TRA Skills Assessment for Baker (ANZSCO 351111) — 2026 Guide

This is the 2026 TRA skills assessment guide for ANZSCO 351111 — Baker. For visa pathway selection see the 351111 pathway guide; for cost/timeline see the case study.

TRA pathways

OSA is the default route for offshore applicants. JRP is the path for 485 / 482 holders.

Benchmark qualification

The Australian benchmark is Cert III in Baking (FBP30421) or Cert III in Bread Baking (FBP30521). Apprenticeship 36-42 months. Core competencies:

• Bread production — yeast-leavened, sourdough-leavened, chemically-leavened.
• Viennoiserie — laminated dough (croissant, pain au chocolat, danish, brioche).
• Specialty bread — rye, multigrain, gluten-free, sourdough rye / spelt / wholemeal.
• Production-line baking — mass production, machinery operation (mixer, divider, moulder, prover, oven).
• Bakery scaling — formula scaling, baker's percentage, yield management.
• Food safety — FSANZ Food Safety Standards, HACCP, allergen management.
• Wheat / flour science — protein content, gluten development, fermentation control.
• Oven technology — deck oven, rack oven, tunnel oven, wood-fired oven (Forno Bravo, Pavesi); steam injection; convection.

Documents

1. Trade qualification certificate(s) with academic transcripts — certified copies.
2. Apprenticeship completion documentation — indenture / signed log / final assessor report.
3. Detailed CV mapped to ANZSCO 351111 — bakery types worked at (artisan, wholesale, franchise, supermarket, cafe), products produced, machinery operated.
4. Employment reference letters on letterhead — role, dates, hours/week, salary, baker duties.
5. Identity — passport bio page.
6. Payslips / tax records.
7. Food safety training — HACCP, allergen management, food handler / supervisor certifications.
8. Photo evidence — products produced (bread, viennoiserie, pastries), workplace setup, baker's workplace photos.
9. Recipes / production sheets — sample dough formulations (sourdough levain, baguette, viennoiserie laminated dough).
10. Speciality / competition certificates — Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, Mondial du Pain, Australian bakery competitions.

ANZSCO 351111 task focus

Reference letters and JRP workplace evidence must show at least 65% time on baker duties:

• Bread production — yeast bread (white tin, wholemeal, sourdough), Italian (ciabatta, focaccia, pane), French (baguette, pain de campagne, miche), specialty (rye, multigrain, gluten-free).
• Sourdough / natural leaven — building / refreshing levain, bulk fermentation, shape and proof, scoring, baking.
• Viennoiserie — laminated dough — croissant, pain au chocolat, danish, brioche, kouign-amann, savarin.
• Doughs / pastes — bread dough, brioche dough, choux, puff (rough / inverse), shortcrust.
• High-volume production — spiral mixer (Diosna, Sottoriva, Sancassiano, Bear Varimixer), fork mixer, dough divider / rounder (Bertuetti, Werner & Pfleiderer, Bongard), automatic moulder, retarder-prover (Polin, Bongard, MIWE), tunnel oven (high-volume wholesale).
• Deck oven baking — temperature management, steam injection, oven loading patterns; Tom Chandley, Polin, Sveba Dahlen, Bongard Cervap / Soleo, Tom Chandley Compacta.
• Wood-fired baking — Le Panyol, Forno Bravo, Pavesi — for artisan bakeries.
• Pizza dough — Neapolitan-style high-hydration; traditional / Roman / focaccia.
• Ethnic specialty — naan (tandoor oven), pita / lavash, mantou / baozi, banh mi rolls, Lebanese flatbread (saj).
• Sweet baked products — donuts (yeast / cake), brioche-based products, sweet bread (panettone, hot cross buns).
• Food safety — HACCP plan, temperature logs, allergen segregation, FSANZ Food Safety Standards 3.2.2 / 3.2.2A.
• Quality control — proof time, dough temperature, hydration, finished-product weight, crumb structure assessment.

Useful certifications

• Cert III in Baking (FBP30421) — Australian benchmark.
• Cert III in Bread Baking (FBP30521) — specialist benchmark.
• Cert IV in Baking / Patisserie — for supervisor / head-baker roles.
• Food Safety Supervisor — state-required (NSW Food Safety Supervisor, Vic Food Safety Supervisor, QLD Food Safety Supervisor).
• HACCP Level 2 — recognised food safety training.
• Allergen management — for industrial / wholesale roles.
• Working at Heights / Confined Space — for industrial bakery silo work.
• Forklift WP licence — for warehouse baker roles.

English

TRA doesn't directly require English. Home Affairs requires Competent English; for points-tested visas target Proficient (10 pts) or Superior (20 pts).

Common pitfalls

• Restaurant chef pretending to baker. If your work is restaurant breakfast / brunch with some bread on the side, 351311 Chef is more accurate.
• Pastrycook profile. If 70%+ of your work is cakes / desserts / decorated cakes, 351112 Pastrycook is the right code.
• In-store / supermarket baker without artisan skills. Pure bake-off / par-baked-bread heater is borderline for 351111 — TRA expects from-scratch dough development.
• Family bakery without formal qualification. Long career as a family bakery operator without formal Cert III may need to apply through JRP (workplace stages) rather than OSA.

Tools

• Document checklist
• Points calculator
• Visa fee calculator

Authoritative sources

• TRA
• Baking Industry Association of Australia (BIAA)
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)
• Home Affairs — fees
• Office of MARA

Next step

Want a personalised TRA plan for 351111? Book a 30-minute free strategy call.