Australia - new work experience requirement

Now that the new Australian points system has been in place for a few weeks, we are starting to see how this is impacting on the pre-application skills assessment process.

Perhaps the most significant change is the new role taken on by many skills assessment bodies in relation to assessing work experience.

Previously, the main role of such skills assessment bodies was to review the entry requirements (i.e. qualifications) of the applicant to that particular occupation.

So, for instance, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) would assess the qualifications and professional registration of an overseas nurse to make sure he / she met the Australian standard to be a Nurse.

This role of the ANMC (and indeed of many other skills assessment bodies) has now been expanded to also review relevant work experience. This includes work experience for the purpose of claiming points in a residence visa application.

So, now it seems that the Department of Immigration will defer to the skills assessment bodies evaluation of the applicant’s work experience, when deciding whether to allocate points or not. This was previously a major function of the Department of Immigration during the residence visa application.

Consequently, applicants need to fully understand the importance of submitting a comprehensive application AT THE SKILLS ASSESSMENT STAGE, to be sure of claiming work experience points. This is now vital to a successful overall application.

For more information on applying for a skills assessment in migrating to Australia, please visit our website;

www.commonwealthimmigration.com