The PR process is a money guzzling exercise, requiring substantial payments at every stage and especially repeating English tests to achieve the desired score
The total expenses from end to end can easily be 10,000 AUD for a family of 3 by the time you actually get the grant
You should be mentally and financially be prepared for the same
Also completing the process from start to end can also take upto 12-18 months depending on your Anzsco code and points
Many may call this pessimistic but ask those members who have in the past and those still waiting for grants more then a year after applying for no apparent reason after submitting all documents
I would want that all of you complete the process in 3 months like I did, but I also have to warn you of the other possibility, if things don’t go as planned
Next spend a few days going through the links in this very informative thread
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...-australia-what-you-need-know-read-first.html
and decide if you really want to through the process
Remember There is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Most have to struggle to get even copper leave alone gold even after reaching the end of the rainbow.
The job market is extremely difficult to crack even for those with several years of experience in senior position if they do not have Australian experience
Most job applications do not even reach interview stage
The rental charges are extremely high especially in Sydney and Melbourne so what may look like a big salary in Indian currency terms, even just after taxes and rent may not look so great. Leave alone other expenses
So you have decided to go through after considering all pros and cons
The first thing one should do is to ensure that you have all the important documents like
birth certificate, passport ,school & college degrees, pay slips, tax returns, PF , driving license etc. for all family members
Make sure that all name are spelled correctly and uniformly over all documents.
Have your marriage certificates and wife name change documents in place, if applicable
Get spouse name added in each other passport
SKILLS ASSESSMENT
As I did ACS only, I will restrict my observations to ACS procedures and requirements only
But would request VETASSESS and EA experts to also contribute to their recommendations if they find the time
Mention each and every job you have done post graduation irrespective of whether it was connected to your current job or not or you have sufficient evidence for the same or not
Let ACS decide if they want to consider it or not
The start jotting down start and end dates for each employment based on DDMMYYYY basis
(ACS may not require only MMYYYY but DD will also be needed in EOI and other forms, so better to have it from Day 1)
Do not merge 2 companies, designations and locations in a single entry
Split as many times as necessary to maintain the sequence
Ask all the companies you have worked for to give you a reference letter.
Request and ensure that the above dates sequence is maintained in it
If you fail to get a Reference letter after all attempts, settle for a SD from a team leader or manager level who actually supervised your work on day to day basis.
Taking from a colleague is highly risky.
You may be in trouble if you get it from a person who during a verification call fails to convince how he supervised you throughout the period or was aware of your day to day RNR
If you have a long period, take the SD from 2 persons for 2 different periods or locations
the Reference letter or SD should be based on the actual work done by you throughout the period of the certificate and not only a portion of the time
Next based on the RNR , choose the Anzsco code which suits your skills and experience best. And not solely on the basis of which list it is
For example a Software Tester will be tempted to get assessed as Software Engineer so that he does not have to wait for sponsorship, but may fail to convince the CO how his job is that of an engineer and not of a Tester, even if he gets a positive assessment from ACS
Just a positive assessment from ACS does not save you from queries by the department at grant stage.
Apply for the assessment using just the documents asked for by ACS.
It's a very short concise and clear list with no ambiguity whatsoever
Please do not add or deduct any document on your own
Ensure that you enter all the employment from the list that you have prepared correctly
Once you get the assessment order, recheck your name and if all the employment sequence entered by you are mentioned correctly.
If not ask, for a correction
Check the date after which you have been allowed to claim points for Skilled employment carefully
Most members start claiming the points from the month written in the assessment rather then the next month as it should be
EDUCATION
Keep your 10th & 12th Marksheet handy but would not be required in all probability
Graduation marksheets or transcripts
Ensure that the subjects, marks you scored and the total marks of the subject are mentioned and all alre available
Original Degree Certificate
Check that you name is spelled correctly and if your parents name is mentioned, that is also correct
ENGLISH TEST
Ensure that your name is spelled correctly in the score card
IF PTEA, ensure that the results are directly sent to DIBP
Tips for getting a high score and free study materials available on the net are given in this thread on the forum
It’s a goldmine of information and spending time on going through it, is time well spent
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/australia-expat-forum-expats-living-australia/672738-pte-exam.html
I personally found the paid E2 subscription was worth the money
By now you have your points table in place and are ready to submit the EOI
Claiming points for Experience
When entering the employment, ensure that you give even those employments which have been disallowed by ACS, but mark them all as non relevant
Then start entering the entries for which you are claiming points but this time mark them as relevant
Recheck all the dates to ensure they are error free.
Do not round off the dates . If there is a break of even a day between 2 employments or days lost due to location changes, show them correctly.
In the current job entry, leave the TO Date blank, if you working
Claiming points for experience beyond the assessment date given by ACS
This is an area where members tend to make a mistake
You can claim points for experience beyond ACS assessment date only if you are working in the same company, Designation, RNR and location.
You should also be in a position to get a fresh current date reference letter from the company confirming the same, if asked by the CO
If even any one of the above parameters change, you should enter the end date and stop claiming points.
Start a new entry from the next date same as above but this time mark it as NON relevant and leave the TO DATE Blank
If you still want to claim points, get your self reassessed again
All experience which is not in Australia is Overseas Experience
Do not claim experience not eligible in the relevant section even if it results in you losing points
Claiming points for Education
ACS is its assessment order also certifies the AQF equivalent of your degree
So if it is equivalent of a Bachelor Degree, claim 15 points, if Diploma claim 10 points and so on
You get extra points for having PHD and Australian education and if eligible claim those additionally
Will post the next part depending on the brickbats and bouquets
Cheers
The total expenses from end to end can easily be 10,000 AUD for a family of 3 by the time you actually get the grant
You should be mentally and financially be prepared for the same
Also completing the process from start to end can also take upto 12-18 months depending on your Anzsco code and points
Many may call this pessimistic but ask those members who have in the past and those still waiting for grants more then a year after applying for no apparent reason after submitting all documents
I would want that all of you complete the process in 3 months like I did, but I also have to warn you of the other possibility, if things don’t go as planned
Next spend a few days going through the links in this very informative thread
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...-australia-what-you-need-know-read-first.html
and decide if you really want to through the process
Remember There is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Most have to struggle to get even copper leave alone gold even after reaching the end of the rainbow.
The job market is extremely difficult to crack even for those with several years of experience in senior position if they do not have Australian experience
Most job applications do not even reach interview stage
The rental charges are extremely high especially in Sydney and Melbourne so what may look like a big salary in Indian currency terms, even just after taxes and rent may not look so great. Leave alone other expenses
So you have decided to go through after considering all pros and cons
The first thing one should do is to ensure that you have all the important documents like
birth certificate, passport ,school & college degrees, pay slips, tax returns, PF , driving license etc. for all family members
Make sure that all name are spelled correctly and uniformly over all documents.
Have your marriage certificates and wife name change documents in place, if applicable
Get spouse name added in each other passport
SKILLS ASSESSMENT
As I did ACS only, I will restrict my observations to ACS procedures and requirements only
But would request VETASSESS and EA experts to also contribute to their recommendations if they find the time
Mention each and every job you have done post graduation irrespective of whether it was connected to your current job or not or you have sufficient evidence for the same or not
Let ACS decide if they want to consider it or not
The start jotting down start and end dates for each employment based on DDMMYYYY basis
(ACS may not require only MMYYYY but DD will also be needed in EOI and other forms, so better to have it from Day 1)
Do not merge 2 companies, designations and locations in a single entry
Split as many times as necessary to maintain the sequence
Ask all the companies you have worked for to give you a reference letter.
Request and ensure that the above dates sequence is maintained in it
If you fail to get a Reference letter after all attempts, settle for a SD from a team leader or manager level who actually supervised your work on day to day basis.
Taking from a colleague is highly risky.
You may be in trouble if you get it from a person who during a verification call fails to convince how he supervised you throughout the period or was aware of your day to day RNR
If you have a long period, take the SD from 2 persons for 2 different periods or locations
the Reference letter or SD should be based on the actual work done by you throughout the period of the certificate and not only a portion of the time
Next based on the RNR , choose the Anzsco code which suits your skills and experience best. And not solely on the basis of which list it is
For example a Software Tester will be tempted to get assessed as Software Engineer so that he does not have to wait for sponsorship, but may fail to convince the CO how his job is that of an engineer and not of a Tester, even if he gets a positive assessment from ACS
Just a positive assessment from ACS does not save you from queries by the department at grant stage.
Apply for the assessment using just the documents asked for by ACS.
It's a very short concise and clear list with no ambiguity whatsoever
Please do not add or deduct any document on your own
Ensure that you enter all the employment from the list that you have prepared correctly
Once you get the assessment order, recheck your name and if all the employment sequence entered by you are mentioned correctly.
If not ask, for a correction
Check the date after which you have been allowed to claim points for Skilled employment carefully
Most members start claiming the points from the month written in the assessment rather then the next month as it should be
EDUCATION
Keep your 10th & 12th Marksheet handy but would not be required in all probability
Graduation marksheets or transcripts
Ensure that the subjects, marks you scored and the total marks of the subject are mentioned and all alre available
Original Degree Certificate
Check that you name is spelled correctly and if your parents name is mentioned, that is also correct
ENGLISH TEST
Ensure that your name is spelled correctly in the score card
IF PTEA, ensure that the results are directly sent to DIBP
Tips for getting a high score and free study materials available on the net are given in this thread on the forum
It’s a goldmine of information and spending time on going through it, is time well spent
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/australia-expat-forum-expats-living-australia/672738-pte-exam.html
I personally found the paid E2 subscription was worth the money
By now you have your points table in place and are ready to submit the EOI
Claiming points for Experience
When entering the employment, ensure that you give even those employments which have been disallowed by ACS, but mark them all as non relevant
Then start entering the entries for which you are claiming points but this time mark them as relevant
Recheck all the dates to ensure they are error free.
Do not round off the dates . If there is a break of even a day between 2 employments or days lost due to location changes, show them correctly.
In the current job entry, leave the TO Date blank, if you working
Claiming points for experience beyond the assessment date given by ACS
This is an area where members tend to make a mistake
You can claim points for experience beyond ACS assessment date only if you are working in the same company, Designation, RNR and location.
You should also be in a position to get a fresh current date reference letter from the company confirming the same, if asked by the CO
If even any one of the above parameters change, you should enter the end date and stop claiming points.
Start a new entry from the next date same as above but this time mark it as NON relevant and leave the TO DATE Blank
If you still want to claim points, get your self reassessed again
All experience which is not in Australia is Overseas Experience
Do not claim experience not eligible in the relevant section even if it results in you losing points
Claiming points for Education
ACS is its assessment order also certifies the AQF equivalent of your degree
So if it is equivalent of a Bachelor Degree, claim 15 points, if Diploma claim 10 points and so on
You get extra points for having PHD and Australian education and if eligible claim those additionally
Will post the next part depending on the brickbats and bouquets
Cheers