VETASSESS 'further investigation'

[plannerOH]

Originally Posted by HoutoMel

Yeah that's basically the same thing they told me. I just had to dig a little more to get the DIAC bit out of them. Four weeks sounds like it could be about right...I checked my timelines, and I got the email from VETASSESS on 5 June, and the DIAC email was sent to my employer reference on 28 June. My application had been received since 9 May, so 1 August will make 12 weeks. We shall see what the outcome is!

Ok. My employer reference got a *phone call* TODAY. Apparently they verified:
- Dates of employment (approximate)
- Employment status (i.e. currently employed or not)
- Salary
- Position

Apparently she was even-toned throughout and she mentioned she was calling from 'the Australian Consulate in Washington, DC'.

Is this good? Bad? Now I am a nervous wreck...

[stormgal]

Originally Posted by plannerOH

Ok. My employer reference got a *phone call* TODAY. Apparently they verified:
- Dates of employment (approximate)
- Employment status (i.e. currently employed or not)
- Salary
- Position

Apparently she was even-toned throughout and she mentioned she was calling from 'the Australian Consulate in Washington, DC'.

Is this good? Bad? Now I am a nervous wreck...

Oh dear, how nerve wracking! I got nervous just by reading your post
But don't worry, it's all good! As long as the information the reference gave matches with that on your application, everything else from here is smooth sailing.

[HoutoMel]

Yes, I agree with stormgal--as long as everything matches, then you should be good to go. I'm actually impressed with the turnaround time you got! That's a good thing.

On another note, there's more news about this process upcoming...

Those of us with pending skills assessments will have the "option" on applying for what they're calling "Skills Assessment for Points Test Purposes." Basically, it appears that if we want to claim points for education and/or experience we may have to go through this additional assessment. An email should be reaching us in the next few days with more information.

In the meantime, I read through the application for this Points Test Assessment and was baffled because it basically looks like the exact same original skills assessment application--complete with the supporting documentation requirements! This has the makings to make me highly upset, but I'm reserving judgment until more information comes out about this process.

HOPEFULLY, people with pending skills assessments (that are still resting in the VETASSESS labs) will be exempted from supplying the additional documentation all over again. It's bad enough that there's an additional fee for this--AUD$60 if you want your education assessed for points and the amounts vary if you want your work experience assessed for points. For example, if I wanted my employment experience assessed, it would be AUD$150 since I've had 3-4 jobs in the last 10 years. More jobs would mean a higher fee, and fewer jobs would mean a smaller fee.

So my concerns are, in summary, the application's documentation requirements, the need to pay an additional fee, and how much more time will be added to the skills assessment.

We shall see how it goes. Watch your inbox and call them if you don't get an email by the weekend.

You can read more about it here:
Download forms (General professional occupation) - VETASSESS

It's application "SRG35".

[plannerOH]

next post pls

[plannerOH]

Seriously, that's ridiculous. Obviously I am still new at this and I don't know anything, but I'm hoping that this is truly an 'optional' service. Meaning, maybe, that you might actually need it if you have a qualification/degree that's NOT related to your nominated occupation, VETASSESS will say something about it? Or something like that?

Isn't the regular service an assessment of whether your overseas degree and work experience matches an the Aussie equivalents? This advisory service seems repetitive. Maybe it's just another way to milk more $ out of applicants with complicated cases, similar to their 'new advisory service'.

It seems that other applicants were awarded the points due them (under the old points test) without this additional service. That probably reflect my wishful thinking...

Regardless, I quickly skimmed the application and it looks like you have to provide those materials 'except any documents you have provided with with a previous Skills Assessment application'. So at least you wouldn't have to do it twice.

That's my take-- based more off wishful thinking/frustration/nerves than anything If you hear anything else, please let me know! thanks so much

EDIT---- I found this document.. couldn't get the link to work so I'm attaching it. Might help if you hadn't seen it yet. The info and tone make it seem even more likely that this is optional and you and I can get away without undertaking the new service.. let me know what you think:

[HoutoMel]

Originally Posted by plannerOH

Regardless, I quickly skimmed the application and it looks like you have to provide those materials 'except any documents you have provided with with a previous Skills Assessment application'. So at least you wouldn't have to do it twice.

GREAT CATCH! Now it makes a little more sense! Although, assigning points for education and employment for the visa is not something new that DIAC is doing. They didn't just start assessing points for these areas on 1 July. So like you, I question the value/need to do this now when it was never done before (apparently). I just hope that this points section won't take another 12-16 weeks!

As far as the document you attached, I also read it as an optional step. However, looking at the DIAC points test requirements, it still looks like it's only optional if one somehow has the 65 points without counting their academic or employment experience, since they seem to want those areas "assessed." At least that's my reading. I will be so glad to be wrong an it only require the skills assessment itself!

However, if I'm wrong, my plan is to only go for the academic qualifications test. Hopefully it will be quicker with transcripts in hand. Furthermore, they should have plenty of experience in determining American degrees' matching Australian qualification. Also, it's cheaper!

If all goes well, that should give me the 65 needed, since there's 15 points for the Bachelor's degree (along with 20 points for IELTS and 30 points for my age). I have a hard time believing that most American masters and bachelors degrees are less than Australian bachelors degrees.

[stormgal]

Originally Posted by HoutoMel

I have a hard time believing that most American masters and bachelors degrees are less than Australian bachelors degrees.

You'd be surprised. I saw one woman on yanks down under where the assessing agency told her that she needs to take more courses for her accounting degree. After she went back to school, they then gave her a positive assessment but I don't know if she had to pay to get reassessed again.

One thing I notice about American degrees is that they encompass more than just the major. For instance, my major is in MIS and the actual degree says I graduated with a BS in MIS, but not all courses on my transcripts are about computers because we have to take electives and possibly even have a minor. Since my minor was business law, I have subjects on my transcripts that are like "criminal law" and "psychology". I remember looking at an Asian transcript, and was surprised to find that *all* the subjects were about the actual major. This kind of thing is unheard of in the US unless one goes to technical school.

So I don't know how I'll be assessed to be honest, I just hope that these people understand that American schools make you take electives, which they may not consider relevant to the actual major.

[HoutoMel]

Originally Posted by stormgal

You'd be surprised. I saw one woman on yanks down under where the assessing agency told her that she needs to take more courses for her accounting degree. After she went back to school, they then gave her a positive assessment but I don't know if she had to pay to get reassessed again.

One thing I notice about American degrees is that they encompass more than just the major. For instance, my major is in MIS and the actual degree says I graduated with a BS in MIS, but not all courses on my transcripts are about computers because we have to take electives and possibly even have a minor. Since my minor was business law, I have subjects on my transcripts that are like "criminal law" and "psychology". I remember looking at an Asian transcript, and was surprised to find that *all* the subjects were about the actual major. This kind of thing is unheard of in the US unless one goes to technical school.

So I don't know how I'll be assessed to be honest, I just hope that these people understand that American schools make you take electives, which they may not consider relevant to the actual major.

Wow, seriously?! I may have to mozy over to YDO and read that thread if its still there. Did they tell her which courses to take?

Like you, I have the same thing on my transcripts as well. For my bachelors, which is Geography, I have stuff like physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, Spanish, and a bunch of other stuff that were required electives and associated with changing majors. But there are also courses like regional planning, urban transportation planning, environmental planning, and so on.

Hopefully my masters, which is Urban and Regional Planning, will get me over the hump. All the classes are specific to that field, and the title of the ANZCO code and the degree are the exact same thing. As a bonus (as if they want more paperwork, lol) I sent them the whole booklet from my graduate school program that includes the program requirements and descriptions of every course in the program.

Either way, I hope to hear back soon. And I hope that you get yours back soon. How long has it been since you applied?

[stormgal]

Originally Posted by HoutoMel

Wow, seriously?! I may have to mozy over to YDO and read that thread if its still there. Did they tell her which courses to take?

Like you, I have the same thing on my transcripts as well. For my bachelors, which is Geography, I have stuff like physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, Spanish, and a bunch of other stuff that were required electives and associated with changing majors. But there are also courses like regional planning, urban transportation planning, environmental planning, and so on.

Hopefully my masters, which is Urban and Regional Planning, will get me over the hump. All the classes are specific to that field, and the title of the ANZCO code and the degree are the exact same thing. As a bonus (as if they want more paperwork, lol) I sent them the whole booklet from my graduate school program that includes the program requirements and descriptions of every course in the program.

Either way, I hope to hear back soon. And I hope that you get yours back soon. How long has it been since you applied?

Well, I think that your masters and bachelors will compliment each other, and you should be okay if the description of the ANZCO codes matches with those of your course syllabus. Plus experience counts for a lot (actually, i'm banking more on my experience than degrees at this point to be honest... )

Oh I felt a bit worried after I looked at some of these other overseas transcripts. I mean, I have interns at the united nations following NGO's around and I'm sure they're probably going to wonder about that one - why would anyone do an intern at the UN with an IT major

I would assume that the yanks woman was told which courses to take because she was positively assessed the second time around.

I submitted mine back in late May, but my physical documents were received by them on June 6. That means that I have to allow until late August to receive an answer. I don't mind the wait at this point because it allows me to save more money. Sometimes I'm tempted to spend the visa money on a great summer vacation, but thank goodness I have kept myself disciplined

How about yours, when do you plan to get yours back?

[homeme]

I too want to ask you that it's already over 10 weeks but i hvn't received my skill assessment not even online but the TAT of Vetassess is 8-10 weeks for GSM, what can i do at the moment ??
I have already send them a reminder email 10 days back but no reply from them as of now...