a Registered Employer.

Note: You can apply for the next step after working for your employer for 6 months, once you have reached 863 hours of work.

Step 3: Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA)

The next step involves an assessor visiting your primary workplace. This enables TRA to confirm that the work is being undertaken at an appropriate skill level and adheres to the assessment requirements.

Eligibility criteria:

  • TRA must approve your employment arrangement before the assessment.
  • You must have adequate pay evidence for at least 863 hours over a minimum of 6 months from the date your JRE starts.
  • You must have an acceptable Skills Progress Report (SPR) and Employment Verification Report (EVR).
  • You should also have any other relevant documents that confirm you are performing your designated tasks and developing key skills related to your nominated occupation.

Step 4: Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA)

Eligibility criteria:

  • TRA must approve your employment.
  • You must have a successful JRWA outcome.
  • You must provide TRA with adequate and acceptable pay evidence for a minimum of 1,725 hours over a minimum of 12 months from your JRE start date.

Note: TRA will email you within 45 days of your JRFA application with an outcome letter confirming if all steps have been completed. This letter is not your qualification or a formal certificate of your skills/experience.

What Happens After Completing the JRP?

Once you receive a successful JRP outcome, you can use your skills assessment to apply for a permanent skilled visa. Depending on your occupation and circumstances, common visa pathways include:

  • Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent Visa (no state nomination required)
  • Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional Visa (state or family sponsored)

Use an immigration points test calculator to estimate your points score and understand which visa pathway suits you best.

To summarise, the Job Ready Program (JRP) is a key step for several trade occupations and allows you to get your skills and qualifications assessed. As this is a lengthy process and requires you to fulfil several eligibility criteria at different stages, it is best to understand the process in advance and get started as soon as you are eligible for the first step.