Partner skills (175) which SOL?

[Malbec]

My partner's occupation is on the SOL schedule 4 and she has a positive skills assessment from Vetasess (qualifications only).

 

Will I be able to claim the 5 points for partner skills in the 175 application, or has the partner occupation have to also be on the SOL schedule 3 to be valid?

 

Thanks

[Guest Gollywobbler]

My partner's occupation is on the SOL schedule 4 and she has a positive skills assessment from Vetasess (qualifications only).

 

Will I be able to claim the 5 points for partner skills in the 175 application, or has the partner occupation have to also be on the SOL schedule 3 to be valid?

 

Thanks

 

Hi Malbec

 

Welcome to Poms in Oz.

 

I am pretty sure that you can only claim Partner skills if the Partner's occupation is in Schedule 3.

 

It was mentioned on here a few weeks ago and I am pretty sure that one of the migration agents said this. I am not sure whether the DIAC website says anything about it?

 

I'd be inclined to send a pre-lodgement enquiry to the ASPC just to make certain, though.

 

That said, however, are you 100% sure that applying for a sc 175 visa would be the right way for you to go? I know that the DIAC website still gives the impression that the sc 175 visa is the Rolls Royce of visas etc but that was 2 years go now. Since then, the Aussie Government has changed the emphasis completely so that the new emphasis is on applying for a State sponsored subclass 176 visa instead.

 

For the sc 176, you only need 100 points so Partner Skills are usually unnecessary. If you are State sponsored, the State puts 10 points towards the total of 100 points so the visa applicant only has to find 90 points of his/her own.

 

What is your own occupation, please? Is your own occupation in Sched 3 or Sched 4?

 

Also, do you have any particular reason for choosing the sc 175 visa?

 

I ask because your method will not give you fast track visa processing whereas a State sponsored sc 176 visa would be faster.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[wrussell]

My partner's occupation is on the SOL schedule 4 and she has a positive skills assessment from Vetasess (qualifications only).

 

Will I be able to claim the 5 points for partner skills in the 175 application, or has the partner occupation have to also be on the SOL schedule 3 to be valid?

 

Thanks

 

For points to be awarded your partner must meet the core criteria for a GSM visa. For an occupations in Schedule 4, a state or territory nomination is a criterion.

[Malbec]

Thanks Westly and Gill! My partner asked diac by email but we got a convoluted generic copy/paste reply instead of a straight answer like yours.

 

We've considered a 176 visa, my occupation is currently in Sched 3 (233511), but so far the states we'd like to live in don't offer sponsorship for it and my guess is they'll also exclude it from SMP once they get implemented.

 

Don't get me wrong, I feel uneasy about the long 175 waiting time and we're having a hard time deciding for it instead of a 176. We may change our minds, but our rationale goes like this: worst case scenario, either way we must wait approx. 3 years to live where we want to, so we'd rather wait three years in our own country than 1 year here + 2 years in a city/town we wouldn't be too happy living in; best case scenario: that doesn't happen when diac's in charge .

[wrussell]

I suggest you consult a registered migration agent for strategic advice.