Claiming employment experience points and skills assessments

[Raul Senise]

I have notice lately that there are many posts asking for help on:

 

· what periods of employment can be claimed for points claims;

· employment experience claims compared to skills assessment results;

· when is employment considered skilled for claiming points;

· ACS skills assessments and employment experience claims.

 

You may have noticed that there are few posts from Agents in response.

 

I do not want to speak for other Agents but will detail my opinion.

 

This lack of response is not because we do not want to help. It is because this is currently one of the most difficult and contentious issues regarding skilled visas. There is much Regulation and Policy surrounding this issue and a lack of consistency or clarity from the Immigration Department and Assessing bodies on the topic.

 

These are questions which are difficult to answer when we have all of the documents and full knowledge of all the details of a case. They are almost impossible to answer properly, based on a few lines of information in a thread.

 

In many cases this issue will decide the success or failure of an application.

 

I have never been one to pontificate about using an Agent, however, on this issue I do advise extreme caution.

[wrussell]

I have notice lately that there are many posts asking for help on:

 

· what periods of employment can be claimed for points claims;

· employment experience claims compared to skills assessment results;

· when is employment considered skilled for claiming points;

· ACS skills assessments and employment experience claims.

 

You may have noticed that there are few posts from Agents in response.

 

I do not want to speak for other Agents but will detail my opinion.

 

This lack of response is not because we do not want to help. It is because this is currently one of the most difficult and contentious issues regarding skilled visas. There is much Regulation and Policy surrounding this issue and a lack of consistency or clarity from the Immigration Department and Assessing bodies on the topic.

 

These are questions which are difficult to answer when we have all of the documents and full knowledge of all the details of a case. They are almost impossible to answer properly, based on a few lines of information in a thread.

 

In many cases this issue will decide the success or failure of an application.

 

I have never been one to pontificate about using an Agent, however, on this issue I do advise extreme caution.

 

No doubt you have noted that 'closely related' work experience does not have to be on an SOL/CSOL occupation.

 

The work experience opinions of assessing authorities are marginally relevant and often wrong.

 

I seldom take on cases for which work experience is a crucial factor, unless I have undertaken a detailed analysis of the relevant supporting documents. I have found prospective applicants with one set of claims in their CVs and another in their duty statements, bald statements of service upon which employers decline to elaborate, cash in hand payments in jurisdictions where personal taxation returns are not made, lost employment certifications, employers who have gone out of business and so on and so on. 'Highly relevant' qualifications/work experience are another minefield.

 

I have been contacted by many DIY applicants who were refused visas and forfeited their VACs on over claiming grounds.

 

I have been contacted by many more who (sensibly) sought a professional opinion before committing to a course of action, in some case having been incorrectly advised by skills assessing authorities.. As far as I know they were all successful.

Edited November 12, 2014 by wrussell
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