Alborg

Hello. I am from the UK and looking to apply for Skilled Independent migration to Australia specifying "accountant" as my skilled occupation. I have an accountancy degree and am a member of CIMA (Chartered Institue Of Management Accountants) although I'm not fully qualified. Despite this, from the research I have done, I'm confident that I will be able to pass the skills assessment through CPA. However, i'm not at all confident about my recent work experience.

For the last four years I've been working in IT. Since I have no qualifications in IT I have no chance of applying through this way. However the last time I worked in an accountancy position was in 1999 - approx five years ago. I'm 28. I believe I need to show work experience for 12 out of the last 18 months. I setup my own company over 12mths ago so this doesn't pose too much of a problem. However since the points test has been raised to 120 I need an extra 10 points ie. 3 years work experience out of the last 4. As a result I find the need to bend the truth a little ie. extending my last accountancy position and maybe filling in a bit here or there.

I believe references are needed from all employers. Not in itself a problem. However there maybe a discrepancy in the job title and role.

So considering there are thousands of applicants every year could it be possible to bend the truth a little without stepping on too many toes? Do they check all applications or just those from certain countries? Do they check all references or just recent ones?

Sorry for such a frank post but you can't blame me for trying. I am a good person.....honest! I have no criminal convictions ("yet"...I hear you say) and a clean bill of health. I feel I have everything else in place apart from my work experience I've also exhausted my 1 year working visa.

Hope you can offer some friendly advice/experiences.

CMR

Hi there

As far as I know, "bending the truth" is not a very good idea - the organisations preforming the skills assesments may contact your previous employers, and I imagine they're more likely to do this if there are any "grey areas" in your employment history. I understand they're very thourough and I imagine that you'll almost certainly fail if your found to be telling fibs.

However, you mentioned that you've been working in IT for the last few years. You may want to investigate going via this route - the Australian Computer society offer an assesment type called Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) fo people who have no IT qualifications but have relevant work experience in the field. It's lot of work, but if you can prove to them that you're capable you stand a chance of getting a positive assesment.

There's information about the RPL on the ACS website: http://www.acs.org.au/

I've not done this myself but I investigated it when I started my application process, as I though I may have to use the RPL route (luckily, my meagre IT qualifications are recognised by the ACS so I avoided the RPL).

I'd get in touch with a migration agent if I were you (try to find one that specialises in this field), They'll be able to set you straight on whether or not this is an option for you.

Hope this helps

CMR

Billabong

RPL is not an option as you need a minimum of 6 years experience

In reference to bending the truth - I would be very careful as in some cases they do write to employers and do the necessary checks.

Good luck

Alborg

Thankyou both for your replies. I don't think bending the truth is a good idea either. Its just the only option I feel I have for a successful application. At the end of the day what's the worse that could happen? They could say no? Isn't that what they'd say anyway even without a bit of creativity.

SuperSeagulls

Hi Alborg,

Its incredible how much grief this points increased has caused; if it was still 115 you could’ve used your accountancy to get assessed, then used IT for 3 out of the last 4 years (5 points). How about doing it this way and lodging the $100k bond to get the extra 5 points? That’s what I have to do (teaching, IT + bond).

Just a thought

SS

Alborg

Nice suggestion. Unfortunately I don't have $100k to spare.

eilish

how about state nominated indepdent visa(stni). we are looking at this as only meet 115 even with bond.

anything is worth a try.

where were you looking to settle???

eilish

SuperSeagulls

Nor do I..but how about borrowing it, investing it, then paying off your investors when the money is returned. Thats what I plan to do...and hope the exchnage rate doesnt bomb!

A risk worth taking in my eyes.

SS

Alborg

Cool. That's something I haven't looked into that might be an option. I'd like to settle in NSW (Sydney) eventually but wouldn't turn down Queensland if offered.

Alborg

I didn't even consider a bond. Although I don't think I'd feel comfortable borrowing £40k. Something to consider all the same.

Alborg

Eilish,

Just looked www.immi.gov.au. Doesn't the new passmark for skilled independent (subclass 136) encompass the state nominated independent visa. It's just that it doesn't seem to specify a different pass mark for STNI?!?

Alb.

eilish

look at my thread "state sponsorship" some good ideas re stni and skill matching. also look at www.gomatilda.com explains about stni. the pool mark is 70 and no bond. my husband is a plasterer and we only meet 115 with bond so this would be an option for us. all the agents i have spoke to say its possible.

stni is designed for people who can't meet the independent skilled migration pass mark of 120.

give it a try, as you said yourself "they can only say no"!!

let us know how you get on.

eilish

Alborg

Nice one. Thanks!



Skilled - State/Territory Nominated Independent (137)
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An alternative to the Skilled - Independent visa is available where an applicant has a skill that is wanted in a State or Territory in Australia that operates a system of nomination: presently only Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania are involved with a system of State Nomination.

The benefit of the Skilled - STNI visa is that the applicant only needs to attain the Skilled - Independent "pool mark" (the other requirements noted above in respect of the 136 visa apply), and such applications are presently processed in about half the time of a Skilled - Independent visa application. Note that you should only consider applying for a State Nomination if you are happy to commit to residing in the nominating State for at least 2 years after you arrive.

JAJ

'Bending the truth' is the oldest trick in the book and DIMIA are well aware of it. They do verify references, including those from the UK. There's a whole unit in Adelaide with the task of weeding out this kind of thing.

A refusal on this basis would prevent you from getting any kind of Australian visa in the future.

You may want to consider the new skilled-independent-regional visa when it comes on stream in July, if you're keen to go to South Australia. That's likely to have a 110 pass mark - watch the DIMIA site for details. Or look at New Zealand. Or Canada.

Jeremy

Olibeneli

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Alborg
Hello. I am from the UK and looking to apply for Skilled Independent migration to Australia specifying "accountant" as my skilled occupation. I have an accountancy degree and am a member of CIMA (Chartered Institue Of Management Accountants) although I'm not fully qualified. Despite this, from the research I have done, I'm confident that I will be able to pass the skills assessment through CPA. However, i'm not at all confident about my recent work experience.



Sorry to let you down, but:

If you apply as an accountant, you'll need skills assessed by the ICAA or another Oz accountancy institute..........they will expect you to be qualified I would have thought.........which you say you are not.

I am a qualified accountant and it's not easy to do........anyone can say they are an accountant without being qualified but a world of difference exists..........bookkeepers maybe ?

Hope this doesn't sound snobbish, but a golden rule of being a full member is you never ever lie about these sort of things......