Skills Assessment - Accountant

[Krish3]

Krish,

 

I would ring up the CPA offices, i spoke to the london office and found them very helpful. You need to have covered 9 of the 12 core areas (detailed on the CPA website) to get your skills assessed, not sure if you need to have officially become ACMA though.

 

In terms of experience CPA counted my experience from when i passed the strategic level of the exams, however when applying for my visa i only claimed from when i became ACMA as the dept of immi have their own rules on when you can claim experience from and i didnt want to risk mis-claiming.

 

i believe they will take your experience from the time you submit your EOI as that is what generates your points score. once invited to apply for a visa you have to submit the evidence that supports your points claim in the EOI.

 

Goodluck

 

Hi Morana,

 

thank you very much for reply. it gave me a lot of clarity. Need some more help. if i am to claim points after my ACMA it will be about 6 - 7 months experience at the time of applying for EOI / VISA. Can i get PR if i get 60 points without experience ???

 

also is it true that all accounting related jobs are to be taken out from SOL?

[Morana]

I'm no migration expert but I don't think it matters how the 60 points are made up as long as you can provide evidence to support the amount you are claiming.

 

i have no idea if accounting jobs are to be taken off the sol, as a migration agent wrussell would be in a more experienced position to comment.

[shaz2013]

Back with a question already. In the points assessment you get 15 points if you have worked 8 of the last 10 in your nominated occupation. I was working while studying for my exams, can this time be included? I started employment as a graduate accountant in 2004 whilst doing my CIMA studies, passed all my exams by 2007 and was accepted as a CIMA accociate in 2008. Can I count the full 8 years from 2004 or just the 4 years from 2008?

 

Thanks

 

Tony

 

Hi Morana,

ONly the post qualification experience counts.

[shaz2013]

Hi, Question from my wife, she is a fellow of ACCA (FCCA), who would be the best institution for her to get her skills assessed with? She passed her degree in accountancy in 2000, and qualified fully into ACCA in 2004. FCCA in 2009.

 

All advice gratefully received as we are at the start of our visa adventure, and the only thing we have decided so far, is who skill to use, Hers $500, mine $3600!!!

 

Hi Jim,

I think it does not matter. I am ACCA qualified and I did my assessment through ICAA. Better to call both the assessing bodies and have their advice.

[Alan Collett]

Hi Morana,

ONly the post qualification experience counts.

 

Not necessarily.

 

Best regards.

[wrussell]

Not necessarily.

 

Best regards.

 

You are quite correct (of course) but that is not the advice that relevant skills assessing authorities offer.

 

I have had several such in the past week. My advice was, make an appointment and I will charge you $150 (including GST) to make a paper plane out of the 'points advice' letter letter and I might even advise you what to lodge, if you ask nicely.

 

It was not so long ago that an applicant holding any recognised degree in any discipline could obtain from VETASSESS a positive skills assessment in any skilled occupation for which they were the relevant assessing authority; with a minor exception. Their current piety about highly relevant qualifications and highly relevant work experience is enough to make one vomit.

 

The criterion is to be regularly performing relevant tasks (or closely related) at the expected skill level for a relevant period.

 

I represented a client who had 20 CPAs reporting to her (I kid you not) but who had her accounting degree conferred by the wrong university and could therefore not obtain a positive skills assessment as an accountant. She is now a PR and doing well. On the other hand I have successfully represented clients who obtained positive skills assessments as accountants, but who had never worked in accounting and did not intend to.

 

I am almost sure I am not charging enough.

[Mayfly]

Hi, I hope it is ok for me to join this thread. This is my first posting and I would appreciate some advice if possible.

 

I am currently an ACCA student planning to write final exams in June and thereafter apply for membership. We were planning to start the visa application process after that but I am now concerned about the work experience element as I think we will need the points! Although I have loads of experience it is all pre-qualification and I am also currently not working as I am on maternity leave. I get the feeling from the posts about from Alan Collett and Westy Russell that it is perhaps possible to get around this somehow?? I am 40 years old so don't get too many points for age! Now worried that our Aussie dream will disappear without the post qualification experience?

 

Any advice would be gratefully received.

[Alan Collett]

Hello Mayfly.

 

In short, I anticipate that the quality of your work experience references validating the skilled duties you have undertaken will be key.

 

Best regards.

[Mayfly]

Hello Mayfly.

 

In short, I anticipate that the quality of your work experience references validating the skilled duties you have undertaken will be key.

 

Best regards.

 

 

Thank you Alan, I will probably submit a skills assessment and see what happens.

[Alan Collett]

Thank you Alan, I will probably submit a skills assessment and see what happens.

 

I think the issue isn't your skills assessment.

 

Rather, it is the points you can reasonably claim on the EoI - remember that when the EoI progresses to a visa application you will have to pay the non refundable Visa Application Charge to progress matters, and that it is only once the VAC is paid and your EoI claims are checked by the DIAC case officer that you will know whether you have overstated the skilled work experience.

 

Overclaimed points on the EoI means no visa and a wasted VAC: you would have to lodge another EoI and pay the VAC again in due course to re-enter the visa process.

 

Best regards.

[wrussell]

I think the issue isn't your skills assessment.

 

Rather, it is the points you can reasonably claim on the EoI - remember that when the EoI progresses to a visa application you will have to pay the non refundable Visa Application Charge to progress matters, and that it is only once the VAC is paid and your EoI claims are checked by the DIAC case officer that you will know whether you have overstated the skilled work experience.

 

Overclaimed points on the EoI means no visa and a wasted VAC: you would have to lodge another EoI and pay the VAC again in due course to re-enter the visa process.

 

Best regards.

 

May I suggest you note this excellent advice and at least arrange a professional consultation before you commit to a course of action?

[Mayfly]

I think the issue isn't your skills assessment.

 

Rather, it is the points you can reasonably claim on the EoI - remember that when the EoI progresses to a visa application you will have to pay the non refundable Visa Application Charge to progress matters, and that it is only once the VAC is paid and your EoI claims are checked by the DIAC case officer that you will know whether you have overstated the skilled work experience.

 

Overclaimed points on the EoI means no visa and a wasted VAC: you would have to lodge another EoI and pay the VAC again in due course to re-enter the visa process.

 

Best regards.

 

 

Thank you for this valuable information. I certainly intend engaging a professional consultant once we are in a position to start the process. I am really trying to ascertain whether we have a chance of getting sufficient points and if not, then what we will need to do in order to try to do this. As we have a little time to play with, I am just trying to prepare for anything in advance.

 

My question now is, how do I know whether or not my experience is of sufficient quality and whether it would be accepted by the case officer? Is there a way of ensuring that skilled work experience is not overstated? As it is assessed by the IACC, if they determine that it is adequate, how can the case officer decide that it is not? Or is the points issue separate to the assessment?

 

It does seem that my husband's profession would earn us an additional 5 points and therefore I am hoping that if my work experience is not sufficient, with the extra points from him plus state sponsorship we could meet the required 60 points.

Of course, then I am aware that different states require various levels of work experience. The only one I can see that doesn't seem to is WA?? If this is the case then we will have to hope that there will be availability later on this year for Accountants.

 

Many thanks for your assistance so far, it is really helpful.

[mello555]

Hi all,

 

I'm a management accountant (3+ experience) got my skills assessed under Accountant General Occupation. I'm on 60 pts by claiming 5 points for 3+ years work experience.

 

Do you think that would be a problem for work experience points as a Mgt. accountant while getting skills assessed for 221111.

 

Also, i became a cima passed finalist in March 2009 and ACMA in October 2012. I have a Bachelor of Management 4 year degree in Human resource Management graduated in October 2009. I also got CPA membership through MRA between CIMA and CPA.

 

Do you think that i can claim 5 points for work experience with i'm being in above situation? I haven't got my experience assessed by CPA...

 

Your feedback is very much appreciated..

[Alan Collett]

Hi all,

 

I'm a management accountant (3+ experience) got my skills assessed under Accountant General Occupation. I'm on 60 pts by claiming 5 points for 3+ years work experience.

 

Do you think that would be a problem for work experience points as a Mgt. accountant while getting skills assessed for 221111.

 

Also, i became a cima passed finalist in March 2009 and ACMA in October 2012. I have a Bachelor of Management 4 year degree in Human resource Management graduated in October 2009. I also got CPA membership through MRA between CIMA and CPA.

 

Do you think that i can claim 5 points for work experience with i'm being in above situation? I haven't got my experience assessed by CPA...

 

Your feedback is very much appreciated..

 

 

Hello mello.

 

You haven't mentioned your visa pathway. If you lodge an EoI for a State or Territory sponsored subclass 190 you have all the points you need now, without worrying about skilled work experience.

 

Best regards.

[wrussell]

An edited except from a client's email, one of many similar:

 

Dear Westly,

 

Good day to you. Hope this email finds you well.

I consulted you some time in March to review my credentials especially on skilled employment letter (as CPAA did not acknowledge my experience).

I am writing you an email to let you know that I have just been granted the 189 VISA. I applied last April, got allocated a CO a week after and was granted the visa this May, just recently. My CO neither ask for a skilled employment letter nor question my skilled experiences. Thank you for reviewing my COEs and for your help. I have read some of your posts in the forum and appreciate your being straight and critical about some issues.

 

 

 

Thank you again.

 

Sincerely,

 

XXX

[mello555]

Hello mello.

 

You haven't mentioned your visa pathway. If you lodge an EoI for a State or Territory sponsored subclass 190 you have all the points you need now, without worrying about skilled work experience.

 

Best regards.

I am going through 189 coz I could not get any state sponsorship. I tried victoria, but failed.