Overview of Visa Sub Classes for Overseas Applicants
Skilled Independent 175
Skilled - Sponsored 176
Skilled Regional Sponsored (Provisional) 475
If you intend to apply for one of the above visas, the question of whether your qualifications or skills are recognised by Australia is critical. It can mean the difference between an approval or refusal.
Skilled Occupation (SOL)
Any person wishing to apply for a GSM visa must nominate a skilled occupation on the Skilled Occupations List. The list which is issued by the Australian government and is subject to change to reflect what skills occupations Australian needs in potential migrants.
Skills Assessment
Pre Application Skills Assessment (”PASA”)
Anyone who intends to apply for a GSM visa, and who has nominated a skilled occupation on the SOL for which they have the relevant qualification and skills, must then seek a skill assessment by the relevant assessing body before lodging their visa application. Qualfications whether obtained overseas or from Australian institutions must be assessed.
A visa application that does not contain a positive skills assessment will not be valid.
Australian Standard of Classification of Occupations (ASCO)
To determine whether a potential visa applicant has the right level of qualificatios for the occuaption that he/she is being assessed, the “ASCO Dictionary” must be consulted. The dictionary classifies occupations in major groups and according to their nature. There are 9 major groups, but the first 4 groups are considered “skilled”:
1 Managers and Administrators
2 Professionals
3 Associated Professionals
4 Tradespersons and related persons
When you review the SOL you will see that the occupations are categorised into the same 4 groupings.
In each major group, there are individual occupation descriptions giving details of the tasks performed. For the purposes of a visa application, the visa applicant must give a detailed description of the task and duties he or she persomes in their occupation which is comparable to the ASCO dictionary. It is important that an accurate description is provided. Many visa applications are rejected due to imprecise and ill considered descriptions of duties performed.
Country Education Profiles (CEP)
Another useful resource for the potentional visa applicant is the Country Education Profiles. The profiles contain guidlines for comparing an overseas qualification to Australian qualifications. Over 100 countries each have their own profile. They are a great assistance to anyone wanting to know the education level of their qualification from an Australian perspective. There is detailed information about the assessement guidelines when comparing qualifications from the overseas country with qualficiations on the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
CEP has an online service which can be accessed 24/7.
Assessing Authorities
There a range of assessing authorities appointed by the Australian government and responsible for certain occupations in relation to their recognition in Australia.
The 2 main bodies would be:
- Trades Recognition Australia (TRA)
- Vocational Education and Training Assessment Service (VETASSESS)
There are also professional bodies who assess professional qualifications relevant to their industry. For example. ACS ACS for Computing professionals, IEA IEA for Engineering professionals, ANMC ANMC for Nurses and Midwives.
Each assessment bodies has their own website which contains relevant information on how to apply for their particular skill assessment for migration purposes. A positive skill assessment, is a mandatory requirement of a visa application.
English Language proficiency
English language ability is a requirement for applicants in all GSM visas. As of 1 September 2007, the threshold requirement for a skilled visa applicant will be “competent English” for most GSM visas. For applicants who have a trade occupation, the minimum requirement sis “vocational English”. For those applying for the Skilled - Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Visa sub class 475, the main application may have “concessional competent English” and have paid a fee to attend English classess in a participating Australian state or territory.
From 1 September 2007, an application with minimum English will be given 15 points on the English requirement, and those who have “proficient English” will be awarded 25 points. Secondary visa applicants are not required to meet the English threshold requirements but if they do not have functional English they may be required to pay a second instalment visa application charge before they are granted the visa.
Testing English proficiency
Applicants will need to provide evidence of their English languary ability. There 2 approved tests for migration purposes, the Occupation English Test (OET) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
IELTS is the most common and preferred English language test. It is a test conducted on a worldwide basis by the British Council. The test has 4 components, reading, writing, listening and speaking.
For Proficient english, an applicant must achieve a score of 7.0 in each of the 4 components
For Competent english, an applicant must achieve a score of 6.0 in each of the 4 components
For Concessional Competent english, an applicant must achieve a score of 5.5 in each of the 4 components
For Vocational english, an applicant must achieve a score of 5.0 in each of the 4 components
For Functional english, an application must achive an average band score of 4.5 for the 4 components.
Levels of English languary proficiency for GSM visas
Minimum English proficiency threshold
If a visa applicant holds a passport for UK/Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, USA or Canada, they will be deemed as having competent English language without the need to provide an IELTS test result. All other nationalities will be required to provide evidence of English language ability.
The Points Test
Under the GSM programme, there is a points test system. Each visa subclass has its own passmark. The points test determines a vsia applicant’s passmark. He or she must score the appropriate passmark to be eligible for the visa they are applying for.
The points system is based on 4 main factors:
Age at the time of application
Applicants will score:
30 points - if aged between 18 to 29
25 points - if aged between 30 to 34
20 points - if aged between 35 to 39
15 points - if aged between 40 to 44
Applicants must be under 45 at the time of application.
Skilled Occupation
60 points for Professional Occupations
50 points for Associate professionals or generalist occupations
40 points for occupations requiring diploma or advanced diplomas
Specific Work Experience
10 points - for applicants who have nominated a 60 point occupation and worked in their nominated occupation for 3 out of the last 4 years.
5 points - for applicants who have nominated a 60,50 or 40 point occupation and worked in a skilled occuaption (not necessarily their nominated occupation) for 3 out of the last 4 years.
English Language Ability
15 points - for Competent english (provision of IELTS score of 6.0 in each of 4 components, or holder of passport from UK/Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, USA or Canada
25 points - for Proficient english (provision of IELTS score of 7.0 in each of 4 components)
Occupations in Demand
20 points - for applicants with occupations on the MODL and who have a job offer from an eligible Australian employer
15 points - for applicants with occupations on the MODL
Australian Employment Experience
10 points - if employed in Australian in the nominated skilled occupation or a closely related occupation for at least 12 months during the past 4 years.
10 points - if a “professional year” was completed in the nominated skilled occupation or a closely related occupation for at least 12 months during the past 4 years.
Designated Language
5 points - if the applicant holds an overseas qualfiicatioon for which instruction was in a “designated language”
5 points - if the applicant passed the NAATI level 3 interpreter or translator accreditation level in a “designated language”.
Partner Skills
5 points - for an applicant who has a spouse who also meet sthe all 3 of the threshold requirements of skill, age, and language and who is included in the visa application.
State/Territory Nomination
10 points - for applicants for the Skilled-Sponsored (Sub class 176) or Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa sub class 475 if the applicant is nominated by an Australian State/Territory government.
Sponsorship
25 points - for applicants of the Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa sub class 475 who are sponsored by a close blood relative who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen and who resides in a designated area of Australia.
Pass and Pool Marks
Subclass Lodged Visa Name Pass Mark Pool Mark
175 Offshore Skilled Indpendent 120 100
176 Offshore Skilled Sponsored 100 80
475 Offshore Skilled Regional Sponsored 100 100
