[yeshiwo]

Hi mates,

I'm new to this place. I have submitted an EOI on 30 March 2015 and am expecting an invite to come through on 8 May. I am applying under the occupation 2713 (solicitor) as I just got my Victorian qualification this Feb.

I have two questions for my fellow applicants:

1. Overseas education

I am claiming points on my overseas education - one bachelor's degree from China and another three-year Juris Doctor degree from the America. According to my conversation with the Department of Immigration hotline I would need my international degrees recognised in Australia. I understand that usually this gets done together with a skill assessment by the assessing authority - in my case the Council of Legal Education in Victoria ("COLE"). However in my instance the only thing I had from COLE were a directions letter detailing the additional academic subjects and practical training programs I would need to undertake to qualify as a lawyer in Australia (which I have all completed). Nowhere in that letter mentions my overseas education assessment, although according to the Victorian qualification rules for overseas lawyers one must have a degree in law that's comparable to a Bachelor or Juris Doctor obtained in Australia, in addition to the additional academic requirements to be given by COLE. The Department of Immigration couldn't suggest any other assessing authority for my education qualifications, and COLE said they would not produce any other assessment (according to their website the Department of Immigration notified them that for migration purposes the order of admission to the legal qualification issued by the Supreme Court of Victoria would override the requirement for skill assessment, so with that now I don't need any skill assessment). Kinda stuck here. Could anyone shed any light please?

2. Medicals

Initially I wanted to go down the ENS 186 road so had my HAPID issued and medical xaminations completed three months ago. Sponsor nomination was approved but I stopped short of going further. Now that I'm taking up the alternative 189 option, I was hoping that my medicals done for the 186 visa purposes could be re-used for this purpose. Has anyone got any experience recycling medical examinations done for another visa category (examination items are the same).

Many thanks!

 

[sprite_chris]

Hi there,

Have you obtained your admission order from the supreme court of victoria?
I would assume you have in March. That is enough then. You meet the skill assessment requirement.

As to the overseas qualification, you can leave there, until told by your CO.

Your medical examination should be valid for 12 months. Also, if need another one, the CO will let your know.

You will get your invitation this may.

Best wishes

Hi mates,

I'm new to this place. I have submitted an EOI on 30 March 2015 and am expecting an invite to come through on 8 May. I am applying under the occupation 2713 (solicitor) as I just got my Victorian qualification this Feb.

I have two questions for my fellow applicants:

1. Overseas education

I am claiming points on my overseas education - one bachelor's degree from China and another three-year Juris Doctor degree from the America. According to my conversation with the Department of Immigration hotline I would need my international degrees recognised in Australia. I understand that usually this gets done together with a skill assessment by the assessing authority - in my case the Council of Legal Education in Victoria ("COLE"). However in my instance the only thing I had from COLE were a directions letter detailing the additional academic subjects and practical training programs I would need to undertake to qualify as a lawyer in Australia (which I have all completed). Nowhere in that letter mentions my overseas education assessment, although according to the Victorian qualification rules for overseas lawyers one must have a degree in law that's comparable to a Bachelor or Juris Doctor obtained in Australia, in addition to the additional academic requirements to be given by COLE. The Department of Immigration couldn't suggest any other assessing authority for my education qualifications, and COLE said they would not produce any other assessment (according to their website the Department of Immigration notified them that for migration purposes the order of admission to the legal qualification issued by the Supreme Court of Victoria would override the requirement for skill assessment, so with that now I don't need any skill assessment). Kinda stuck here. Could anyone shed any light please?

2. Medicals

Initially I wanted to go down the ENS 186 road so had my HAPID issued and medical xaminations completed three months ago. Sponsor nomination was approved but I stopped short of going further. Now that I'm taking up the alternative 189 option, I was hoping that my medicals done for the 186 visa purposes could be re-used for this purpose. Has anyone got any experience recycling medical examinations done for another visa category (examination items are the same).

Many thanks!

 

[yeshiwo]

Hi there,

Have you obtained your admission order from the supreme court of victoria?
I would assume you have in March. That is enough then. You meet the skill assessment requirement.

As to the overseas qualification, you can leave there, until told by your CO.

Your medical examination should be valid for 12 months. Also, if need another one, the CO will let your know.

You will get your invitation this may.

Best wishes

Hi sprite_chris

Thanks that's helpful.

Yes I've got my admission order. What you have suggested makes sense to me.

 

[sprite_chris]

Not at all.

I will get mine on 26 May.

Hi sprite_chris

Thanks that's helpful.

Yes I've got my admission order. What you have suggested makes sense to me.

 

[yeshiwo]

Not at all.

I will get mine on 26 May.

Good luck with that!

Did you receive your legal education in Australia or overseas, if you don't mind?

 

[sprite_chris]

I did my JD at Unimelb, but I was originally from China.

Good luck with that!

Did you receive your legal education in Australia or overseas, if you don't mind?

 

[yeshiwo]

I did my JD at Unimelb, but I was originally from China.

Awesome. Are you going to claim the 15 points for academic qualification? Is a Unimelb JD considered a bachelor's degree or higher by DIBP?

 

[sprite_chris]

Master Degree. Definitely not a doctorate degree.
I need that 15 points.

You still remember what I told you about the assessment on qualification?

I applied to the BOLE for NY bar exam. Normally they would assess foreign qualifications, but JD from Unimel is exempt. So I guess if you graduated from a ABA law school in US, probably you don't need it assessed either.

Awesome. Are you going to claim the 15 points for academic qualification? Is a Unimelb JD considered a bachelor's degree or higher by DIBP?

 

[yeshiwo]

Master Degree. Definitely not a doctorate degree.
I need that 15 points.

You still remember what I told you about the assessment on qualification?

I applied to the BOLE for NY bar exam. Normally they would assess foreign qualifications, but JD from Unimel is exempt. So I guess if you graduated from a ABA law school in US, probably you don't need it assessed either.

Yes I was asking that at the risk of sounding stupid...I have no doubt that my degrees should get me those 15 points but it's just loads of hassles for any assessment. It would have spared me a lot of breath if the COLE directions had said "your academic qualification is equivalent to an Australian JD or LLB degree program". They just couldn't care less alas

 

[sprite_chris]

They would only refer you to DIBP.

Anyway, you should get your invitation this friday.

Yes I was asking that at the risk of sounding stupid...I have no doubt that my degrees should get me those 15 points but it's just loads of hassles for any assessment. It would have spared me a lot of breath if the COLE directions had said "your academic qualification is equivalent to an Australian JD or LLB degree program". They just couldn't care less alas