slapphead_otool

I would take a guess that the unions are behind this, in a “protecting our members rights” move.

To keep tradesmens rates up, they need to keep the number of tradesmen down.

This is a Labor government, and they are controlled by the unions.

We might be surprised at how short the skills list is.

newjersey

Out of curiosity, where these numbers are coming from? such a dramatic jump around the PR rules being relaxed is too much of a coincidence me thinks, but I also think that each individual trade could have had a cap on the number of applications granted in a given year, and much earlier than yesterday and with less drama. Capping is much safer way to regulate the intake IMO.

danjones1

I am not suggesting all students who go to Aus are insane, please re-read what I originally said!

I meant the ones that go there to study only for PR. It is such an expensive and risky route in and thankfully the OZ govt are going to close the loop hole which will actually help the crazy people who were considering that route.

There are easier ways.

mandyp

You are still making sweeping statements, you stated that anyone who came to study for PR is insane and needs their heads checked. IMO, these people who are sitting with PR now and only had to do 2 years study for it are pretty smart!! Zero to PR in around 2 and a half years, pretty good going if you had nothing to offer the country!! All whilst living in the country already, what's easier than that?

It has all changed since we've came over, now looking at around 5 years in total but IF we manage to get PR at the end up, it's still less time than it would have been re-training and gaining enough experience and then waiting for a visa to get over.

Cheers
Mandy

kporte

When my company puts an ad in for tradies, we are lucky to get 2 or 3 responses.

RedT

I can assure you that the skills assessment for accountants is not any easier than any other profession. My OH had to provide indepth and thorough information on his skills and experience as well as statements from his current employer detailing exactly what he does on a day to day basis. Plus if we applied under the wrong category of accountant our application would have been thrown out as each specific category has it's own criteria. And the first thing you need to provide is your CA or ACCA certificate.

Alfresco

So they're not all out of work as stated so often on here?

newjersey

It may be the case, where skills assessments for the recent graduates of Australian educational institutions lack such rigor, i.e. only the course content is taken into account - all you need in that regard would be the course completion certificate. I do not know enough about accountants, but in IT recent graduates are exempt from work experience requirement, which otherwise is 4 years full time if you have an IT major degree! Pretty easy sailing, ain't it? Spend your way on an IT degree, get yourself an easy-peasy PR with all exemptions and extra Australian points thrown in, AND the years of study count toward citizenship eligibility - no wonder people are saying you could literally buy your way in.

Bermudashorts

It is possible to get a positive skills assessment as an accountant by having a degree in accountancy, maybe other courses too. There is actually no requirement to provide an ACCA or ACA certificate at all. A certificate from a classroom based course will do.

It is not necessary to provide employer statement for the positive skills assessment for accountants. I know for a fact that I didn't and I got positive assessment with ICAA no problem. The assessment is on qualifications. Employer references do not come into it until the visa stage (for accountants). And further somebody can be a passed finalist with one of the accountancy bodies but not a member, i.e. not have the 3 years work experience and still get a positive skills assessment. I spend a lot of time on the immigration forum and the accountancy forum and I have seen many people do this.

In my opinion the positive skills assessment for accountants should be reserved for real working accountants. I cannot think of any other occupation where it is enough for somebody to have sat in a classroom and come out with a positive skills assessment.

newjersey

As I mentioned earlier, recent IT graduates in Australia are exempt from work experience requirement. Having worked for 20 hours per week in any occupation on the SOL (Librarian comes to mind somehow) is legal under student visa conditions and satisfies DIAC's "recent work experience" requirement as well. I would not be surprised, if 15 points for Australian study would also apply. So there you go.

Bermudashorts

Must have cross posted with you then NJ. Take your point re IT graduates in Aus but for accountants skills assessment what I described is something ANYONE, even offshore can do. Also a lot do ACCA exmas by correspondence course with Oxford Brooks poly. Then they just have to have 12mths exp on any job on the SOL. Bingo. PR. With nominated occupation of Accountant without ever working as one. 'Tis an insult to proper bean counters like me.

Si T

The changes have left me quite frustrated as a qualified accounant with fifteen years experience who was about to send off for my skills assessment to be processed. Especially when the issue is with students using my profession to abuse the system.

The flipside is that I actually agree with what they are trying to achieve if the main objective is to close a loophole which is being abused. I also agree with Bermudashorts that simply passing a degree course in accountancy is nowhere near being the same as a fully functional operational accountant either in industry, practice or the public sector.

The biggest downside of all this for me is that I have lost the fifteen MODL points which actually takes me down to 115 which is obviously under the 175 threshold. Now that I have calmed down from yesterday I have realised there is an alternative route which I can take without "playing the system".

One thing I will not do is criticise the immigration policy of a country when one of the reasons for my wanting to go there is the attitude of that country to immigration. Even if, for now it causes me additional stress as part of my process. They have no obligation to accept me at the end of the day.

newjersey

I have heard that "accounting is an exact science" more times than I care to remember, once about a 30 cent difference on around $1M total LOL. To rub it in though, the whole pool of VETASSESS occupations does not need any work experience, just educational credentials. This is like third of the SOL for crying out.

Alfresco

Then again they may not actually work as accountants in Oz thereby not 'stealing' real accountants jobs as it were, but yes it is an insult and should be stopped pronto.

Bermudashorts

Well if they got the jobs, I would think that they won them fair and square and if they are no good the employer will have to get rid. So I don't really mind that anyway.

It is if they start capping certain occupations for immigration purposes or take other steps to make it harder for All accountants not just fake ones that I would find unfair. All they need to do is say, you must be a current member of an accountancy body to emmigrate as an accountant. Simples. I should be minister.