Changes to VETASSESS assessment requirements for General Occupations from 1 January 2010 VETASSESS conducts assessments for over 200 occupations for people applying to migrate to Australia under the Commonwealth Government’s General Skilled Migration (GSM) and Employer Nomination Schemes (ENS). From the 1st of January 2010, VETASSESS will be changing the requirements for assessment against these “Generalist Occupations” which are managerial, administrative, professional and associate professional occupations. The new assessment process will help to ensure that applicant’s who meet the requirements under the new process are job ready and have the relevant skills and qualifications for employment in Australia in their nominated occupation. From 2010, in order to receive a positive assessment, you will need:

ï‚· to hold a qualification which is assessed at the required educational level in a highly relevant field of study to the nominated occupation and

ï‚· at least one year of relevant employment for all occupations. For some occupations, if your qualification has a shortfall in content relevance either one or two additional years of employment is required


Requirements for the new process To assist you with your application VETASSESS has additional information on its website. Please see our website from mid November 2009 for the new requirements for each occupation, our self assessment tools and further information.

Below is a summary of the new requirements for each occupation which have been grouped according to the additional information that you need to provide. A Group ** A Group Occupations require a qualification which is assessed at the level of an Australian Bachelor degree, in the same field as the nominated occupation. In addition to this, an applicant must have at least one year of relevant employment experience at an appropriate level. Examples of some occupations in this group include:

ï‚· Agricultural Scientist

ï‚· Biochemist

ï‚· Chemist

ï‚· Geologist

ï‚· Life Scientists [nec]

ï‚· Teacher - Education Officer

ï‚· Teacher - Vocational Educational Teacher (non trades)

ï‚· Urban and Regional Planner

2

B Group ** B Group Occupations require a qualification which is assessed at the level of an Australian Bachelor degree, in a relevant field. In addition to this, the applicant must have at least one year of relevant employment experience at an appropriate level. Either two or three years of relevant employment experience will be required if the qualification/s is identified as having a shortfall in content relevance. ** For Group A and B occupation - If you are a recent Australian graduate requiring a Skills Assessment to apply for a Skilled – Graduate subclass (Temporary) 485 subclass visa, you may nominate a B Group occupation, but your Bachelor Degree level studies must be in a relevant field.

Examples of some occupations in this group include:

ï‚· Advertising Specialist

ï‚· Construction Project Manager

ï‚· Environmental Health Officer

ï‚· Hotel or Motel Manager (Degree)

ï‚· Marketing Specialist

ï‚· Production Manager (Manufacturing)

ï‚· Research and Development Manager


C Group C Group Occupations require a qualification assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Diploma, in a relevant field. In addition to this, the applicant must have at least one year of relevant employment experience at an appropriate level. Two years of employment experience is required if the qualification/s has a shortfall in content relevance. Examples of some occupations in this group include:

ï‚· Architectural Associate

ï‚· Building Associate

ï‚· Financial Investment Adviser

ï‚· Hotel or Motel Manager (Diploma)

ï‚· Office Manager

ï‚· Project or Program Administrator

D Group D Group Occupations require a qualification which is assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Certificate IV, in a relevant field. In addition to this, the applicant must have at least one year of relevant employment experience at an appropriate level. Two years of relevant employment experience is required if the qualification/s has a shortfall in content relevance. Occupations in this group are:

ï‚· Building Associate Professionals (nec)

ï‚· Civil Engineering Technician

ï‚· Metallurgical and Materials Technician

3

Recent Graduates with Australian Studies who intend to apply for a Skilled – Graduate (Temporary) visa (subclass 485) (Applies only to those who intend to apply under this visa). The Department of Immigration and Citizenship recognises that recent graduates with Bachelor Degree or above level qualifications may not have sufficient employment at the required level for a complete Skills Assessment from VETASSESS. For this reason, VETASSESS will offer a two - stage process for applicants who indicate they will be applying for this visa. The first stage will lead to a Skills Assessment which may only be used to support an application for a 485 visa. To be eligible for this assessment you will need to

ï‚· have recently completed Australian studies (within the previous 6 months)

 be applying for the Skilled – Graduate (Temporary) visa (subclass 485)

ï‚· nominate an occupation from either Group A or Group B

ï‚· hold a qualification which is assessed as being at Australian Bachelor degree level (or higher), in a highly relevant field of study to your nominated occupation for Part 1 (Educational Assessment).

Once you have obtained at least 12 months of employment in the field of your nominated occupation, you may apply for Part 2 of the Skills Assessment which is the assessment of your employment. This will complete the Skills Assessment required for permanent migration under the General Skilled Migration Program or the Employer Nomination Scheme.


Frequently Asked Questions

What if I want to apply before the changes?
If you apply before the 31st of December, 2009, with all the relevant documents and payments, your application will be processed under the current guidelines. If your case is delayed due to missing documents or payments, you may be asked to apply under the new process. VETASSESS recommends that you should submit your application and all relevant documents by the 18th of December 2009 to ensure that your application is processed under the current system otherwise the new criterion may apply.

I have obtained a successful assessment under the current guidelines. Will this still be accepted by DIAC?
DIAC will continue to accept all VETASSESS Skill Assessments from both the old and new system provided that your nominated occupation remains on the Skilled Occupation List and VETASSESS is the designated assessing authority for that occupation. However, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship may ask you to have a current VETASSESS 4 assessment if there is a significant gap between the date of assessment and the date of applying for your visa.

I started my Australian study this year and won’t finish until next year; will the new process affect me?
Yes. You will need to apply under the new system once you have successfully completed your studies. VETASSESS requires evidence of course completion and eligibility to graduate for the assessment. If your course completion date is in 2010, you will need to complete the new process. Applicants in Australia who have completed an Australian Bachelor degree or equivalent level Australian studies, who nominate a 50 point occupation will need to decide whether they are eligible to apply for the full Skills Assessment, or only a Part 1 assessment. The full assessment (assessment of qualification’s and employment) is required to support an application for permanent migration. The Part 1 assessment is required to support an application for a Skilled – Graduate (Temporary) visa (subclass 485) and may only be used for this purpose. Please see above for more information on this.

For more information see http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/gener...migration/485/

How much will it cost?
Please see our website from mid November for more information about the new assessment process and the relevant fees.

How long will the assessment take?
Most assessments will be completed within eight weeks, however some can take longer. Qualifications from Pakistan and the People's Republic of China can take longer to complete.

What are the new requirements?
All occupations will be required to have a qualification in a field of study which is at the correct level, and in a field which is highly relevant to the nominated occupation, as well as a minimum of one year of employment in a highly relevant occupation. For some occupations, additional years of employment will be required if the qualification is at the required level but the major field of study does not match the nominated occupation. Further information will be posted to our website in November.


Vetassess link : http://www.vetassess.com.au/download...l_with_occ.pdf

Vetassess is finally going to be doing a proper job in assessing people against real occupations, see http://www.vetassess.com.au/download...l_with_occ.pdf .

In practical terms I expect very few applicants to be adversely affected by this apart from those who were hoping to manufacture occupations for state sponsorship and in practice that would only have been some subclass 475 applicants for whom the waiting period is now well over the horizon anyway.

Cheers,

George Lombard

Full text of further announcement on this change:

28/10/2009

Dear agent,

RE: Changes to VETASSESS Assessment Process from 1 January 2010

I am writing to advise you that VETASSESS is changing the assessment requirements for its “generalist occupations.”

From 1 January 2010, in order to receive a positive Skills Assessment, applicants will need:
• to hold a qualification which is assessed at the required educational level in a highly relevant field of study to the nominated occupation;
and
• at least one year of relevant employment for all occupations. For some occupations, either one or two additional years of employment is required if the qualification/s has a shortfall in content relevance. Employment must have been completed in the last five years.

VETASSESS is the Gazetted Assessing Authority for pre-migration Skills Assessments for over 200 occupations on the Skilled Occupation List. In consultation with DIAC, VETASSESS has been revising its assessment procedures for its “general occupations”, i.e. occupations in ASCO Managerial, Administrative, Professional and Associate Professional categories. These changes will be implemented on 1 January 2010 and will ensure that migrants have the relevant skills and qualifications for employment in Australia in their nominated occupations. Though our assessment for the general occupations is for migration purposes only, we expect that the revised assessment will improve applicants’ job readiness and prospects to secure employment in their nominated field in Australia.

Special arrangements for Skills Assessment for the purpose of a Skilled – Graduate (Temporary) visa (subclass 485)
VETASSESS will offer a Stage 1 Skills Assessment (educational assessment only) for on-shore international students who need a Skills Assessment for the purpose of a Skilled Graduate – Graduate Temporary (subclass 485) visa. The educational assessment will require a qualification at Australian Bachelor degree level in a field of study of high relevance to the nominated occupation. The nominated VETASSESS occupation needs to be in the ASCO Managerial, Administrative or Professional categories, i.e. in ASCO Major Groups 1 or 2. DIAC will require a full Skills Assessment (qualifications and employment) to support an application for permanent migration. Those applicants who have a positive Stage 1 educational assessment for the purpose of a 485 visa may reapply to VETASSESS for the full assessment (Stage 1 and 2) once they have evidence of the required employment experience for their nominated occupation.
We hope that this special arrangement for 485 visa applicants will provide on-shore international students who lack relevant employment in their nominated occupation with the opportunity to gain that experience.
Overview of the revised assessment process

All VETASSESS general occupations have been grouped into four groups - A, B, C and D. Although all of these groups have assessment criteria which require relevant employment/on-the-job training at an appropriate level, they are differentiated by their educational requirements. Group A occupations require an Australian Bachelor degree or comparable level qualification in a highly relevant field for entry to the occupation. Group B occupations also require a qualification at this level but not necessarily in a highly relevant field of study. Group C occupations require an Australian Associate Degree/AQF Diploma/Advanced Diploma or comparable qualification. Group D occupations require an AQF Certificate IV or comparable qualification.
Please find attached lists of occupations in Groups A, B, C and D together with the assessment criteria for each of those groups.
Expiry date for Skills Assessments
All Skills Assessments issued under the new arrangements will have a validity period of two years. The expiry date will be twenty four months from the date of issue of the original Skills Assessment.
Transition arrangements
All new applications received from January 2010 will be assessed under the new process. VETASSESS recommends that applicants who apply in 2009 should submit all relevant documents and payment by 18 December 2009 to ensure that their application is assessed under the current system. Otherwise, the new criteria may apply. For applications received by VETASSESS in 2009, DIAC has allowed a three-month grace period from January to March 2010 for VETASSESS to finalise its pipeline cases for the general occupations. However, no applications under the old process will be accepted in 2010.

DIAC has advised assessing authorities that they will introduce ANZSCO to the skilled migration program later in 2010. VETASSESS will consult with DIAC about the transition arrangements from ASCO to ANZSCO.
Occupational profiles
VETASSESS has developed lists of relevant fields of study and relevant tasks for its general occupations. It is in the process of contacting relevant industry and professional bodies for feedback on those occupational profiles.
A range of resources were used to develop these occupational profiles including the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s Australian Skills Recognition Information (ASRI) website; the Australian Bureau of Statistics websites for ASCO and ASCED (the Australian Standard Classification of Education); the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website for Job Guide; the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) website sponsored by the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration; and education provider websites.
It is hoped that the changes to our assessment process will provide the relevant registration, licensing and professional associations in Australia with a pool of more suitable applicants. We note that many of these authorities have additional requirements for registration, licensing or membership. VETASSESS will continue to advise applicants accordingly. We may provide applicants with further information on the occupation, including links to relevant organisations.
Technical interviews
Under the new arrangements, as part of the assessment process, VETASSESS will telephone some applicants to clarify information in the application, and to discuss the applicant’s occupational skills. No additional charge will apply for a technical interview.
Fees and application forms
New fees will apply to applications for a skills assessment under the new process. The new fee schedule will be available on our website from 11 November 2009. The new application forms will be on our website in December.
Information Sessions
We will also approach the Migration Institute of Australia to arrange information sessions on the new process for their members.
If you have any questions about the new process, we would be happy to talk to you. Please contact our office at [email protected] or (03) 9655 4801
Yours sincerely,

Rosemary Woodger
MANAGER
Qualifications Assessment

VETASSESS
Level 5, 478 Albert Street
East Melbourne 3002
Victoria Australia
Tel +61 3 9655 4825
Fax +61 3 9654 2773
www.vetassess.com.au

Hello
Finally.....someone from Malaysia!!!...it feels good to hear that Malaysians and Singaporeans are in fact also getting their visas granted. Am sure that you guys will certainly contribute positively towards the overall Australian economic situation.......
Thanks

Hi Guys. I just checked the what's new section and looks like a few new changes have already been announced.

1 - Introduction of JobReady Test from 1 January 2010
2 - Tighter English language requirements from 1 January 2010
3 - Changes to VETASSESS assessment requirements for General Occupations from 1 January 2010 – 29 October 2009

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/gener.../whats-new.htm

that's not the most interesting changes. I guess the most interesting issues will concern MODL, CSL and State Sponsorships.

VETASSESS assessment requirements for General Occupations from 1 January 2010

From 2010, in order to receive a positive assessment, you will need:
ï‚· to hold a qualification which is assessed at the required educational level in a highly relevant field of study to the nominated occupation and
ï‚· at least one year of relevant employment for all occupations. For some occupations, if your qualification has a shortfall in content relevance either one or two additional years of employment is required

READ ON
http://www.vetassess.com.au/download...l_with_occ.pdf

Threads merged

Does this make any difference to processing times of GSM?
Simple answer Yes or No Please.. thanks

Impossible to answer! The VETASSESS changes don't even take place till January

Hi Polly,

No not impossible to answer. Vetassess procedure is going to take longer unless adequately resourced by Vetassess, which is highly unlikely.

Cheers,

George Lombard

Yes, but unless anyone can say for certain that the changes will affect GSM processing (not VETASSESS) processing, I stand by my answer. I'd rather not be deluged by pms from people asking me exactly how long it will take to get a GSM visa will be now VETASSESS is changing.Unless of course you have inside information ......

Hi Polly,

Yes of course we have accurate inside information which we'll sell at 5 quid a minute. Not.

It might be that the ridiculous current Vetassess procedure - which was established under the Howard government and is finally being remodeled 10 years too late - could in turn lead to improvements in DIAC processing times were it not for the large oversubscription in the GSM program at the moment.

Cheers,

George Lombard

Just a short note to say that anyone planning to lodge with Vetassess under current procedures only has another two weeks to get their application in safely, noting the Christmas break and the 1 January date of effect for their changes. A little less time than that left for Christmas shopping.

Cheers,

George Lombard