azakir

Dear Accountants:

If you have less than 7 in ielts please do not apply for PR. If you do, you have to wait for a very long time. And no state sponsorship will be given.

Even the assessment bodies (ICAA, CPA and NIA) are agreed that accountants should have 7 in each band in ielts.
JAB - letter to Minister Evans on Skills Migration 03/03/2010
“As per our letter to you on 8 February 2010, we have now agreed that in addition to meeting the academic requirements, all applicants must demonstrate that they have achieved an IELTS of 7.0. All agreed changes will be effective from 1 July 2010.”

(For more see: http--www.nia.com.au-publications-pdf-A00019821.pdf)


Moreover, if someone having MPA from Australia without @7 in ielts (the so called study route to PR) will have to wait for ages. Even in future after July 2010, without @7 in ielts, application for PR may not be accepted by DIAC.

Why is this imposing on Accountants only? What about other professions?
The only reason given by DIAC repeatedly for higher score in ielts that those accountants have to communicate effectively.

I think accountants are superfluous there.

If not then why DIAC is accepting @6 for others professions like, engineers, doctors etc. Do they not require communicating to other persons?

Bermudashorts

I think it is stupid too, accountants are not the only people that need to be able to communicate to do their job properly. It seems to me it was probably an attempt to cut accountant numbers, a much better idea IMHO would be to insist that accountants need to be qualified accountants.

asifrupani

Experienced accountants who immigrate to Australia are not being offered senior positions, where the excellent analytical approach and communication are the basic requirement. While a junior level job , which is more of making entries, preparing reports & spread sheets, disbursing payments and similar duties does not require excellent command over english. A proficient accountant should have more wight over a person who is proficient in english.

z3phron

Hm.........I may not be an accountant..but i did make an effort to nail down a solid band 7 in all components of my IELTS.
And english ain't my first language.
So, i don't believe that it's "stupid" in any way to raise the bar.
When i completed my Australian degree back then in 2006, i had engineering mates who can't even word a proper sentence in English let alone speak properly.
I had foreign lecturers who had masters/phds who spoke gibberish due to their accents.
They were incomprehensible.
No doubt they are well qualified, but what good is a piece of paper when u can’t even be understood by students?

And the point test system back then was flawed as you all may have read from the recent announcement by DIAC whereby a hairdresser scored more points than an overseas graduate with a master’s degree from Harvard. Somehow, somewhere the point test system had its Achilles' heel.

I earnestly welcome any changes from DIAC which will fix this flaw in their point test system.

On the subject of qualified accountants, your said it yourself. Therein lies the problem.
It is the assessing bodies /professional association‘s responsibility in recognizing overseas professionals and their qualifications/experience if they are on par with aussie standards.

If one can't meet DIAC's requirements, then perhaps one should start asking him/herself if he/she is good enough.
If not, maybe it's time for one to improve thyself.

Lastly, this is my personal opinion.

imranprogrammer

Accountants have key role in finance departments. An error may occur in financial matter due to lack of good communication skills.
Errors are not tolerable in accounting. Thats why very good communication skills are required for accountants.

Bermudashorts

I can completely see why good communication skills are necessary for accountants but equally surely this is the case for other professions too? Why not say everyone should require 7, it would certainly help them when they get to Australia. Accountants do not have the monopoly on needing to communicate with other people.

What is stupid is using IELTS scores as a way of reducing applicant numbers, which is the only logical explanation for this rule, when they could quite easily just insist that accountants should actually be accountants.

Alucard

Well, IT professionals have to demonstrate that they have 4 years of experience. Remind me how many years accountants need to have to get a positive skill assessment.

Bermudashorts

None. They don't need to have done a single days work as an accountant.

Alucard

There you go - you win some, you lose some.

Bermudashorts

I haven't won or lost anything. I am English, have 9 on IELTS and have 18 years experience as an accountant. You have utterly missed my point.

My point is that rather than trying to make it harder for accountants by trying to argue that accountants need a better standard of English than people in other occupations, which is nonsense ... it would make much more sense to say an accountant should be an accountant, i.e. be a member of an accountancy body and thus by definition have at least 3 years experience.

Alucard

I see where you're heading and I have to agree that that was a cheap shot to reduce the number of applications. I suppose they'll be correcting that with the SOL.

azakir

Forget about senior/junior level accountants, I heard many people with PGD in accounting driving taxi in Australia.

To me people used accounting degree as way to get PR destroying the necessity of professional accounting in Aus. Also, they are from different backgorund. Since to get accounting degree in Australia as a non accounting degree holder just you have to do a certificate course before admission into masters in accounting.

Besides during last 5 years Aus govt. has given PR to about 20,000 accountants. And the most interesting thing is that a few are in the field of accounting work.

In addition to As we know today compliance activities are much more greater than any other periods. A country needs many professional accountants like other professions -engineers, doctors etc.

z3phron

As a native speaker, it would be a real shame if you did not score a band 9 for IELTS.

I for one would be if i was one.

Bermudashorts

No idea what your point is.

infojami

Presently DIAC is allowing accountants to apply for GSM visa without any work experience.

I think DIAC should allow only experienced accountants to apply for GSM visa like Computer Professionals, Engineers or Doctors.

If DIAC allow experienced accounts to apply for GSM only, these people will be then more useful. Industry experience and academic education are not equivalent.

I also heard that some accountants are doing odd jobs in OZ, I think this is because of lack of industry experience NOT because of English only. This is my personal opinion.