Just phoned Inland Revenue and they only keep records for 7 years so can't get any info from them. Could not get in the loft last night as we had to turn of the electric - re wiring the kitchen - but i will get in there as soon as possible to have a mooch around. John doesn't think he has any p60's or wage slips from that far back but it's worth a look anyway. Will let you know what i find.
Thanks for all the replies guys, i feel a little better today but i am still very angry with her for not signing.
Jackie

Are you still in contact with anyone at all that he used to work with there?.

Reason being is that my hubby worked for an agency for a few months in 1998 and they were closed down by the time we needed references, so he contacted someone he worked there with who did him a reference stating that he worked with him at the agency. This was done on letterheaded paper from the company the guy nows works for.

We passed the TRA so they obviously didn't have a problem with it.

[QUOTE=jwood]

We had a similar scenario with my OH's employers of 22 years ago.

We traced His employment through pension records - did you have a pension? Did any of your apprenticeship papers contain the address of your employers???

Also my OH's company did sign the letter, but did a disclaimer on the back saying that " this is the type of work that would have been done by an employee employed as ******* however I am not skilled in that trade so am unable to verify some of the points, but I believe the declarations this man has made to be true and correct"

Hope this helps - good luck.
angela

Hi Angela .Its easy to think of giving up but dont do it . Ihad a problem with my indentures my name is Byron Raven but all my paperwork had Bryan Raven on because of a error by someone in an office 22 years ago. took me 6 months to sort out and hit no end of brick walls. Keep pestering her till she gives in. Good luck keep smiling

No she is the only person he kept in touch with, all the others are either dead or un contactable.
I could make a letterhead myself and ask a friend to sign it but i think that's probably illegal.
just hope i find something in the loft as i can't find any info on companies house, just feel so frustrated and John has told me i am not allowed to contact her. I'm not sure what he's implying

Definately don't make your own letterhead, they do spot checks on your references. If your luck is anything like mine yours will be the one that is picked up for checking.

If it was me, I'd be down at her office giving her some stick. Never mind what OH say's. Or I'd at least threaten it, to make him take some action and try to persuade her himself.

My letter heads would probably look made up anyway. Not that good with power-point. Not worth the risk anyway, not got a criminal record and i want it to stay that way.

John's giving her a call later to try and butter her up a bit, if i start on her he will have no chance of persuading her.
Is it correct that TRA will only phone the person on the reference not the company.John has never worked for that company so they will have no records of him, it was a place before where they both worked and this has been stated on the reference.
i just want to be sure we are giving her the correct information.

They shouldn't ring the company, especially if you give them her direct number.

Oh good, i was right. I think that she is worried they will phone the company, they have already said that she can't use their letter heads(she was going to relocate one). I will go and tell John so that he can re assure her that they won't find out.
Thanks

You know I have just remembered something that may be useful.

My husband had to do a Stat Dec for a number of things and I shall outline them.

The usual heading for a Stat Dec was on the front and then there were several numbered points giving reasons for what he couldnt provide;

1. His cooking history and how as a young lad, he learned to cook.

2. His first cooking related employment and how the landlady had died and the establishment only kept records for 5 years. Although in the end, we managed to get a basic 'start and finish date' but nothing else, not even job title.

3. How difficult it was to obtain info from his home country

I do believe there were other things as well but I do know for sure, that if it is worded carefully, you can explain a variety of situations on one Stat Dec.

And providing you can provide some proof of employment - and trust me if you search around, it is amazing what you will find, I know that our stat dec covered several pointers and it was accepted.

If you would like to see our Stat Dec and how it was worded, I know the trades our different, but it gives you an idea, please PM me.

Samantha

Please forgive me if I am barking up the wrong tree and got this all a*se about face. My husband is 37 and is a full qualified electrician and has worked in this proffession all of his life. We have been through and been accepted by the TRA. For this we gave them copies of all of his apprenticeship paperwork and qualifications plus a very detailed statement from his initial employer that he did his apprenticeship with. Along with this we only had to provide detailed work statement to prove that he has been doing the job of an electrician for 12 out the last 18 months. I can't understand why you need this statement from 1990-1997. We have since gone on an been granted a visa??

As I said at the beginning - apologises if I have got the wrong end of the stick!!

no i think you have a valid point there
for electrical trades you haveto prove a minimum 7 years of working in the job
surley as he left this company nine years ago you can prove the last nine years?

also can you prove his apprenticeship / training
ie was this prior to starting at this firm??

1 Skills assessment for people intending to migrate to Australia
TRA is a nominated assessment authority for a number of occupations in the Skilled Migration Programme, under the Migration Regulations 1994.

If you intend to migrate to Australia under a general skilled migration category, you must have had your skills assessed by the relevant Australian assessing authority before lodging your application with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA).

TRA does not provide advice on visas or issues points for migration. Please refer to the DIMA website for details.

This page contains information on how to apply for an International Skills Assessment in your occupation. To learn more, scroll down the page or click directly on one of the topics listed below.

Does TRA assess my occupation?
What is an International Skills Assessment?
Can I apply?
How do I apply?
What evidence do I need to supply?
How should the evidence be provided?
How much does it cost?
How do I pay the application fee?
Where do I send my application?
How long will it take?
I have submitted my application, what happens next?
What if I do not agree with the decision?
Is the letter you sent me after a successful assessment a qualification?
Will I have to undergo further training, testing or assessment when I arrive in Australia?
How long is my assessment valid for?
How do I contact TRA?
Does TRA assess my occupation?
TRA assesses only non-graduate occupations/trade level occupations.
Occupations assessed by TRA are listed in the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) (PDF 131kB)

What is an International Skills Assessment?
An International skills assessment is an assessment of skills carried out for the purposes of skilled migration to Australia.

TRA determines whether your skills are suitable for your nominated occupation and applies the Uniform Assessment Criteria (UAC) as the standard by which a person’s skills are to be assessed.

Can I apply?
You need to have:

training and/or experience in an occupation assessed by TRA
skills learned on the job OR through a mixture of formal training and on the job experience
an apprenticeship, vocational traineeship OR at least 7 years of on the job experience in an electrical occupation, or 6 years in another occupation.
Applicants with Australian qualifications must have had at least 900 hours of relevant and directly related work experience.


How do I apply?
You will need to:

submit a complete TRA International Skills Assessment application form
pay the correct application fee
ensure your application is decision ready by supplying all evidence of your training and work experience.
What evidence do I need to supply?
Proof of identity (birth certificate, passport identity page, or official government identification)
Proof of any training, apprenticeship or traineeship
Proof of any industrial or occupational licensing or registration
Detailed proof of relevant work experience
Contact details for TRA to confirm all claims and documents.
How should the evidence be provided?
Documents not written in English must come with certified English translations.
Documents must be certified true copies.
Do not send original documents.
Do not send applications in folders or plastic sleeves.
Do not use dividers or spiral binders.
How much does it cost?
AUD $300 for a standard application.
AUD $500 for a priority application.
AUD $300 for a review application.
How do I pay the application fee?
If paying from outside Australia, please use an international bank cheque or money order.

All payments must be drawn on an Australian bank (e.g. Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, Westpac Banking Corporation, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group), be in Australian dollars and made out to 'The collector of public monies DEWR'.

If paying from within Australia, please use a bank cheque or an Australian postal money order made out to 'The collector of public monies DEWR'.

TRA does not accept credit card payments.

Application fees are not refundable irrespective of the result of the assessment.

Where do I send my application?
Trades Recognition Australia contact details

How long will it take?
Occupations on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) receive the highest priority. The MODL sets out occupations which have been identified as being in national demand with good employment prospects in Australia.

The majority of MODL applications are assessed within 10 working days.

The majority of applications for occupations not on the MODL list are assessed within 60 working days.

Priority applications will receive priority service within their category in order of date of receipt.

I have submitted my application, what happens next?
If you are successful, TRA will send you a letter which can be included with your visa application to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA). The letter will identify a designated occupation.

If you are unsuccessful, TRA will send you a letter outlining the reasons for the decision. Advice on how to apply for a review and how to obtain feedback will be included in the letter.

What if I do not agree with the decision?
You may apply for a review. Before you apply for a review, you may ask to speak with the deciding assessor. You may provide more documents, information and evidence when you lodge a review. A review fee of $300 is required.

All reviews are carried out by a different assessor and all evidence is considered again. TRA does not undertake informal reviews.

Is the letter you sent me after a successful assessment a qualification?
No. The letter sent to you advising your assessment was successful, is not a qualification nor does it entitle you to work in the designated occupation in Australia. The letter identifies you to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs as having completed a successful skills assessment.

Will I have to undergo further training, testing or assessment when I arrive in Australia?
If you want to have your skills accredited or become registered or licensed in Australia, you may have to undertake further training, testing or assessment on your arrival.

How long is my assessment valid for?
TRA’s assessments do not have an expiry date and you should keep your successful assessment letter in a safe place to be used with your migration application.

How do I contact TRA?
Trades Recognition Australia contact details

Hi Steve
We have john's certs he didn't do an apprenticeship but we have compiled a work statement with your help. Our agents have said that because this reference covers 7 continuous years and Brum council 97-2000 covers 3 those are the references that will give us the best chance of passing. In 2000, John came out of his trade for 2 years then has had 4 employers since then.

One thing that is bothering me is that the agents have sent back all of John's Stat DECs covering his career.Except the ones that refer to the references they want. I thought you had to provide proof for all of your career not just 10 years. Maybe they will ask for them at a later date.

Jackie

i honestley carnt see why you carnt do a stat declaration
i take it that as the firm has changed its name that its gone bump at some stage? if so it no longer exists and a letter stating all the works conpleted etc should suffice

put some pressure on your agent for ideas
it seems to me that your running round likea headless chicken and they are getting paid for it