Australian Distinguished Talent Visa (Subclass 124 & 858)

The Distinguished Talent Visa (subclass 124 or 858) is a permanent visa for people with a history of excellence in an eligible field.

• To apply, you must have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement (and still be prominent) in a profession, a sport, the arts or academia and research
• be nominated by an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, eligible New Zealand citizen, or Australian organisation with a national reputation in relation to your area of talent

This is a Permanent Residence visa and holders can:

• work and study
• stay in Australia permanently
• sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence in Australia
• if eligible, become an Australian citizen
• enrol in Australia's public health care scheme, Medicare
• sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
• travel to and from Australia for 5 years

Where can you apply ?

• SC 124 visa: You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa, but you must be outside Australia when we decide on your application.
• SC 858 visa: If you will be inside Australia when we decide on your visa application, you could apply for the Distinguished Talent visa

Requirements:

Be internationally recognised with a record of achievement

You must be internationally recognised with a record of achievement in:

• a profession
• a sport
• the arts, or
• academia and research

Your achievements must be exceptional and outstanding. This means you:

• are currently prominent in your field
• have superior abilities to others in your field
• are acclaimed as exceptional in any country where your field is practised
• have a record of sustained achievement that is unlikely to diminish in the future

You must also participate in a field that:

• is recognised and accepted in Australia
• has international standing
• You must have been prominent in this field in the past 2 years.

You must be of benefit to the Australian Community:

• economic
• social
• cultural, or
• to raise Australia's academic, artistic or sports standing internationally
• You must contribute to the nation as a whole.

You must be nominated

• You must be nominated to apply for this visa. Your nominator must also meet our criteria.
• Your nominator must be an Australian citizen, Permanent resident, Eligible New Zealand citizen or an Australian organisation with a national reputation in the same field as you. Where appropriate, the nomination should come from the peak Australian body.

Age:

• If you are under 18 years old or you are aged 55 years or older when you apply, you must be of exceptional benefit to the Australian community.

Other:

• Meet the health criteria
• Meet the character requirements

Australian Employer Nominated Visa Categories - 186, 482 / TSS

Employer Nominated Stream (ENS visas) - 186 and TSS 482 Visas  - This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, live and work in Australia on a permanent or temporary basis

The following is a brief overview of the ENS stream.

Note that the criteria and requirements are complex, and you should not apply unless you have received professional advice on your eligibility

For a personal assessment, and specific advice on your options for one of the employer sponsored / nominated visas, and to receive professional advice on the steps you need to follow, including the skills assessment criteria, Register with us

Subclass 491 Visa (Invited Pathway) - Provisional Residence State Sponsored Visa (Skilled Visa) for Australia

The 491 visa is a skilled (points tested and invited) visa for applicants that are sponsored by a state or territory government (or eligible family), and that intend applying for a provisional residence visa (as a pathway towards Permanent Residence)

* a holder of a 491 visa signs an undertaking to reside in the sponsoring state or territory for the first 3 years after taking up residence, and must live and work in that designated area for 3 years as requirement to then apply for a permanent residence visa

KEY POINTS

• You must be invited to apply for the visa
• You must lodge an EOI
• You will need to be nominated by an Australian state or territory or sponsored by an eligible relative
• You must be under 45 to be invited
• The Pass Mark (points Test): you need a minimum of 65 points (including state sponsorship points which adds 15 points)

Visa Type: Provisional (Temporary) Residence

Processing time (for the visa stage):

• 75% of applications: 7 months
• 90% of applications: 8 months

Application Details

Holders of a 491 visa can:

• stay in Australia for up to 5 years
• live, work and study in a specified region of Australia
• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want, while the visa is valid
• For skilled workers who want to live and work in Australia
• You can bring your family
• If you get this visa, you might be able to apply for the Skilled Regional (Permanent) visa (subclass 887)

How do you apply ?

• You have to have a Nominated Occupation for Australian Skills Visa on the relevant skilled occupation list list AND on the specific state's occupation list (and fully satisfy the criteria for that occupation)
• You can apply offshore or onshore (unless you have a condition on your visa prohibiting you from making an application in Australia eg. a 8503 condition)

This is a 4 step application

1. You have to pass a skills assessment by a relevant skills assessment authority
2. Then submit an EOI
3. Then be invited to apply for state sponsorship, and when invited, apply for state sponsorship  OR if sponsored by eligible family then have the sponsorship in place (note eligible family must reside in a designated area in order to sponsor, and be settled permanent residents or Australian citizens)
4. Then, when invited to apply (you get an immediate invite to apply from the DoHA when then state approves your sponsorship), apply for your visa within 60 days

You must satisfy other criteria such as:

• Character requirements
• Medical and Health Requirements for Australian Visa
• English Language requirements
• Recent work experience criteria
• If you are 18 years of age or older, you must:have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet and
  confirm you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you sign or accept the Australian Values Statement.

Note however that many applications will realistically only receive an invite if you are able to claim high points AND meet state specific criteria

Subclass 190 visa - State Sponsored Visa (Skilled Visa) for Australia

The 190 visa is a skilled (points tested and invited) visa for applicants that are sponsored by a state or territory government, intend applying for a permanent residence visa

* a holder of a 190 visa signs an undertaking to reside in the sponsoring state or territory for the first 2 years after taking up residence

KEY POINTS

• You must be invited to apply for and then approved for state sponsorship
• You must lodge an EOI 
• You must be under 45 to be invited
• The Pass Mark (points Test): you need a minimum of 65 points (including state sponsorship points which adds 5 points)

Visa Type: Permanent Residence

Processing time (for the visa stage):

• 75% of applications: 6 months
• 90% of applications: 8 months

Application Details

Holders of a 190 visa can:

• stay in Australia permanently
• work and study in Australia
• enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme
• sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
• travel to and from Australia for 5 years
• if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship

How do you apply ?

• You have to have a Nominated Occupation for Australian Skills Visa on the STSOL list AND on the specific state's occupation list (and fully satisfy the criteria for that occupation)
• You can apply offshore or onshore (unless you have a condition on your visa prohibiting you from making an application in Australia eg. a 8503 condition)

This is a 4 step application

1. You have to pass a skills assessment by a relevant skills assessment authority
2. Then submit an EOI
3. Then be invited to apply for state sponsorship, and when invited, apply for state sponsorship
4. Then, when invited to apply (you get an immediate invite to apply from the DoHA when then state approves your sponsorship), apply for your visa within 60 days

You must satisfy other criteria such as:

• Character requirements
• Medical and Health Requirements for Australian Visa
• English Language requirements
• Recent work experience criteria

• If you are 18 years of age or older, you must:

  have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet and
  confirm you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you sign or accept the Australian Values Statement.

Note however that many applications will realistically only receive an invite if you are able to claim high points AND meet state specific criteria

Subclass 189 Visa (Skilled Visa) for Australia

The 189 visa is a skilled (points tested and invited) visa for applicants that are not sponsored by an employer, and intend applying for their own skilled independent permanent residence visa

a holder of a 189 visa is free to live and work anywhere in Australia.

KEY POINTS

• You don't need a sponsor (no state or family sponsorship applies)
• You must be invited to apply (EOI)
• You must be under 45 to be invited
• The Pass Mark (points Test): you need a minimum of 65 points 

Note however that many applications will realistically only receive an invite if you are able to claim 70, 75 or even 80 points.

Visa Type: Permanent Residence

Processing time (for the visa stage):

• 75% of applications: 6 months
• 90% of applications: 8 months

Application Details

Holders of a 189 visa can:

• stay in Australia permanently
• work and study in Australia
• enrol in Medicare, Australia's public health care scheme
• sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
• travel to and from Australia for 5 years
• if eligible, apply for Australian citizenship

How do you apply ?

• You have to have a Nominated Occupation for Australian Skills Visa on the MLTSSL list (and fully satisfy the criteria for that occupation)
• You can apply offshore or onshore (unless you have a condition on your visa prohibiting you from making an application in Australia eg. a 8503 condition)

This is a 3 step application

1. You have to pass a skills assessment by a relevant skills assessment authority
2. Then submit an EOI
3. Then, when invited to apply, apply for your visa

You must satisfy other criteria such as:

• Character requirements
• Medical and Health Requirements for Australian Visa
• English Language requirements
• Recent work experience criteria

• If you are 18 years of age or older, you must:

  have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet and
  confirm you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you sign or accept the Australian Values Statement.

What is an EOI (Expression Of Interest) ?

If you intend to apply for an Australian Points Tested Skills Visa (GSM) or a Business Skills Visa, you have to first lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the DoHA via SkillSelect

The best candidates will then receive an invitation to apply for a visa

How do you submit an EOI via SkillSelect ?

This is done via SkillsSelect on the DoHA portal.

What does an EOI comprise of ?

When you submit an EOI, you will be asked to submit information about yourself, and your potential points claims

You do not have to submit any documentation, however, you do need reference details for your skills assessment and approved skills assessment

It is absolutely essential that the information you provide in the EOI is accurate. If you receive an invitation to apply for a visa, and the information (claims) you provided in the EOI is not accurate, your application will be refused

Before you submit the EOI, the DoHA platform will show your points total

For a Skills Visa (189, 190 and 489 visa) you will need to provide the following information

• Your personal details (name, surname, date of birth, citizenship details, residence details)
• Details of your partner (if applicable)
• Your nominated occupation (you must have an approved migration skills assessment in place as you will need to provide details of your approved skills assessment(
• Your work and employment experience
• English Language proficiency (you will need to provide details of your English test outcome)
• and if you are applying for a state / territory nomination, you need to select your preference

After you submit your EOI

You can update your information at any time prior to receiving an invitation to apply for a visa

Your EOI will remain in the system for up to 2 years from the date you apply

How do the DoHA issue invites ?

State sponsored applicants: You will receive an immediate invite to apply for your visa when the state approves your sponsorship

189 applicants:

• There is one invite round per month (11th of each month)
• The DoHA issue invites based on numerous factors e.g.
  • Quotas (occupation ceilings) are set for each occupation group for the year
  • Points totals (applicants with the highest points will be issued an invitation)
    • For some occupation groups, you need at least 70 or even 75+ points in order to have a realistic chance of receiving an invite
    • Applicants at 65 points (the pass mark) can potentially have a wait of up to 2 years for an invite, and for some occupations, the invite might never materialise ...
    • Applicants at 75 points typically receive an invite within a month (some occupations might need 80 points or more for a speedy invite - our consultants will advise you on your expected wait during our assessment service)

If you applied for a state nominated / sponsored visa 

The states review the EOI's and they select applicants to apply for state sponsorship based on their own set of criteria and occupation lists

The state are under no obligation or requirement to offer sponsorship to you, even if your occupation is on their occupation list

What happens after you receive an invitation to apply ?

You will have 60 days from the date of the invitation to lodge your visa application

When you lodge your application, you will need to provide all your supporting information and evidence to support your points claims

NEXT STEPS

Your assigned consultant will discuss all of the EOI details, as it applies to your future application with you during our assessment service

Chefs and Cooks

Information for Chefs and Cooks regarding visas and immigration to Australia.

Overview:

• To be classified as a Chef for migration purposes it is a requirement that the applicant first establish a case as a Cook and then provide evidence of a further 3 years performing the duties of a Chef (supervisory).
• To be classified for migration purposes as a Chef it is a requirement that an applicant provide evidence satisfying TRA requirements in terms of trade training and employment as a Cook. This requirement is typically satisfied by evidence of:
• a minimum of 4 years in the form of a formal trade apprenticeship or equivalent traineeship (training and employment) as a Cook
• or by demonstrating 6 years training and employment, working in the trade performing duties equivalent to that required of an Australian tradesperson working in that classification at trade level.

Checklist used by an assessment Officer:

Summary

• The entry requirement for this occupation is an AQF Diploma or higher qualification.
• Chefs have first established a case as Cook (4 year apprenticeship) and at least 3 years relevant experience as Chef there after (a total of seven years).
• Where a formal apprenticeship has not been entered into, a six year vocational training period is required with an additional 3 years experience as a Chef in a supervisory position (a total of nine years).
• The applicant must have been in paid employment for at least 12 of the last 18 months before applying for migration.

Australian Standard Classification of Occupations

Cook

Prepares, seasons and cooks food in catering and dining establishments.

Skill Level:
The entry requirement for this occupation is an AQF Certificate III or higher qualification. A Cook has completed a formal four year apprenticeship. Where a formal apprenticeship contract has not been entered into a six year vocational training period must be evidenced.

Tasks Include:

• examines food to ensure quality
• regulates temperatures of ovens, grills and other cooking equipment
• prepares and cooks food
• seasons food during cooking
• portions food, places it in dishes, adds gravies or sauces, and garnishes
• stores food in temperature controlled facilities
• may plan menus and estimate food requirements
• may prepare food to meet special dietary requirements
• may train other kitchen staff and apprentices

Chef

Plans and organises the preparation and cooking of food in dining or catering establishments.

Skill Level:
The entry requirement for this occupation is an AQF Diploma or higher qualification. Chefs have first established a case as Cook (4 year apprenticeship) and at least 3 years relevant experience as Chef there after (a total of seven years).

Where a formal apprenticeship has not been entered into, a six year vocational training period is required with an additional 3 years experience as a Chef in a supervisory position (a total of nine years).

In all instances relevant experience is required in addition to the formal qualification.

Tasks Include:

• plans menus and estimates food and labour costs in consultation with the Head Chef
• implements staff rosters and supervises the activities of cooks and assistants
• discusses food preparation issues with managers, dietitians and other staff members
• requisitions food, kitchen supplies and equipment
• demonstrates techniques to cooks and advises them on cooking procedures
• prepares and cooks food
• portions food, adds gravies, sauces and garnishes
• explains and enforces hygiene regulations
• may select and train staff
• may freeze and preserve foods

Chef de Partie
Commis Chef
Demi Chef
Second Chef
Sous Chef

The Registered Nurse

Information for Registered Nurses regarding visas and immigration to Australia.

Obtaining a visa to reside permanently in Australia made easy.

Overview:
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) is a peak national nursing body concerned with national standards and processes for the regulation of nursing within Australia. It was established by the Australian nurse regulatory authorities in 1992 as a forum for considering the regulation of nursing in Australia within a national focus. Each of the eight state and territory nurse regulatory authorities is represented on this Council.

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) National Nursing Competency Criteria

All nurses and midwives (including direct entry midwives) working in Australia must demonstrate the ANMAC's national competency standards to be eligible for registration with a state or territory Nursing and Midwifery Regulatory Authority (NMRA). Therefore, overseas nurses and midwives must also be able to demonstrate these competency standards in order to be eligible for migration to Australia.

Competency Based Assessment Programs/Migrants Bridging Program

Applicants who have had their qualifications and skills assessed and are required to undertake a Competency Based Assessment Program. The applicants should check with the relevant NMRA that the proposed course of study will lead to registration in that state or territory

Waiver of Competency Based Assessment Program

Some nursing and midwifery qualification may meet the requirements for migration. This means that these nurses will not need to complete a Competency Based Assessment Program.

The Competency Based Assessment Program may be waived for:

• Nurses who have completed recognised program and have gained initial registration in the following countries: United Kingdom, Ireland, United States of America, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands (HBO programs).
• Nurses who have completed a nursing education program in a member state of the European Union is consistent with the European Union standard for the education of nurses responsible for general care (EU directive 2005 / 36 / EC)

For other related information on the ANMAC Migration Skills Assessment, please found at these links below:

• Recognition of Skills in Nursing/Midwifery
• ANMC - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are there any Language Competency Requirements?

In Australia English is the language of communication in health care settings therefore it is essential that nurses have a level of proficiency in English which enables them to communicate competently and safely with clients and colleagues.

A per ANMAC Policy the requirement is that ALL internationally-qualified nurses and midwives applying to the ANMAC under the general skilled migration scheme will be required to provide proof of English language proficiency. Please note that nurses and midwives who hold current registration with an Australian Nursing and Midwifery Regulatory Authority are not required to sumbit English language test results.

New Zealand registered nurses and midwives are exempt from providing proof of English proficiency under the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.

What English Language Tests are accepted by ANMAC:

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Test
  Nurses and midwives must achieve a score of at least 7 in Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking with an overall band score of 7 or more of the IELTS test.
• Occupational English Test (OET)
  Nurses and midwives must achieve a B pass or higher in all four sections of the OET test.

Please note that the date of the both tests (OET & IELTS) must have been undertaken not more than two years before lodging the application for assessment. Original copies of the results of the test should be forwarded to ANMC by the organisation that conducted the test. The results of the test must be forwarded to ANMC prior to completion of the assessment.

Australian Skilled Visas Side By Side

Medical Scientist and Medical Laboratory Technical Officers

Information for MS & MLTO's regarding visas and immigration to Australia.

Overview

MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE IN AUSTRALIA

In Australia, most of those engaged in medical laboratory science are employed in public hospitals while others work in private laboratories. There are two levels of practice:

Medical Scientists (also known as Medical Laboratory Scientists) conduct medical laboratory tests and apply knowledge and methodology from various scientific disciplines including biology, chemistry and physics to assist doctors in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human disease. Duties involve determining the nature, cause and progress of disease through testing blood, body fluids and tissues in medical and pathology laboratories. Responsibilities include the quality and reliability of test results produced and may also include the responsibility for the interpretation of tests and the development of test procedures.

Medical Laboratory Technical Officers perform or assist with laboratory tests on blood, body fluids and tissues in medical and pathology laboratories under the direction of medical scientists and operate diagnostic and monitoring equipment used in support of health professionals.

Disciplines of Medical Laboratory Science in Australia comprise of: Histopathology; Immunology; Virology; Blood Transfusion; Haematology; Cytology; Clinical Biochemistry and Microbiology.

ASSESSMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

If you intend to migrate to Australia on the basis of your skills, the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists is the relevant assessing authority for the following occupations:

• Medical Scientist
• Medical Laboratory Technical Officer

ASSESSMENT PROCESS:

Your skills and qualifications will be assessed by A.I.M.S. to determine, for the purposes of migration to Australia, if they are suitable to work as a Medical Scientist/Medical Laboratory Technical Officer.

The minimum criteria against which an assessment for Medical Scientist is made, are that applicants:

1.  Have completed a professional medical laboratory science degree/or equivalent, or a non-directed science degree, which meets the minimum requirements for membership of the profession which prevailed at the time the applicant graduated from their course of training, and that is assessed as comparable to either an Australian Bachelor degree or an Australian Diploma based on the NOOSR educational assessment guidelines in the Country Education Profiles.

The minimum requirements for a Medical Science program includes basic subjects such as:

• • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Chemistry & Biochemistry
  • Immunology
  • General Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology

The professional subjects are as follows:

• • Clinical Chemistry/Endocrinology
  • Haematology
  • Medical Microbiology
  • Transfusion Science
  • Histopathology/Cytology

2.  To have completed an award in medical laboratory science assessed as comparable to an Australian Associate Diploma from a Technical and Further Education college based on the NOOSR educational assessment guidelines in the Country Education Profiles.

3.  Course Transcript including grades, as required.

4.   To have a minimum of two years of medical laboratory experience *within the five year period immediately prior to applying for assessment. Applicants will be required to provide evidence of employment history.

The minimum requirements for a Medical Technical Officer:

1.  To have completed an award in medical laboratory science assessed as comparable to an Australian  Associate Diploma from a Technical and Further Education college based on the NOOSR educational assessment guidelines in the Country Education Profiles.

2.   Course Transcript including grades, as required.

3.  To have a minimum of two years of medical laboratory experience *within the five year period immediately prior to applying for assessment. Applicants will be required to provide evidence of employment history.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING CHANGES TO THE AIMS ASSESSMENT PROCESS FOR PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

From 1 January 2007 the requirements for English Language proficiency were increased. All applicants are now required to provide a copy of their IELTS Report Form (Academic or General) showing an overall band score of at least 7.0.

From 1 April 2007 Certified documents will be accepted by AIMS only if they meet the criteria listed in the Guidelines for Assessment of Professional Qualifications (updated December 2006).

Documents certified in Australia may be certified by a Justice of the Peace, a Notary Public, a Solicitor or a Commissioner for Oaths.

Documents certified in a country other than Australia must be certified by a Notary Public.

Certification by a family member or by a migration agent acting for the applicant is not acceptable. When wording of the certification is in a language other than English, a certified translation must be provided.

REGISTRATION AND MEMBERSHIP

As in most countries, the practice of a profession in Australia requires evidence of an appropriate level of education and practical experience. Registration in Australia is not a prerequisite for recognition or practice as a medical scientist, however membership of the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists (A.I.M.S.) may enhance employment prospects and is the first step towards professional identity. The Professional levels of membership ensure that members are readily identifiable as medical scientists in the eyes of employers and fellow scientists. Likewise, the Technical levels identify the member as a technical officer or technical assistant.

EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

The primary qualification for Medical Scientists in Australia is a three year degree of Biomedical Science with a Medical Laboratory Science major from a recognised Australian tertiary institution or a comparable qualification. The following directed medical laboratory science degree programs from Australia and New Zealand universities have been accredited by A.I.M.S. All other Australian Science or Applied Science degrees are classified as non-directed degrees. An individual holding one of these qualifications is eligible to be a GRADUATE member. An individual with this qualification and a minimum of two years postgraduate professional medical laboratory experience in an approved medical laboratory is eligible to be a MEMBER.

• Queensland University of Technology - Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Science)
• Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology - Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Laboratory Science)
• University of South Australia - Bachelor of Biomedical Science
• Curtin University of Technology - Bachelor of Science (Medical Science)
• University of Tasmania - Bachelor of Biomedical Science
• Charles Sturt University - Bachelor of Medical Science (Pathology)
• University of Canberra - Bachelor of Applied Science (Medical Laboratory Science)
• The University of Technology, Sydney - Bachelor of Applied Science (Biomedical Science) has been approved as an acceptable qualification provided the medical laboratory science option is followed. A certified photocopy of the course transcript must accompany an application.
• Otago University, New Zealand - Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science
• Massey University, New Zealand - Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science
• University of South Australia -Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science>
• Curtin University of Technology - Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science
• Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology – Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science
• Charles Sturt University - Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science
• James Cook University of North Queensland – Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences. Four (4) year course completed in 1999 or 2000

NATIONAL OFFICE OF OVERSEAS SKILLS RECOGNITION

N.O.O.S.R.. is part of the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (D.E.E.T.Y.A.) and is working together with the Australian States and Territories and professional bodies to improve recognition procedures and access to education and training in Australia for the overseas trained

Bridging Courses - Under the N.O.O.S.R. Bridging Courses for the Overseas Trained program, assistance may be made available to Australian residents preparing to meet recognition requirements for entry to their profession in Australia, such as examinations set by professional bodies.

Occupation ceilings for Australian skilled visas

Occupation Ceilings apply to applications made under the GSM stream for 189 and 489 visas

• The occupation ceiling limits the number of EOI's that can be selected for an invite from the occupation group.
• When the occupation ceiling is reached, no further invitations of that occupation (group) will be issued for that program year (program year runs from 1 July to 30 June each year)
• Look at your occupation's ANZSCO code number, and then use the first 4 digits (the ANZSCO code unit group)

2018-19 program year

*Occupations that are subject to pro rata arrangements. For Accountants (2211) the occupational ceiling also reflects volumes in other skilled visa categories.

Combined Current List of Eligible Skilled Occupations for Skilled Migration

MLTSSL, STSOL and Skilled Occupations List for Australian Skilled Migration Visas

A single list of eligible skilled occupations is provided below to assist you to determine which visa program may be available to you depending on your occupation for the following visa types:

Important:

• This table must be read in conjunction with the List of eligible skilled occupations which provides information on how to use this list and recent changes to the list.
• The table below specifies whether the relevant occupation is included on the:
  • Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
  • Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) or
  • Regional Occupation List (ROL).
• There are caveats on certain occupations (indicated via asterisk(s)) which exclude the use of the occupation in certain circumstances for the subclass 186 and TSS visa programs only.
• The acronyms used in the last column of the table are listed in the Assessing authorities. The assessing authorities do not apply to the subclass 407 visa.

Accountants

Information for Accountants regarding visas and immigration to Australia.

If you intend applying as an Accountant or Auditor (or related) it is essential that you talk to one of our consultants first. Applying under this occupation stream can result in very long delays during the EOI stage, unless you are able to claim high points (80+)

Overview

There is no legislated requirement in Australia for registration of accountants in Australia (except for financial advisers, tax agents and external auditors). The profession tends to regulate itself by preferring to recruit accountants who are members of an Australian professional accounting body (ie. CPA or CA). Likewise, public practitioners with an Australian professional body designation are the preferred choice of Australians wishing to utilise the services provided by a public practice accountant. CPA Australia is one of the two professional accounting bodies in Australia and is a designated assessing authority for the following Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO); Accountant, Corporate Treasurer, External Auditor and Finance Manager.

Assessment for migration purposes is based on the same criteria required for Associate (entry-level) membership of CPA Australia. It is largely similar to assessments provided by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia (ICAA). In general, you can select either CPA Australia or ICAA to provide your assessment. ACCA and CIMA qualified accountants who do not also have an undergraduate degree are offered several options for meeting the requirements for admission as an Associate (entry level) membership of CPA Australia. However, for the purpose of migration applications, these accountants are advised to apply to the ICAA for skills assessment.

To meet the educational standard for any of the above ANZSCO occupations, you must have formal qualifications assessed by CPA Australia as at least comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree. These qualifications must include adequate coverage of at least 9 of the 12 core curriculum areas required for Associate membership. Work experience is not accepted in lieu of formal qualifications. The core curriculum areas are: basic accounting, financial and corporate accounting, current accounting issues (standards and theory), cost and management accounting, business finance, auditing, introductory law (including contracts), economics, statistics, computer information systems, Australian taxation law and Australian company law.

CPA Australia will issue a written assessment result indicating that your qualifications either meet or do not meet the requirement for the nominated ANZSCO occupation. If your assessment advises that you meet the requirement, you can submit it with your visa application without completing any further study. Assessments are valid for five years and will include details of accredited study programs available by distance learning. Thus, if your assessment is not successful in the first instance, you will be able to complete additional studies required to meet the standard required for migration.

If your visa is granted (and activated) and you wish to apply for membership of CPA Australia, you must complete the remaining entry level studies prescribed in your assessment before admission. Members admitted at Associate level must complete our postgraduate level CPA Program and satisfy requisite work experience before advancing to CPA status.

Estimate your chances of successful assessment

Assessment for migration purposes is based on the same criteria required for Associate (entry level) membership of CPA Australia. These criteria are determined by the accounting profession in Australia and form the standard recognised by the profession. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) uses this standard to evaluate your chances of gaining suitable employment in Australia if they grant you a permanent resident visa.

To receive a successful assessment for migration purposes, you must have:

1. A qualification from an accredited educational institution which is assessed by the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) and CPA Australia as comparable to an Australian 3-year Bachelor degree.

Can CPA Australia provide me with a list of recognised universities and degree qualifications? No. There are simply too many institutions world-wide and many of the qualifications are limited by the Division, Class or Aggregate Grade awarded. We do not have the resources to maintain our own sources of reference. In determining the status of your degree, we use (in most cases) the guidelines published in the relevant NOOSR Country Education Profile.

2. Degree requirement

To meet the degree requirement for the general skills assessment, you will need a qualification that is assessed as equivalent to at least an Australian Bachelor degree.

To meet the degree requirement for the provisional assessment, you will need an Australian Bachelor degree or 12 unit Master degree in accounting, business, commerce or economics.

Core knowledge areas

Each ANZSCO code has mandatory and  optional core knowledge areas. To meet the core knowledge requirements of the general and provisional skills assessments, your qualifications will need to cover all mandatory areas for your chosen ANZSCO code, plus an additional optional areas.  Study that is assessed by CPA Australia as equivalent to at least an Australian Bachelor degree will be considered in the assessment of your core knowledge coverage.

The following is a list of the core knowledge areas needed for each ANZSCO code.

Accountant (general) 221111, and Management accountant 221112

Taxation accountant 221113

External auditor 221213

Finance manager 132211, and Corporate treasurer 221212

* Australian Taxation Law is compulsory only for this code – local tax law is optional for all other codes.

• IELTS Academic Test Report Form (TRF) Number to show you have a band score of at least seven (7) on each of the four (4) components – speaking, reading, listening and writing;
• or Evidence of completion of the Skilled Migration Internship Program Accounting: (SMIPA)

Please note that practical experience in a core knowledge area is not accepted as an alternative to formal tertiary study.

Members of Fully recognised overseas accounting bodies

The Institute has reciprocal agreements with the following overseas accounting bodies:

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
• Chartered Accountants Ireland
• Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
• A legally constituted State Authority in the United States of America (the person having CPA status) subject to appropriate service. Also having a Licence to Practice in the state of issue
• The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants
• The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (members of the College of Chartered Accountants)
• The Hong Kong Society of Accountants (only members who have completed the HKICPA Qualifications Programme and trained under an Authorised Employer/Supervisor).

Current Members of these professional bodies will, in general, be assessed as suitable for migration purposes.

Please note that student members of these bodies without a recognised Bachelor degree should only apply when they have become a full member.

Members of Partially recognised overseas accounting bodies

The partially recognised overseas accounting bodies are:

• Current members of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA, UK)
• Current members of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA, UK)
• Current members of The Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA,UK)
• Current members of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
• Current members of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP)

Current members of partially recognised overseas accounting bodies will, in general, be assessed as suitable for migration purposes depending on the nominated occupation chosen. The table above outlines the compulsory and optional areas for each nominated occupation that the Institute can assess.

Please note that student members of these bodies without a recognised Bachelor degree should only apply when they have become a full member.

Not a member of any of the listed accounting bodies?

The Institute will assess studies undertaken with an accounting body that is not listed above along with other tertiary studies to determine adequate coverage in at least 9 out of 12 core knowledge areas listed above.

Please note that the basic requirement for a suitable assessment is that your qualifications are assessed as at least comparable to the level of an Australian bachelor degree.

Therefore, a successful assessment for migration will advise that you have:

1. a qualification which is comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree/tertiary qualifications; and
2. not more than three additional subjects to complete in order to meet the requirements for membership.

Membership of other professional bodies

If you have a recognised university qualification in any discipline in addition to any of the following professional qualifications, you can generally expect to receive a successful assessment:

• • The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
  • The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
  • Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
  • The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
  • Certified General Accountants Association of Canada (CGA – Canada)
  • The Society of Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada)
  • The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA)
  • The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore^* (ICPAS)
  • The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
  • The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)
  • The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ireland (ICAI)
  • The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP)
  • The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)
  • The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL)
  • The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMAP)
  • The Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI)
  • The Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (CPA Ireland)
  • Malaysian Institute of Accountants^* (MIA)
  • Southern Africa Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (SAICSA)
  • The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)

* If you are a member (by examination) of one of these professional bodies and have a degree assessed as comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree, you may be eligible for admission to membership of CPA Australia with full CPA status, subject to fulfilment of all other admission criteria. However, it is emphasised that the basis of any assessment is that you have a recognised degree. For example, if you are a member the Institute of CPAs Ireland but you were admitted with the AAT qualification, you will not be able to receive a successful assessment for migration purposes unless you are prepared to upgrade the AAT to a recognised Bachelor degree or 2-year full-time Masters. (See heading 'Eligibility for Membership' in the Application for Assessment form.)

I am not a member of a professional body. Can I still apply for assessment? Yes. Our Application for Assessment form asks you to provide evidence of membership (and examinations) of other professional bodies. This is not intended to imply that you must be a member of a professional body before you can apply for assessment (or migration). It simply means that if you do have professional membership, you should submit appropriate evidence. If you are not a member of any professional body, then you can disregard this item.

Preparing your application

The following information is relevant to the material you must submit with your application for assessment.

Certified true copies

Documents will not be returned to you after assessment. Thus, we require that you submit certified true copies of original academic awards (certificates, diplomas) and academic transcripts (examination results) with your application.

Who can certify my documents? We will acceptable authorities for certifying documents endorsed by any of the following :

• CPA / FCPA or member of an equivalent professional body
• Commissioner for oaths
• Justice of the Peace
• Notary Public
• Police officer, sheriff, sheriff's officer
• Bank manager, dentist, legal practitioner, medical practitioner, pharmacist, veterinary surgeon
• Australian consular officer, or Australian diplomatic officer
• Any other official who, in your home country, is authorised to endorse documents and legal declarations or witness sworn affidavits
• MARA registered migration agents (commenced 1 October 2007)

Please note that the Institute reserves the right to request original documentation, if required or deemed necessary.

Photocopies of certified documents will not be accepted.

The endorsement must clearly indicate which of the above categories the signatory represents and state that the copies are true and unaltered reproductions of the original documents. CPA Australia will not accept photocopies of your certified documents. You may keep a photocopy for yourself if you wish but please make sure that your application contains the copies bearing the original endorsements.

Academic Transcripts (exam results)

These must be official transcripts. Results downloaded from websites or printouts issued on plain paper will not be accepted.

If your academic transcript indicates that you were given credit towards a degree based on previous studies (either at a lower level or at another institution), you must include relevant documentation for that prior study.

If your university/educational institution issued separate transcripts for each individual year of study, please include transcripts for all years of study.

Syllabus Details (Subject Outlines)

Note: Members of any of the professional bodies listed in the section Membership of other professional bodies are generally not required to submit any syllabus information. There are some exceptions. For example, if you completed a recognised degree which included Auditing and subsequently completed the CIMA professional program, you should submit an outline for the auditing unit/s in your degree.

To obtain a successful assessment for migration purposes, your recognised qualification/s must fulfil at least 9 of the 12 core curriculum subject areas. It is your responsibility to ensure that you provide adequate syllabus detail to demonstrate that your studies covered the required core curriculum subject areas. You must provide detail for all relevant accounting, law, finance, economics, statistics and computer information systems subjects. Failure to provide sufficient syllabus detail may adversely affect the result of your assessment. You will be advised to complete further studies in any subject areas in which we are unable to assess the depth of your knowledge. This will adversely affect the result of your assessment.

I do not have a copy of my syllabus, what can I do? Most reputable institutions keep some information about courses conducted in past years. If not in the form of comprehensive course notes, at least the brief outlines usually found in the handbook/calendar. Contact the university/institution at which you studied and ask if they can provide you with this information. If you graduated recently, you may be able to find the information in the university's website. If the university cannot provide syllabus/outlines for the exact period during which you studied, try to get as close as possible. In this case, the subject names or codes may not exactly match your academic transcript. Please make sure that you clearly indicate those changes. You can do this by writing directly onto the syllabus document and/or academic transcript so that we can easily cross-reference the relevant subjects. If you have (or you are able to obtain) a complete booklet of all subject outlines offered by your university/faculty, please clearly mark those subjects which you actually took or photocopy and submit only the relevant outlines. This will save us from wasting time sifting through irrelevant pages find the information we need. Time wasted in this way results in significant delays — to you and everyone else awaiting assessment results.

I have contacted my university but they cannot give me any syllabus detail for my studies — what can I do? You must prepare your own summary of topics covered and submit it with a Statutory Declaration that the information given in the summary is true.

I graduated years ago and cannot recall what I studied — what can I do? Remember that the basic purpose of the qualifications assessment is to determine that you have the knowledge relevant to your qualifications and the occupation for which you are being assessed. The assumption is that your knowledge is current and therefore useable in your nominated occupation if and when you arrive in Australia.

Failure to provide sufficient syllabus detail may adversely affect the result of your assessment. You will be advised to complete further studies in any subject areas in which we are unable to assess the depth of your knowledge. This will adversely affect the result of your assessment.

How much information should the syllabus contain? Each subject outline should contain enough detail to demonstrate that your studies adequately covered our requirements in each of the core knowledge subject areas (see Recognised Qualifications). For example, a description for Financial Accounting which merely shows that the subject 'covers aspects of duties undertaken in a financial accounting environment' tells us nothing. This kind of description is often found in university handbooks. If your subject outlines look like this, then you will be asked to provide more detail. You will avoid unnecessary delay by ensuring that your application includes syllabus/subject outlines which list all the key topics covered in each of the relevant subjects.

Other tertiary qualifications

You may have an undergraduate degree in Arts (for example) followed by a postgraduate degree in Accounting. Please submit details of both. (Syllabus detail required only for relevant accounting subjects as described in Syllabus detail/subject outlines).

Psychologists

Information for Psychologists regarding visas and immigration to Australia.

Overview:

The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is the national assessing authority in Australia for assessment of overseas academic qualifications in psychology for the purpose of migration. For a fee, the APS determines the level at which an applicant's qualifications are equivalent to an Australian programme of study that has been accredited by the Society.

This service is for people who are seeking to:

• Migrate to Australia under the General Skilled Migration Categories;
• Register or work as a psychologist in Australia; or
• Enter accredited psychology courses in Australia Universities.

Information for overseas applicants

The Australian Government has nominated the APS as the assessing body for overseas psychologists applying for migration to Australia under the General Skilled Migration categories. This means the Society is the only body in Australia that can assess psychology qualifications for migration to Australia under these categories.

Please note that people seeking to migrate under the General Skilled Migration categories must have complete the equivalent of an APS accredited six-year programme of study in psychology.

For further details on requirements for migration to Australia, please contact us or communicate with your consultant in your client area

Assessment of Qualifications

If you intend to migrate to Australia on the basic of your skills, the Australian Psychological Society is the relevant accessing authority for the following occupations:

• Psychologist - Clinical Psychologist
• Psychologist - Educational Psychologist
• Psychologist - Organisational Psychologist
• Psychologist - Psychologist (nec)

What Information do I need to Supply ?

In order to assess an individual's qualifications the APS requires a completed assessment of psychology qualifications application form and certified copies of relevant documentation.

Required documents include:

• Originally certified copies of transcripts and completion certificates for all undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in psychology
• Certified copies of thesis/research project/dissertation extracts (if relevant)
• A certified copy of evidence of membership of psychology organisation(s) (if relevant)
• A certified copy of evidence of licensure/registration as a psychologist (if relevant)
• A certified copy of a marriage certificate or change of name documentation (if relevant)
• A certified copy of your IELTS examination results (if relevant)

How long does an Assessment take ?

Assessing qualifications is a complex process and the current approximate processing time is eight weeks. However the processing time may exceed eight weeks depending on the complexity of an individual's application and whether all the necessary documents have been provided.

Translation of documents into English

All non-English documents must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

If the documents are translated in a country where the translation is made. Ask the Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate for advice if you are unsure.

Translators in Australia are listed in the Yellow Pages telephone book and should be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).

Keep the original translation for your future use. Send only certified copies of the English translation. Refer to the following section for details on how to have your document certified.

Certification

It is essential that copies of documents are certified.

This mean that you should send copies which have been formally endorsed as true copies of the originals by a person or agency recognised by the law of your country and recognised by the Australian Embassy, High Commission or Immigration Office for this purpose.

In Australia, person who may certify documents include Justices of the Peace (JPs), Commissioners for Declarations, and legal practitioners. The APS also accepts documents which have been certified by an accountant, notary, pharmacist, physiotherapist, police officer or psychologist. The certifying officer must not be a family member or spouse.

To have your copies certified you will need to present both the original and the copy of each document to the person certifying the copies. Each copy of the document must be certified separately and must show clearly:

• the words 'certified as a true copy of the original';
• the signature of the certifying officer; and
• the name and address or provider/registration number (where appropriate) of the certifying officer legibly printed below the signature. It must be possible, from the details provided, for the APS to contact the certifying officer if necessary.

Please note that it is the certified document itself which must be submitted with your application A photocopy of a certified document is not valid.

Quick Overview of an Australian Skilled Visa Application

Points tested Australian Skilled Visas subclass 189, 190 and 491 visas

Immigration Library facts and information

• Subclass 189, 190 and 491 side by side comparison 
• Read more about a subclass 189 skilled permanent residence visa
• Read more about a subclass 190 skilled permanent residence visa
• Read more about a  subclass 491 skilled provisional residence visa

GSM (General Skilled Migration) Visa Applications are a 3 Step Process

You must complete step 1 before step 2, and can only get to step 3 (the visa application) following step 2

Typical things you need to do and have ready

1. Complete your English test (must be done for you to lodge an EOI)
2. Ensure that you can verify and evidence all your claimed employment
3. Have all your ID documents ready e.g. passport, unabridged birth certificates, marriage / divorce documents, ID documents, drivers licences etc
4. Have copies of all your qualifications, including transcripts

The basic criteria to apply for a GSM (general skills migration) visa

Age

• You should ideally be under age 45 at time of application for a skills based visa (employer sponsored visas can be applied for when you are over 50 but conditions apply).
• You can claim points for age up to age 44.
• The only realistic option for applicants over 45 would be the employer sponsored or regional employer sponsored pathways (or business stream/ investors etc)

Nominated occupation

• You must be able to nominate an occupation on the STSOL or MLTSSL (skills occupation lists)
  • MLTSSL occupations requires state sponsorship in order to apply for a visa (the state governments support occupations on the STSOL or MLTSSL based on specific skills shortages in that state).
  • BUT do note, the states each have their own list of occupations they sponsor and NOT all occupations on the STSOL are sponsored. Furthermore, the states have specific requirements in order to sponsor.
  • Eligible Family in Australia can also sponsor you if you have an occupation on the MLTSSL
    • Eligible family means close family eg siblings / uncles / aunts / 1st cousins (in select cases only) and then step versions of these.
    • Eligible family must be settled permanent residents or citizens of Australia, and live in a specific designated part of Australia (e.g not Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth etc)
• to nominate an occupation (for visa purposes), you have to have the right set of qualifications PLUS work experience for that occupation. Post graduate work experience is very important, and you need the points claimed for post grad work experience in most instances
• In the majority of cases, to qualify for a visa (based on your nominated occupation), you need either a bachelors degree OR a formal regulated apprenticeship to meet the base criteria or points test criteria

Work experience

• Work experience must be relevant to your qualifications.
  • Work is defined as a min 20 hrs per week (paid work) in your nominated or closely related occupation
• In most cases, you need at least 3 years work experience in your nominated or closely related occupation (and those over 40 need at least 8 years work experience)
• work experience is critical as the minimum requirement is to have some post graduate work experience  to claim work experience points (this means, after you met the academic or training requirements, or trade qualification for the occupation you will nominate), and in many cases, this extends to 3 years post grad work experience (to enable you to claim any points for work experience, 3 years post grad is the min requirement).
• To claim points for work experience you need either 3, 5 or 8 years post grad work experience.

Qualification skills assessment

• The first step in a GSM application is called a skills assessment. (always step one in any skills application) This is basically where a specific authority determine whether your qualifications and work experience meet the base criteria for migration.
• This is determined by the specific authority tasked with setting the standards for the occupation nominated (there are 20+ of these authorities for all the different occupations).
• The skills assessment is an assessment of your qualifications AND work experience.
• In most instances, the minimum academic requirement is either a bachelors degree OR a formal apprenticeship (trade training) .
• Note however, unless you have a formal diploma (2 or 3 year diploma) or degree or completed formal trade training, you can not claim any points for qualifications. Therefore, managers and IT applicants, without formal qualifications, would most likely only meet the pass mark if they achieve an IELTS score of 8 for each part, and have 8 years work experience etc

Other considerations

• English language abilities
  • IELTS test or similar
  • The majority of people need to score at least 7 (from 9) for all 4 categories of the IELTS test, and those over 40, generally need to score 8/9 for all 4 categories of the IELTS test
• specific work experience in e.g. Australia
• Spouse / partner points can be claimed if your spouse meets ALL criteria in terms of IELTS, occupation, qualifications & work experience (and partner must have an occupation on the same occupations list as your occupation)
• Family sponsorship:  Family can only sponsor if they reside in a designated area (generally in a rural area)

Note:

• You cannot apply for a "work visa" as such. When you apply for a visa, the visa will either allow you to work (e.g. a skilled visa) OR not (e.g. a visitors visa)
• You can apply for an employer sponsored visa (you get a temporary residence visa (called a TSS), or in select cases, an employer can sponsor you for a permanent residence visa. BUT you can only apply for these visas if you have a job offer in hand (which must meet minimum salary levels, and in many cases also minimum qualification / work experience levels) from an eligible employer (generally the employer must show that they have been in business a while, can afford to sponsor you etc)

Briefly therefore, what you need to show:

1. The points test pass mark = 65 (in most instances, you realistically need at least 80+ points to receive a 189 visa invite, and 80 (including state points)  for a 190 visa (and 85+ for a 491 visa)
2. Have an occupation on the STSOL or MLTSSL (and if on the STSOL have options for a state to sponsor you)
3. Have the correct qualifications AND work experience (tasks & duties similar to that of the occupation you nominate) for the occupation you nominate
4. Meet the skills assessment criteria for the occupation you nominate
5. Meet the age, and English criteria
6. Meet health and character criteria

Designated areas of Australia for Skilled Regional visas

To qualify for the Skilled Sponsored (Provisional) Visa under the relative sponsorship nomination, your sponsor must have lived for at least 1 year and still be a resident of one of the Designated Areas outlined below.

You must be related to the person being sponsored OR their partner as one of the following:

•    A non-dependent child – including a stepchild
•    A parent – including a step–parent
•    A brother or sister – including a step-sibling
•    A niece or nephew – including a step–niece or nephew
•    An aunt or uncle – including a step–aunt or uncle

Designated Areas

Social Workers

Information for Social Workers regarding visas and immigration to Australia.

Criteria for qualifications obtained in INDIA

1. All qualifications assessed individually using the AASW¡'s Five Essential Criteria*
2. Where qualifications are regarded by AASW as comparable to at least the educational level of Australian Bachelor degree (see Essential Criterion Three*) and where there is a Master degree in social work we are looking for a relevant Bachelor degree followed by two year Master in social work which has generic focus and where AASW field education requirements have been met.
3. Where there is specialisation in the second year of a Master of Social Work (or Master of Arts in Social Work) qualifications will have to be assessed on an individual basis*
4. NOT relevant degree followed two-year Master in Social Work (where qualifications are assessed by as at least comparable educational level of an Australian Bachelor degree). Supplementary Education Program usually recommended meet AASW membership eligibility requirements. Individual assessment*
5. Bachelor degrees in social work assessed on individual basis*

Overview

The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) has a commitment to the international social work community, and is a member of the International Federation of Social Workers IFSW). It values the contribution that social workers educated overseas can make to Australia increasingly multicultural society, and recognises the importance of assessment of overseas qualifications so that eligible social workers may seek employment in Australia as social workers and join the AASW.

This information sheet is designed to be read in its entirety. It has three main sections:

• Section I: How to apply for assessment;
• Section II: Criteria used in the assessment; and
• Section III: Glossary of terms and acronyms.

There have been some recent changes in assessment criteria. This is part of AASW's ongoing plan to develop a system and process of assessment which reflects an understanding of the diversity of education for social work practice globally, and which also reflects the academic and professional requirements for social work practice in Australia

SECTION I: HOW TO APPLY FOR ASSESSMENT OF YOUR OVERSEAS SOCIAL WORK QUALIFICATION

Introduction

Social work in Australia is not a registered profession. However, the AASW is the standard setting body for the profession of social work in Australia. Graduation from an Australian AASW accredited Bachelor of Social Work degree confers eligibility for membership of the AASW.

If you have overseas qualifications in social work and you wish to apply for jobs which require eligibility for membership of the AASW OR if you wish to migrate to Australia under the Australian Government¡¦s Skilled Migration Program as a social worker, you will need to apply for an assessment of your qualifications to determine whether or not they do meet AASW membership eligibility requirements.

How the qualifications are assessed

The AASW assessment process is comparative. Assessment of all overseas educated applicants seeking membership of the AASW is undertaken individually by the AASW on a basis of comparison with the educational requirements of Australian social workers, using written materials. The assessments are not competency-based. The Five Essential Criteria used in the assessment are outlined in the second part of this information sheet.

Most people who have not met our membership eligibility requirements have been required to undertake further study in an AASW-accredited Australian Bachelor of Social Work degree in order to meet our requirements. This would be indicated in the assessment notice. Some universities offer some subjects by distance education.

Please note that not all jobs in the social welfare field in Australia require eligibility for membership of the AASW, although many do. In addition, experience shows that many overseas-qualified social workers who may not meet the membership eligibility requirements of the AASW, may meet the membership eligibility requirements of other organisations like the Australian Institute of Welfare and Community Workers (AIWCW). Contact details for AIWCW are found in the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition¡¦s (NOOSR) leaflet, Social Work and Welfare Work in Australia, available from AASW, AIWCW and NOOSR.

Application forms

In order to apply for assessment you need to obtain an application form from AASW. A different application form is used, depending on whether you are a non-resident of Australia and needing the assessment for migration purposes, or whether you are an Australian resident or New Zealand citizen needing the assessment to apply for jobs which require eligibility for membership of AASW. ASA Consultants will supply you with the correct application form.

If the qualifications do not meet our requirements

Under current arrangements, if an overseas social worker were to apply to AASW as a nonresident  for assessment of qualifications and his/her qualifications were assessed as not meeting our membership eligibility requirements, the application and qualifications would be sent to the AIWCW for assessment against their requirements for welfare workers. This is at no extra charge (AASW passes on a portion of the fee to AIWCW).

The AIWCW is the relevant assessing authority for welfare workers, under the arrangements put in place by the Australian Department of Immigration on 1 July 1999.

Australian qualifications

IF you are already a full member of AASW AND you need an assessment of your qualifications for migration purposes (perhaps because you completed an Australian Bachelor of Social Work as an overseas student), you will still need to fill in the applicable fprm and submit the documents. However, the assessment fee will be refunded, provided you are already a full member of AASW at the time of receipt of your application for assessment.

Useful information for all applicants

Assessments can only be conducted following the submission of a correctly completed application form and fee. Assessments cannot be given by phone.

Documents

Please read the application forms very carefully so that you know what information and documents you need to provide. This will save time in the long run.

If you decide to apply for assessment and you have a Bachelor degree followed by a Postgraduate Diploma or Master Degree in social work, we will need the documents as outlined on the application form for both your Bachelor degree and your Postgraduate Diploma/Master (and any other relevant degrees). Sometimes applicants may be requested to provide additional information.

Length of assessment time

The assessments are undertaken in chronological order of receipt of complete applications. The application forms indicate that we aim to complete them within 2 months of receipt if the application is complete and no further information is required. If possible, they are completed sooner.

If they are not able to be completed on the basis of guidelines or precedent available to the AASW assessment officer, they will be referred by the assessment officer to the AASW Committee which oversees these assessments- the Eligibility for Membership of Overseas Qualified Social Workers Committee (EMOQ), and this may extend the time required to complete the assessment.

Employment

The National Office of the AASW does not keep any specific information about either permanent or temporary employment. We do have Branches in each state and territory and some of these maintain a register for temporary employment and may have other useful information. However it is preferable to wait until you know whether or not your qualifications will meet our membership eligibility criteria before contacting the Branches. Other information about jobs can be found in the large capital city daily newspapers.

Appeals

Information about appeals is given at the time of assessment to those people whose qualifications are assessed as not fully meeting requirements (a fee applies for appeals).

SECTION II: ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Five Essential Criteria Used in the Assessment of Overseas Social Work Qualifications

Note: All five criteria must be met

Criterion One

The qualification must be regarded as a professional social work qualification in the country of training, recognised by whichever official body is responsible for accreditation of social workers and/or social work courses where such a body exists. The qualification must enable eligibility for membership of the professional social work association of the country of training where such an association exists, and where eligibility is conferred by formal qualification.

Criterion Two

The qualification must be a specific qualification in social work.

Criterion Three

The level of qualification must be Bachelor degree or higher in Australian terms. AASW will make this assessment, using multiple sources, with the major reference point being the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition¡¦s Country Education Profiles.

Criterion Four

The curriculum must correspond sufficiently in all major areas to the AASW requirements for the BSW according to the AASW's Policy and Procedures for Establishing Eligibility of AASW (Part I and Part III)

Criterion Five

The length of the qualification should be four years, but where ALL OTHER CRITERIA (1-4 above) have been met.

<POR

The qualification is three years or longer

AND

Required evidence can be provided of at least three-year full time professional social work experience undertaken following completion of the professional social work degree and within ten (10) years of the completion of that degree, THEN the experience may be considered as a way of compensating for the shortfall of one year in the academic program.

Summary of course and curriculum requirements

These are found in a more detailed form in Policy and Procedures for Establishing Eligibility for Membership of AASW (available on AASW¡'s website).

Academic structure

Courses must satisfy the requirement of four years of full-time degree level study, or its part time equivalent, which leads to the award of a distinct qualification in social work. This degree level study must be assessed as comparable to the educational level of a four-year bachelor degree in social work in Australia. This requirement may usually be met through:

1. a four-year bachelor degree; or
2. the combination of a relevant undergraduate degree (which would include the study of society and/or the study of the individual in society) followed by a two-year postgraduate diploma or masters degree in social work;

Curriculum content Knowledge for practice

This is usually found over at least two semesters in the first two years of a four year program, or in the undergraduate degree preceding a postgraduate diploma or Master in social work and includes:

1. The study of society, and how it is developed and organised (sociology, anthropology, social theory, history, economics and political science).
2. Knowledge of social welfare arrangements, their history and organisation and the role of the law on such arrangements (sociology, social theory, politics, law, history, or economics).
3. Knowledge of the individual (psychology, human development and behaviour, anthropology).

Practice knowledge and skills

The content of education for social work practice must include:

1. All methods of social work intervention - community work, casework, group work, social action, research, social policy analysis and development, and administration.
2. Practice skills, including interpersonal skills, communication skills, the skills of reflective and critical thinking and analysis, and of data collection and management.
3. The skills of making assessments and deciding on the most appropriate intervention with which to respond to whatever situation faces the worker.
4. Material on the recognition and thinking through of ethical issues with reference to the relevant country associations' code of ethics and/or the AASW's Code of Ethics.
5. The contexts of social work practice at local, national and international levels. For the purposes of determining equivalence this will usually involve at least the equivalent of four semesters of social work practice theory in the last two years of the course covering casework, groupwork, community work, research, social policy and administration.

Field education

1. An applicant must have completed at least 140 days (980 hours) of field education in at least two field placements and with two contrasting client foci.<P1) An applicant must have completed 140 days (980 hours) of education in at least field placements and with two contrasting client foci.
2. Field education placements must cover a range of social work methods of intervention.
3. Field education placements must be taken over two years in conjunction with the professional social work program of study.
4. In highly specific circumstances, where there is a minor shortfall in field education placement hours only and all other parts of the course meet AASW requirements, other aspects such as post qualifying work experience as a social worker may be taken into account.

Country assessment guidelines

There are country assessment guidelines available for some countries. These are designed as guides only, as they can be changed by AASW at any time. An assessment still needs to be undertaken by AASW if you wish to establish whether or not your qualifications confer eligibility for membership of AASW. The country assessment guidelines can be found on the AASW's website www.aasw.asn.au or you can contact AASW and ask whether guidelines are available for the country in which you are interested. The guidelines for India is listed right at the top of this form.

SECTION III: GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS

AASW Australian Association of Social Workers, the professional association for social workers in Australia. The AASW is the gazetted relevant assessing authority for overseas social workers wishing to migrate to Australia.  AIWCW Australian Institute of Welfare and Community Workers. Relevant assessing authority for overseas welfare workers wishing to migrate to Australia.  EMOQ Eligibility for Membership of Overseas Qualified Social Workers Committee. The AASW Committee, which oversees the assessment of overseas social work qualifications. Form SR1181 The application form for assessment of overseas social work qualifications where the applicant is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, Australian temporary resident with a visa which permits work in Australia (where the assessment will not be used to change residency status); and New Zealand citizen.

Form SWNR1182 The application form for assessment of overseas social workers, who are not Australian residents, or who need an assessment for the purposes of later lodging an application for permanent residency. If the qualifications are assessed as not meeting AASW requirements, they will be sent to the AIWCW for assessment against their requirements for welfare workers.

********************

 Engineering & associated Professionals

Information for Engineering professionals regarding visas and immigration to Australia.

Engineers Guide

Engineers Australia recognises three occupational categories in the Engineering Team in Australia:

• Professional Engineer
• Engineering Technologist
• Engineering Associate

OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORIES IN THE ENGINEERING TEAM

The following section describes the occupational categories in the engineering team. This may assist you in determining the occupational category to which you belong.

Professional Engineer

Academic qualification is a four - year bachelor of engineering degree gained after 12 years of schooling, or equivalent.

The Professional Engineer:

• Focuses on overall systems
• Develops and applies new engineering practices
• Applies leadership & management skills
• Pursues engineering opportunities in a holistic way taking environmental, community & social issues into account.
• Solves diverse problems

Professional Engineers score 60 points on the points test

Engineering Technologist

Academic qualification is a three - year bachelor of engineering technology degree gained after 12 years of schooling, or equivalent.

The Engineering Technologist:

• Focuses on interactions within the system
• Modifies and adapts established engineering practices
• Advances engineering technology

Engineering Associate

Academic qualification is a two - year diploma of engineering gained after 12 years of schooling, or equivalent.

The Engineering Associate:

• Focuses on specific elements of the system
• Works within and applies established practices & procedures.

Eligibility

You must meet the following requirements before proceeding with your application for assessment of your qualifications:

• An appropriate academic qualification (see above).
• Engineering work experience, in accordance with the General Skilled Migration requirements.
• Certified evidence of assessment under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or equivalent to level 6 for each of the 4 IELTS categories.
• Where applicable, certified evidence of registration under the relevant licensing authority in the country in which you are working.

Recognition of Qualifications - for migration skills assessments:

For overseas qualifications"

• you will need to determine if the country of origin of your qualification is a full signatory of the Washington, Sydney or Dublin accord, and refer to the list of accredited courses provided by the relevant signatory body. The full list of signatory organisations is available on the website of the International Engineering Alliance.

Holders of non-accredited qualifications

• will need to submit a competency demonstration report.

Work Experience

The following conditions for the assessment of Work Experience as an additional service are to be noted:

• work experience must be relevant to the assessed outcome, in terms of occupation and engineering category
• work experience cannot be claimed before completion of the applicable qualification
• work experience should be paid at the market or salaried rate for engineering professionals. Clients receiving stipends, living allowances or scholarships will not generally be considered to be salaried
• whilst 'full-time' work constitutes 20 hours per week or more, this must be regular employment and not include long periods of unpaid leave
• in general, research activities undertaken as a PhD student, or work experience as a Research Assistant/Fellow whilst undertaking a PhD can not usually be assessed as relevant for this purpose

The Washington Accord

The Washington Accord is an agreement between the engineering accreditation bodies, listed below, to recognise as substantially equivalent the professional engineering degrees delivered in those countries. The Accord applies only to accreditations conducted by the signatories within their respective national or territorial boundaries.

The following countries are signatories to the Accord

1. Australia: Engineers Australia
2. Canada: The Canadian Accreditation Board of the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers
3. Hong Kong: The Hong KongInstitution of Engineers
4. Ireland:  Institution of Engineers of Ireland
5. New Zealand:  Institution of Professional Engineers, New Zealand
6. South Africa:  The Engineering Council of South Africa
7. United Kingdom :  The Engineering Council
8. United States of America:  The Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
9. Sri Lanka: The Institution of Engineers
10. India: National Board of Accreditation
11. Russia: Russian Association for Engineering Education
12. Turkey: MÜDEK
13. Japan: Japan Accreditation Board for Engineering Education
14. Korea: Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea
15. Malaysia: Board of Engineers Malaysia

The following countries have provisional signatory status and may become member signatories in the future:

Bangladesh - (Board of Accreditation for Engineering and Technical Education)
Germany - (German Accreditation Agency for Study Programs in Engineering and Informatics)
Pakistan - (Pakistan Engineering Council)
Philippines - (Philippine Technological Council)
Peru - (ICACIT)

Please note:

The Accord only applies to professional engineering degrees accredited and delivered in the signatory countries.

The Accord does not apply to:

• Qualifications at lower academic levels or
• Postgraduate qualifications in engineering.

If you consider your qualifications fall under the Washington Accord, you must complete the Washington Accord application form and provide the required documentation and assessment fee.

Your qualifications will be checked with the relevant Washington Accord accreditation body. If your qualifications are not accredited under the Washington Accord, you will be required to submit a Competency Demonstration Report.

Competency Demonstration Report

The Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) provides you with the opportunity to establish that your engineering knowledge and competencies are equivalent to those of the appropriate occupational category within the engineering team in Australia.

Senior Managers Skills Assessments

Information for Managers regarding visas and immigration to Australia.

MANAGERS head government, legislative, industrial, commercial, agricultural and other establishments, or departments within these organisations. They determine the policy of the organisation or department, and direct its functioning, through other managers, and coordinate economic, social, technical, legal and other policies.

All occupations in this major group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification. In some instances relevant experience is required in addition to the formal qualification.

Tasks performed by managers typically include formulating, administering and reviewing the policy and legislation which determine the direction to be taken by the organisation they head; controlling, directing and participating in the activities of that organisation personally and through a hierarchy of managers and supervisors; establishing operational and administrative procedures; and controlling the selection of senior staff and the allocation of resources. Managers and Administrators are typically associated with the top 3 positions in a large organisation.

AIM Criteria:

The assessing body for managers is the Australian Institute of Management (AIM).

To be successfully assessed as a manager for migration purposes by AIM, applicants must hold a senior management position at the level of an Associate Fellow of AIM. The criteria used is as follows: -

A record of proven management achievement over a period of three or more years or more in a senior management position such as a

• chief executive
• general manager or
• senior functional manager

who delegates authority to several other managers who hold positions requiring the delegation of work to several other positions of a supervisory, technical or skilled nature.

The years of experience may be reduced if the applicant has educational qualifications in management studies or business administration assessed as comparable to an Australian Masters degree, Bachelor degree or RATE diploma, or in a discipline relevant to the field in which the manager is working. AIM would allow one-year credit against required experience for the applicant’s educational qualifications.

• A critical factor to be considered in assessing a position against the guidelines is whether a person delegate’s authority to other managers who are themselves responsible for planning, organization, decision-making, staffing and control and who in turn delegates to others.
• To be eligible for the level of an Associate Fellow the applicant would require senior management experience across a diverse range of functional areas, with staff with diverse functional responsibilities and at a management level reporting.
• He would also be required to have a significant contribution to the strategic development and management of the organization as a whole.
• For consideration at Associate Fellow level a manager would be required to have a key strategic and leadership role across a diverse range of functional areas.
• A senior management position is assessed in terms of the scope of operations and such a position would include functions such as strategic planning for the organization, development or operational plans, allocation of staff and preparation of financial plans. It would be involvement in these areas over a number of years that would lead to a manager being recognised as having a position at the senior management level.
• The criteria for recognition as having skills equivalent of that of an Associate Fellow make it clear that the person must be responsible for a range of organisational functions and to have such responsibilities at a level which is concerned with policy and not just operations. A senior manager at the Associate Fellow level would play a key role in shaping and influencing the development and direction of the organization through establishing objectives, strategies and tactics.

ALL required supporting documentation MUST be included in your application. Any missing or unclear information will delay the assessment of your application.

Applicants are required to provide supporting documentation relating to the various positions held over the past continuous five (5) years, not just current employment. The documentation required is:

1. Detailed position descriptions over the past 3 years showing management responsibilities and accountabilities.

It is preferred that these are official company documents, and they MUST be verified by your immediate superior. A company seal by itself is not sufficient. Documents must be signed. If it is impossible to obtain your immediate supervisor’s signature, please refer to the information listed under the heading “Important”.

2. Brief position descriptions of all subordinate managers reporting directly to the applicant.

It is preferred that these are official company documents, and they MUST be verified by your immediate superior. A company seal by itself is not sufficient, documents must be signed. If it is impossible to obtain your immediate supervisor’s signature, please refer to the information listed under the heading “Important”.

3. Organisation charts showing both upward and downward reporting relationships, and they must include the Chief Executive Officer. The Organisation Charts are to include all positions reporting to your immediate supervisor, as well as the positions reporting to your direct subordinates.

It is preferred that these are official company documents, and they MUST be verified by your immediate superior. A company seal by itself is not sufficient, documents must be signed. If it is impossible to obtain your immediate supervisor’s signature, please refer to the information listed under the heading “Important”.

4. Certified copies of testamurs covering all post secondary qualifications.

5. If possible include letters of appointment and/or promotion, payslips, company reports, etc.

6. In the case of an owner/manager provide details of revenue and staffing levels for each year from date of incorporation. Documents should also include register of directors, shareholders, certificate of incorporation and any other relevant evidence.

Important

Documents will not be returned so we require certified true copies of position descriptions, organisation charts, original educational qualifications and evidence of employment. Documents can be certified by a Commissioner for Oaths, Justice of the Peace, Notary, Lawyer, Registered Migration Agent, Doctor, Bank Manager, CPA, Chartered Accountant or any other official in your home country who is authorised to endorse documents and legal declarations or witness sworn affidavits. The Department of Immigration require a copy of what is submitted to assessing authorities so applicants should retain a copy for such purpose.

All supporting documentation MUST match the information as provided on the application form. This includes, but is not limited to, position titles, organisation names, and the number of subordinate managers and supervisors who directly report to the applicant.

Chief Executive or Managing Director [111111]

To meet the requirements for assessment as CEO/Managing Director for migration purposes, an applicant must:

• Currently hold, or have held, the most senior management position across the whole organisation over a continuous period at least three years
• Have proven and successful experience in a top management position at the level of Corporate General Manager or equivalent prior to being appointed to the position of CEO/Managing Director
• Be the owner of the business; or report directly to the Board of Directors of the business; or report directly to the Head of the Government Department who reports directly to the relevant Minister if the applicant works in the public sector; or be a senior management consultant providing advice to client organisations at Board level
• Be wholly responsible for implementing strategy and policy across the entire organisation in accordance with organisational objectives determined by the Board of Directors
• Be responsible for negotiating, planning and implementing decisions related to mergers, acquisitions or the sale of major assets for the entire organisation
• Be responsible for designing, developing and implementing financial budgets for the whole organisation to achieve the priorities and objectives determined by the Board of Directors
• Ensure that the organisation structure of the whole organisation is designed to achieve the priorities and objectives determined by the Board of Directors
• Have the decision making authority to delegate responsibility to the most senior operational manager who would be eligible for assessment as Corporate General Manager under the criteria outlined below

Explanatory Notes:

The positions of both Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) are defined as the most senior managers in the organisation. The incumbent MUST have the decision making authority across the whole organisation and not just subsidiary divisions or departments of the organisation. In some organisations the CEO/MD may delegate some or all of this decision making authority to a Corporate General Manager, which is reflected in that manager's Position Description.

Corporate General Manager [111211]

To meet the requirements for assessment as Corporate General Manager for migration purposes, an applicant must:

• Have, or have held, a proven record of top management experience over a continuous period of at least three years.
• Have proven and successful experience in a functional area of management prior to being appointed to the position of Corporate General Manager
• Currently hold the most senior day-to-day operational position within the organisation
• Report directly to the CEO, Managing Director, Board of Directors or owner of the business; or report directly to the Head of Department if the applicant works in the public sector; or be a senior management consultant providing consultancy advice to client organisations at CEO, Managing Director or Board level.
• Have delegated authority from the Chief Executive Officer or Managing Director for managing and achieving the organisation's financial budgets and outcomes
• Have the decision making authority over a wide range of responsibilities through delegation to three or more subordinate managers who would be eligible for assessment as a senior functional manager under the criteria outlined below:

Senior Functional Manager - this category covers the following positions:

• Sales and Marketing Manager [131112]
• Advertising Manager [131113]
• Public Relations Manager [131114]
• Human Resource Manager [132311]
• Engineering Manager [133211]
• Supply and Distribution Manager [133611]
• Procurement Manager [133612]

To be assessed as Senior Functional Manager for migration purposes, an applicant must:

• Have a proven record in a senior functional management position over a continuous period of at least three (3) years, requiring the delegation of authority directly to three or more subordinate managers each of whom hold positions requiring the delegation of work to three or more subordinates in managerial, supervisory or technical positions;
• Hold the most senior management position within the applicant’s functional area of responsibility within the organisation;
• Report directly to the Owner of the business, Corporate General Manager, Chief Executive Officer or Managing Director; or report directly to the Department Head if the applicant works within the public sector: or provide consultancy advice as a Senior Management Consultant to client organisations at the level of Corporate General Manager or above;
• Have the decision making responsibility, through delegation to three or more subordinate managers, for a range of specific responsibilities in the applicant’s functional area;
• Be wholly responsible for achieving his/her functional responsibilities within the organisation;
• Have had a proven and successful experience in a broad range of managerial responsibilities prior to being appointed to the top functional position.

For all applications, the years of experience may be reduced if the applicant has qualifications in management studies or business administration assessed as comparable to an Australian Bachelor, Post Graduate or Master degree, or in a discipline relevant to the field in which the manager is working. This applies where the qualification concerned has been completed immediately prior to, or within the relevant time frame of years of management experience being assessed. The Country Education Profiles prepared by the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition are the basis for an educational assessment.

Explanatory Notes:

To be assessed as a senior manager for migration purposes, the complexity and size of the organisation will influence the assessment. Applicants will require senior management experience over a diverse range of responsibilities including authority over three or more subordinates who are also at managerial level. Senior functional managers would therefore have a high level of discretionary authority.

Senior managers tend to manage departments servicing the overall operations of the organisation and where delegation to several subordinate managers involved in specific but related functions is required. The critical components in applying these criteria are the breadth and depth of the applicant’s own managerial responsibilities and those of the subordinate managers reporting directly to the applicant. An important criterion is that the organisation chart must show that the applicant supervises three or more direct reporting managers.

The criteria for recognition as a senior manager for migration purposes make it clear that the applicant must be responsible for a range of responsibilities at a level which is concerned with the implementation of the organisation’s strategies and policies.

The skills assessment is based upon a review of an entire career history, but with an emphasis on the immediate past three (3) years, and satisfactory evidence is sought of managerial progression through increased authority and responsibility of each position thereby demonstrating a period of sustained success.

Computing Professionals- Skills Assessment for IT Occupations

Information for  Information Technology Professionals regarding visas and immigration to Australia.

The skills assessment criteria for IT professionals are specific, rather complex and can be confusing, especially as it relates to the deeming dated and claiming of work experience points.

There are 2 main pathways to a successful skills assessment - the RPL pathway and the recognized academic qualification pathway

Applicants who apply for RPL and do not hold a recognised academic tertiary qualification will have deducted from their total work experience a period of relevant IT professional experience deemed necessary to have reached the level of qualification allocated. For example, if an applicant is allocated a qualification level equivalent to a 2-year diploma, they will have two years deducted from the total of their recognized work experience, and therefore eight years in total will be needed.

Applications from recent graduates (those studying a Bachelor degree, Graduate Diploma or Masters degree majoring in IT) The result letter is valid for migration purposes for 6 months from the date of course completion.

MINIMUM AUSTRALIAN ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Education

The entry requirements

• for information technologists – is a recognised three-year Bachelor degree with a major in information technology, or its equivalent, from an Australian or equivalent university; or
• an AQF Advanced Diploma or an AQF Diploma, or equivalent and four (4) years relevant work experience.

Registration

• Not normally required for IT professionals.
• Membership of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) may enhance employment prospects
• Register with us now for specific advice regards your position

SKILL LEVEL REQUIRED FOR VISA PURPOSES

SUITABLE

Full professional members of the Australian Computer Society.  Members must be current financial members and must provide documentation to prove their claim.  ACS professional membership grades are Fellow (FACS) and Member (MACS).  Assessing officer need not look beyond membership to any formal qualifications held.

Full professional membership of the British Computer Society, Hong Kong Computer Society, New Zealand Computer Society or Singapore Computer Society no longer satisfies the criteria for migration purposes.

Minimum requirements:

1. Applicants with an Australian Bachelor degree, or Graduate Diploma, or higher qualification, with a major in information technology (see examples below); or
2. an overseas qualification assessed as being comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree, or Graduate Diploma, or higher qualification, with a major in information technology (see examples below).
3. in addition to above at least 48 Months of relevant work experience

Examples of relevant field include

• Applied Science (Computing)
• Applied Science (Computer Science)
• Applied Science (Information Systems)
• Business (Data Processing) (old)
• Business (Electronic Data Processing) (old)
• Business (Information Systems)
• Computer Science
• Computer Science Engineering
• Information
• Information Systems
• Information Technology
• Management Information Systems
• Software Engineering

(Note: Graduate qualifications should contain at least a major in information technology, and a major objective should be to educate persons to be practitioners in information technology.)

or

Associate grade of the Australian Computer Society (AACS). Such applicants must be currently financial and must provide documentation to prove their claim.  Assessing officers need not look beyond membership for any formal qualification held.

Associate grade of the British Computer Society, Hong Kong Computer Society, New Zealand Computer Society or Singapore Computer Society no longer satisfies the minimum requirements for migration purposes.

Minimum requirements:

1. Applicants with an Australian AQF Diploma, or Australian AQF Advanced Diploma in information technology, or an Australian Bachelor degree or higher qualification with a minor (sub-major) in information technology (see examples below).
2. an overseas qualification assessed as being comparable to an Australian AQF Diploma, or an Australian AQF Advanced Diploma in information technology, or an Australian Bachelor degree or higher qualification with a minor (sub-major) in information technology (see examples below).

• • Computing
  • Computer Science
  • Information Technology
  • Business (Information Technology)
  • Applied Science (Computer Science)
  • Computing (Microcomputing)
  • Computing (Network Systems)

applicants in are required to have at least six (6) years of relevant IT experience prior to the date of their application for PASA.

POTENTIALLY SUITABLE

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)

An applicant who has limited or no qualifications but who has extensive and varied experience plus supporting professional development education may refer certified documentation to the ACS for evaluation by the Society.

The ACS will decide which level of qualification is appropriate and based on this advice, an assessing officer can decide the appropriate Group.

Applicants applying under the RPL group must have no less than 7 (in certain cases 8 years may be required) years work experience in the IT industry

UNSUITABLE

Applicants assessed as not meeting any of the above criteria are assessed as unsuitable for migration purposes.

DoHA requirement

The department of immigration requires that you must have been in paid employment for at least 12 of the last 18 months  (post Deeming date) before applying for migration to Australia.

To meet the skills / occupations assessment criteria:-

Bachelor Degree or Higher with an ICT Major

• If your degree is assessed as having an ICT major which is closely related to your nominated Occupation, you will require 2 years relevant work experience completed within the past 10 years or 4 years relevant work experience completed anytime in your past work history (whichever provides the earliest skill date) to meet the suitability criteria.
• If your degree is assessed as having an ICT major which is NOT closely related to your nominated occupation, you will require 4 years relevant work experience completed anytime in your past work history to meet the suitability criteria.

OR

Bachelor Degree or Higher with an ICT Minor

• If your degree is assessed as having an ICT minor which is closely related to your nominated occupation, you will require 5 years relevant work experience completed in the past 10 years or 6 years relevant work experience completed anytime in your past work history (whichever provides the earliest skill date) to meet the suitability criteria.
• If your degree is assessed as having an ICT minor which is NOT closely related to your nominated occupation, you will require 6 years relevant work experience completed anytime in your past work history to meet the suitability criteria.

OR

Diploma and Vendor Certification (e.g Microsoft MCSE or CISCO qualifications)

• If your Diploma or Vendor Certification is assessed as having an ICT major which is closely related to your nominated occupation, you will require 5 years relevant work experience completed within the past 10 years or 6 years relevant work experience completed anytime in your past work history (whichever provides the earliest skill date) to meet the suitability criteria.
• If your Diploma or Vendor Certification is assessed as having an ICT major which is NOT closely related to your nominated occupation, you will require 6 years relevant work experience completed anytime in your past work history to meet the suitability criteria.

OR

Non ICT Diploma or Higher

• If your degree is assessed with insufficient ICT content, you will require 6 years relevant work experience completed anytime in your past work history, plus a suitable Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) application to meet the suitability criteria.

OR

Work Experience Only – Recognition of Prior Learning

• If you do not hold any tertiary educational qualifications, you will require 7 years relevant work experience completed anytime in your past work history, plus a suitable Recognition of Prior

Learning (RPL) application to meet the suitability criteria.

VENDOR CERTIFICATIONS

The following vendor certifications are accepted by the ACS as comparable to graduate outcomes of an ICT major at the AQF Diploma level.

Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert

• MCSE: Server Infrastructure
• MCSE: Desktop Infrastructure
• MCSE: Private Cloud
• MCSE: Messaging
• MCSE: Communication
• MCSE: SharePoint
• MCSE: Data Platform
• MCSE: Business Intelligence

Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer

• MCSD: Windows Store Apps
• MCSD: Web Applications
• MCSD: Applications Lifecycle Management
• MCSD: SharePoint Applications

Microsoft Certified Solutions Master

• MCSM: Data Platform
• MCSM: SharePoint
• MCSM: Communication
• MCSM Messaging
• MCSM: Directory Services

Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) certification is not accepted by the ACS.

Cisco Certifications

The following list outlines Cisco Certifications accepted by the ACS. Certifications must be valid at the time of submitting the skills assessment and display the validation date.

Cisco Professional:

• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) - All tracks
• Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP)
• Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP)
• Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP)
• Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional (CCIP)

Cisco Expert:

• Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert (CCIE) - All tracks
• Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE)
• Cisco Architect:
• Cisco Certified Architect

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification is not accepted by the ACS.

English Language Requirements (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL) for Australian Skilled Migration

English Language Requirements for Skilled Visas

If you are applying for Skilled Migration, you will need to prove your English language ability. The required level of English depends on the visa subclass you are applying for and there are 4 different levels of English which may be relevant:

• Superior English: 20 points in GSM points test
• Proficient English: 10 points in GSM points test
• Competent English: threshold requirement for General Skilled Migration, Graduate Temporary Subclass 485 visa and ENS/RSMS Direct Entry
• Vocational English: threshold requirement for Skilled Worker (Temporary) and ENS/RSMS Temporary Residence Transition Stream
• Functional English: for secondary applicants seeking to avoid paying the English Language Charge

Timing of English Test The timing of the English language requirement depends on the type of visa being applied for:

• General Skilled Migration: time of invitation
• RSMS and ENS visas: time of application

As it can take some time to obtain a booking for a test and to receive the results, you may wish to plan to take the English test well ahead of time. Validity of English Tests

• Tests conducted up to 3 years prior to lodgement of an application will be accepted by the Department of Immigration.
• The only exception to this is for functional English - this requires testing to have been done at most 12 months before lodgement.

Acceptable English Tests

1. The IELTS test is the most common way of evidencing English language ability. Either the Academic or General Training versions of the test are acceptable to the Department of Immigration, but some skills assessing authorities require applicants to sit the Academic version. You will need to obtain a minimum score in each band of the IELTS (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking) in a single sitting.
2. The Occupational English Test (OET) is also accepted as evidence of proficient and superior levels of English. The OET is only appropriate for medical and allied health professionals.
3. The Pearson Academic Test of English (Pearson PTE) and TOEFL Internet Based Test (TOEFL iBT) are now accepted for all skilled subclasses, apart from 457 visas. Most state and territory governments also recognise these tests, as do some skills assessment authorities.
4. The Cambridge Test of English is also accepted from January 2015.

Vocational English

Vocational English is the required level to obtain a 457 visa, and also ENS and RSMS visa through the Temporary Residence Transitional stream for people who have held a 457 visa for 2 years with the employer.

Required scores to establish Vocational English are as follows:

Competent English

For most skilled visas, you will need to show at least Competent English to meet the threshold criteria. If you hold a passport from one of the following 5 countries, you can establish competent English without completing an English test:

• Canada
• New Zealand
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Ireland

Otherwise, you would need to complete a recognised English language test and obtain the following score:

Competent English gives you 0 points in the Skilled Migration Points Test, but is an essential requirement to be able to lodge a skilled visa.

Proficient English

If you demonstrate proficient English, this will give you 10 points for English language ability.

Even native English speakers must undertake English language testing to obtain points for proficient English or higher.

Scores required for Proficient English are:

Superior English

If you demonstrate Superior English, this will give the maximum of 20 points for English language ability. Minimum scores for Superior English are:

Functional English

If your spouse or partner has less than functional English, then you would need to pay the "English Education Charge" to cover English language tuition in applying for skilled migration.

You can show you have functional English ability by providing evidence of one of the following:

1. Completion of a degree, higher degree, diploma or trade certificate that required at least 2 years of study in English medium
2. Completion of all years of primary education and at least 3 years of secondary education in English medium; or
3. Completion of at least 5 years of secondary education in English medium; or
4. Scoring at least 4.5 averaged over the four components of the IELTS test within the 12 months before application, or during processing; or
5. Completion in Australia of at least 1 year of full-time study or equivalent part-time study towards a degree, higher degree, diploma, or associate diploma in English medium.
6. In some circumstances, functional English can be established via interview

You can also demonstrate functional English by completing an English test and scoring as follows:

To prove that you have functional English you must provide evidence of one of the following:

As a dependent (over 18) on a visa application, you have to meet the functional English criteria to avoid the English loading fee of $ 4885

• You are the holder of a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland and you are a citizen of that country.
• An International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test result of an average band score of at least 4.5 based on the four test components of speaking, reading, listening and writing. Your test must have been completed within 12 months of visa application lodgement or can be completed during visa application processing.
• A Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) test result of a total band score of at least 32 based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening. Your test must have been completed within 12 months of visa application lodgement or can be completed during visa application processing.
• A Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic test result of an overall band score of at least 30 based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening. Your test must have been completed within 12 months of visa application lodgement or can be completed during visa application processing.
• A Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test result of an overall band score of at least 147 based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening and the test must have been taken on or after 1 January 2015. Your test must have been completed within 12 months of visa application lodgement or can be completed during visa application processing.

Nominated Occupation for Australian Skills Visa

Skills Occupation List for Australian Visas (STSOL, MLTSSL) - how do you pick the best occupation ?

Nominated occupation for visa purposes

• Your nominated occupation is a critical and vital part of your application
• The nominated occupation has to be in "the right occupations list", have a realistic chance of securing an invite for a visa, and obviously, you have to be absolutely certain that you will satisfy the criteria set by your occupation's skills assessment authority
• You have to also consider whether the occupation is on the STSOL or MLTSSL (Skills Occupation Lists), and whether there are state sponsorship options available if the occupation is on the STSOL or 489 list

To nominate an occupation, you have to first "pass" a skills assessment.

• The skills assessment is conducted by a relevant authority, and that assessment is based on the assessment of your qualifications AND your work experience
• Your work experience must match the requirements of the occupation we nominate for you (requirements are set by the specific authority responsible for the skills assessment of your nominated occupation). For instance, your qualifications / training must satisfy the qualification requirements and then we look at your work experience, and there, it should match those of the occupation nominated for the visa application.

People are often under the impression that you have to work in your nominated occupation or that your visa is tied to that occupation.

• This is not the case. The occupation nominated for a visa does NOT mean that is the occupation you must work in, in Australia. (there are some exceptions eg. employer nominated visas)
• It has no bearing whatsoever on the work you do / can not do / occupation you follow in Australia. It is based on the historical data at time of application for the visa only.
• It is important therefore to nominate an occupation, where you will pass the skills assessment and where you will satisfy the requirement of the Migration Act, and where you have a realistic and feasible pathway towards a visa grant (and invite during the EOI)

How do you "pick" your nominated occupation ?

As outlined above:

• ensure that you will satisfy the skills assessment criteria,
• ensure that you will get to at least the pass mark (or higher for some occupations) with that nominated occupation
• ensure that your work experience (tasks & duties) line up with those of the nominated occupation
• ensure that any official reference you provide will confirm your employment details and will confirm that your usual tasks & duties matches those of the occupation we nominate by at least 70 - 75% (and that your recent work experience is closely related to your nominated occupation)

Have a look at the tasks and duties and overall description of your potential nominated occupation. This is provided in the ANZSCO definitions

Check whether your your tasks and duties, for the last 3 or 5 or 8 years matches those of the intended nominated occupation (by 70% or more)

We will work with you when you select your nominated occupation, and ensure that you pick the correct occupation, and that you will satisfy all other requirements and criteria during our assessment service

Establishing your deeming date and work experience points for IT occupation applicants (skilled migration visa)

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Calculating GSM points for IT applicants and your deeming date

• The way work experience points is calculated, can be rather frustrating for IT applicants.
• You can claim work experience points for 3, 5 or 8 years (of the last 10), BUT this is only for work experience "past the deeming date" i.e. the date the skills assessment authority determines that you satisfied the criteria for your IT occupation
• In order to claim points for work experience, you can only "count the years" post your deeming date (the date the skills assessment authority deems that you have satisfied the criteria for your IT nominated occupation

Step 1 is satisfying the skills assessment criteria:

To satisfy the base criteria for your occupation we look at a combination of your work experience and qualifications

The calculating your likely deeming date 

This is a guideline to calculate your likely deeming date

• Bachelors Degree + ITC majors (and at least 75% of your degree subjects = strictly IT specific and highly relevant to your nominated occupation)+ 2 years of work experience = your deeming date will be 2 years after you graduated (and after 2 years of paid employment)
• Bachelors Degree+ ITC majors (at least 50 - 66% of your degree subjects = IT specific and highly relevant to your nominated occupation)  + 4 years post grad work experience = your deeming date will be 4 years after you graduated (and after 2 years of paid employment)
• Bachelors Degree with ITC majors NOT closely related to occupation + 4 years = your deeming date will be 4 years after you graduated (and after 2 years of paid employment)
• Bachelors Degree with ITC minors + 5 or 6 years work experience = your deeming date will be 6 years after you graduated (and after 2 years of paid employment)
• Bachelors Degree with ITC minor NOT closely related to occupation + 6 years WE = your deeming date will be 6 years after you graduated (and after 2 years of paid employment)
• Diploma or Bachelors Degree NOT related to IT  + 6 years work experience = your deeming date will be 6 years after you graduated (and after 2 years of paid employment)
• Vendor qualifications + 6 to 7 years work experience = your deeming date will be 6 to 7 years after you graduated (and after 2 years of paid employment)
• No formal qualifications  + 8 years work experience = your deeming date will be 8 years after you graduated (and after 2 years of paid employment)

You can only claim work experience points for your paid work after the deeming date

Let's look at an applicable section of the Regs

Procedures Advice Manual (PAM3) which is used by DoHA case officers:

16.3 When is an applicant skilled

An applicant is considered skilled and therefore eligible for claiming employment points from the date the relevant assessing authority considers the person to be skilled in the nominated occupation:

• If a skills assessment provides a date at which the assessing authority is of the view that the applicant became ‘skilled’, case officers must ensure that any claimed employment experience under Schedule 6D took place from this date and not earlier.

• The date on which an applicant becomes ‘skilled’ may be different from the date that an assessing authority finds that the person meets their requirement for a suitable skills assessment. For example, an assessing authority may issue a suitable skills assessment on the basis of attainment of a tertiary qualification but may require a period of post qualification work experience before considering an applicant ‘skilled’ for the purpose of employment points.

Importance of this date for visa purposes:

The date an applicant met the Australian entry level requirement for their occupation, as prescribed by the assessing body or determined in accordance with the guidelines above, is the date from which an applicant can acquire skilled work experience in that occupation. Until that time, the applicant is in fact learning the job, albeit while on-the-job. They cannot therefore normally be assessed as performing the job at a skilled level.

For example, ANZSCO provides that in relation to ITC occupations the entry level requirement is either a bachelor level qualification or 6 years work experience (or relevant vendor certification may substitute for the formal qualification). If an applicant applied for a GSM visa and nominated a suitable occupation from the Unit Group (ITC), but had no formal qualification, the case officer would, on the basis of ANZSCO, only consider work after the applicant had been working in that occupation for 6 years to be at a skilled level. This means only work undertaken after working in that occupation for 6 years would be considered towards meeting the requirements for the award of points for the Overseas employment, Australian employment, Occupation in demand or the Partner skills factors.

What this means for a GSM applicant with an IT occupation

You can only claim points for work experience post your deeming date, so that often means you need at least 5 years post grad work experience (if your degree subjects = 75% of your degree PLUS highly relevant to your nominated occupation), and in most instances, you need at least 7 years of post grad IT work experience (paid work experience) to claim any work experience points

Quick review:

• You can claim work experience (paid work experience which means a minimum of 20 hrs paid work in your nominated occupation or closely related per week) only for work past your deeming date. 
• You can claim work experience points for 3 years, or 5 years or 8 years, so, deeming date + 3 or 5 or 8 years of work experience

The pass mark for a GSM visa = 65 points, so most people assume that getting to 60 points is all it takes to apply for a GSM visa... Unfortunately not.

Even though the pass mark is 65 points, the DoHA have been issuing invites to apply for a visa during the EOI stage of an application (we will explain this in greater detail and as it will apply to you specifically during our assessment service), for IT occupations, at 70 and more often 75 points over the last year.

So, realistically, you should only apply for a visa, if you are confident that you would be able to claim at least 70 points in total

Possible action plans for IT applicants

1. Partner points - if your partner fully satisfies the criteria for a positive skills assessment + relevant work experience + has an occupation on the same skills list as you, this can add 5 points
2. High level English test outcome - if you are able to get to a  superior level English test outcome (English Language Requirements) that can add a very valuable 10 points (over the normally proficient outcome)
3. State sponsored options can add 5 or 10 points, but, it can be a challenge to secure state sponsorship