For many senior managers and executives pursuing skilled migration to Australia, a positive skills assessment from the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia and New Zealand (IML) is a critical step.
Understanding how the process works, what is assessed, and how to prepare can significantly impact your outcome.
What is the IML Skills Assessment?
The IML skills assessment is designed for senior-level management occupations and is required for several skilled permanent visa pathways, including subclasses 189, 190 and 491. It is also a requirement for skilled migrants wanting to pursue the subclass 186 employer sponsored visa through the direct entry pathway.
It assesses whether your qualifications, employment history, and leadership experience meet Australian standards for managerial roles.
Importantly, the assessment considers both your formal education and your employment experience.
The institute currently assesses the following occupations:
- Chief Executive or Managing Director [ANZSCO: 111111]
- Corporate General Manager [ANZSCO: 111211]
- Sales and Marketing Manager [ANZSCO: 131112]
- Advertising Manager [ANZSCO: 131113]
- Public Relations Manager [ANZSCO: 131114]
- Human Resource Manager [ANZSCO: 132311]
- Engineering Manager [ANZSCO: 133211]
- Supply and Distribution Manager [ANZSCO: 133611]
- Procurement Manager [ANZSCO: 133612]
Step 1: Confirm the Correct Assessing Authority
Before preparing your application, it is essential to confirm that:
- Your occupation falls within IML’s scope.
- IML is the designated assessing authority for your ANZSCO occupation.
IML primarily assesses senior-level management and the requirements to satisfy are usually strict and very detailed.
If your occupation falls outside this scope, a different assessing authority will apply and a different occupation might be assigned to you based on your duties, seniority level and occupational circumstances.
Step 2: Understand the Assessment Criteria
IML evaluates applicants based on a combination of:
- Leadership and strategic decision-making capability
- Level of managerial responsibility
- Organisational impact and reporting structure
- Professional development and career progression
The focus is not purely on job titles, but on the substance of your role and your level of responsibility. These capacities must be demonstrated in relevant qualifications to your occupation, employment evidence (e.g. work reference letter detailing your tasks and duties and organisational chart), and IML Management Competency Framework Written Response. Further information on this Competency Framework can be found below.
This is where many applications succeed or fail.
Step 3: Prepare Supporting Documentation
A strong application relies heavily on detailed and consistent documentation.
Required documents include:
- Passport and identity documents;
- Curriculum vitae;
- Academic qualifications and transcripts;
- Employment references providing details of your employer as well as tasks and duties performed in your role;
- Detailed position descriptions;
- Details of two referees;
- Organisational charts showing clear reporting lines; and
- IML Management Competency Framework Written Responses.
All documents must align with the claims made in your application. Any inconsistencies may result in delays or refusal.
IML Management Competency Framework Written Response
The IML Management Competency Framework Written Response is a mandatory component of the skills assessment that requires applicants to demonstrate their management and leadership capability through practical, experience-based examples.
Applicants must select one competency from each of the three core areas of the framework, namely managing and leading self, managing and leading others, and managing and leading the business, and provide a separate written response for each. Each response must be no more than 500 words and should clearly illustrate how the applicant has applied the selected competency in a real professional context.
IML expects applicants to adopt a structured approach, such as the STAR method, addressing the situation, the tasks, the actions taken, the results achieved, and a reflection on what was learned. The focus is on evidencing genuine leadership involvement, decision making, and outcomes, rather than listing responsibilities, allowing IML to assess whether the applicant operates at the required senior management level in practice.
Step 4: Lodge the Application
Applications are submitted online through the IML portal.
Standard processing times are approximately 10 weeks, with faster options available under an express service.
Step 5: Assessment Outcome
IML will assess whether your qualifications and experience meet the required standard.
Possible outcomes include:
- Positive skills assessment
- Negative outcome
- Request for further information: this means that you must provide further information as per the officer’s requirements
A positive outcome is typically valid for three years and can be used for your visa application.
Key Considerations for a Strong Application
From a practical perspective, the most common issues we see include:
- Overstating managerial responsibilities without supporting evidence
- Weak or generic employment references
- Misalignment between ANZSCO occupation and actual duties
- Insufficient evidence of senior-level decision-making
IML places significant weight on demonstrated leadership impact, not just years of experience.
Final Thoughts
The IML skills assessment is not simply a document submission exercise. It is a detailed evaluation of whether your career genuinely aligns with senior management standards in Australia.
At Migration Affairs, we work closely with professionals to ensure their experience is properly articulated, supported, and aligned with IML expectations.
If you are considering an IML skills assessment or have received an outcome that you are unsure about, reach out to our team for tailored advice.
Contact us today:
📧 info@migrationaffairs.com.au
🌐 migrationaffairs.com.au/contact
📞 +61 2 8226 8777
Changes to the migration program can occur without notice. The above information is not intended to be legal advice and is correct as of the date of writing this article.
Contact Migrations Affairs to speak with our immigration experts for tailored advice on the circumstances and eligibility.
