Yes, casual, part-time, and self-employment can count toward your work experience requirements for most Australian skilled migration visas. The Department of Home Affairs and skills assessment authorities are generally more concerned with the quality, relevance, and duration of your work than the specific employment contract type.

1. How Different Employment Types Count

The key to getting your experience recognized is translating your work into “Full-Time Equivalent” (FTE) hours.

• Casual and Part-Time: These are fully recognized provided you can prove you worked at the required skill level.
  • Calculation: Experience is calculated on a pro-rata basis. If you work 20 hours per week (roughly 50% of a standard 38-hour full-time week), it will take you two years to accumulate the equivalent of one year of full-time experience.
  • The 20-Hour Rule: For many General Skilled Migration (GSM) points-tested visas (like the 189, 190, or 491), work experience is typically only counted if you work a minimum of 20 hours per week.
• Self-Employment: This is also valid, provided you can demonstrate that the work was performed at the professional or skilled level required for your occupation. You must show that the business was active, legitimate, and that your role was directly related to your nominated ANZSCO occupation.

2. Essential Rules for “Counting” Your Experience

Regardless of your employment type, your work must meet these three mandatory criteria:

• Skill Level: The work must be performed at the level of depth and complexity required for your nominated occupation (as defined by ANZSCO). Working in a lower-skilled role within your industry (e.g., a “Kitchen Hand” trying to claim “Chef” experience) will not be accepted.
• Post-Qualification: In most cases, your work experience only begins to count after you have completed the formal education required for your occupation.
• Remuneration: You must be able to prove you were paid for your work. Unpaid internships, volunteer work, or “shadowing” usually do not count as skilled employment.

3. How to Prove Your Experience

Since you don’t have a traditional “boss” to sign off on a reference letter in self-employment, or you might lack standard contracts for casual work, documentation is critical:

• For Casual/Part-Time: Compile your payslips, bank statements showing salary deposits, and your employment contracts or letters of offer. Ensure these clearly state your average weekly hours.
• For Self-Employment: You need “third-party” verification. This typically includes:
  • Accountant/Legal Statements: Official letters on company letterhead from a registered accountant or lawyer confirming your business activities, dates of operation, and annual income.
  • Client Evidence: Client invoices, contracts, and proof of payment (e.g., bank statements) that verify you provided the services in your nominated occupation.
  • Registration: Business registration documents or tax records (e.g., TFN/ABN documentation in Australia).