BethandAndrew

We had trouble booking my hubby's IELTS test. Everywhere was booked up for months.....we live in South Wales and Portsmouth test centre could do it within a few weeks. Had to send hubby to a travel inn in Portsmouth the day before the test, so he had a good night's sleep on the day of the test.
The staff were asking why he was doing the test as they hadn't had a British Citizen taking the test before...LOL
Told them to be prepared for an increase in British people sitting the test.

steve rach

Hi Kim
I'm sorry to be a pain.
Hubby has 120 points and I'll be going on his visa,so my skills etc are not inc
Will i have to do the test
Thanx in advance
Rach

louie

If you want to get the 5 points, you have to have your spouse's skills assessed. You might find it cheaper and easier to take the IELTS test instead (if you are confident you would pass of course!).

tiredwithtwins

had an email back from hallam uni and they wont finalise their 2008 dates until november ...

however if its the academic test you have to sit (for the extra points) then its monthly and they do have places available

kurrikurri

We feel exactly the same. We were shocked, to say the least, yesterday when we found out. We were about to submit our application in September. My husband is in the building trade and works really hard. He has never been out of work. I myself have never been out of work, but dont have enough points to submit the application for us. He has already had his trade passed by the TRA recognition board. I would have rather done the test! He works with his hands, he was born and bred in the UK and can speak english without any problems, but the test is already stressing him out. It is really annoying, but what can we do. I only hope he passes the test because we cannot get into Oz if he fails. The pressure is on him and that is totally unfair.

ptlabs

For the extra points, it's always only the general training IELTS.

Not to be confused with any other skills assessing bodies' English requirements which is technically separate from DIAC's English requirements for points.

Cheers
Peter

Fugazi1000

I am getting quite stressed about this!


I am in the process of completing the new 175 online application and unless you can say yes to the IELTS test in the last two years then absolutely no points are credited. I.e. I need 15 points but get 0. The only way I have found to get these points up is to put ficticious information on the form.


Now, as everybody else is finding, the tests are booked up way ahead. I've been patiently waiting for the 1st Sept to ease the workload of copying/certifying/sending countless forms, but SHOULD have been organising the poxy IELTS exam. :curse:

So - can anybody let me know a way to get the basic 15 points enabled on the form?

thebutts

I too have spent all morning going through the new online application form for the 175, expecting my skills assessment result anytime soon and want to be ready to complete application, just want the 15 points for being english but had the same problem, no points awarded at all for english unless you have done test or speak Yiddish!!!!! The info sheets say UK passport holders exempt from sitting test and qualify for competent english etc, etc,
Do we think this may be a teething problem with the new system????

Fugazi1000

Hi,

It does look like some of the testing could have been a little better!

George Lombard has graciously offered to raise any concerns found on Monday with the appropriate people. Have a look here...

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=478276 Post #11

kurrikurri

Does my husband have to sit a test for the extra points? I am still very unclear. I went on to immi.gov.uk website

Exemptions: Applicants who hold a passport from one of the countries listed below will not be required to sit the IELTS test to demonstrate that they meet the English language threshold:

United Kingdom (UK) Canada
New Zealand
United States of America (USA)
Republic of Ireland.
Skills assessments and English
A higher level of English is required for certain occupations where it forms part of the skills assessment. You can find out if your occupation requires a higher level of English by contacting the assessing authority for your nominated occupation. Contact details for assessing bodies are available at the end of the Skilled Occupation List.

??

My husband was born and bred in England, as was I and our families too. We all hold british passports too. He is 43 years old. We had our heart set on moving out to NSW and for my husband to set up his own roofing company and hopefully to employ workers too.


Does he still get the 25 points therefore if he doesnt sit the test? Or what points does he get if he doesnt sit it when he is in the exempt bracket?

Please help. I am really confused.:curse:

My Husband is a Roofer and his trade has been recognised by the TRA a few months ago.

Do the Australian Government never take into account or give people extra points who have worked hard, without ever going on the dole in this Country? But they want us to sit some test to prove we can speak english to do a manual job that they are short of in their country?

Help please. Thanks alot.

welshtony

I presume you did not have an agent handling your case as the changes were announced in April - your application had to be lodged prior to 01 September for you to score the 120 points - now he probably only scores 115 as his English score has decreased by 5 points and there is no longer an option to invest A$100K for 5 bonus points.

So the only way to get 120 is for him to sit the IELTS and, if he scores well enough, the English points will increase to 25 and total score to 125.

It should be no big deal if the IELTS is a problem, you have options for an STNI nomination from one of the States.

Regards


Tony Coates
MARN 0635896

thebutts

Hi

Your hubby will get 15 points for holding a british passport. If that leaves him short of the 120 required points he can sit the IELTS, a farce i know but it will get him 25 points, it costs around £95 and is held at various centres across the uk, see http://www.ielts.org/default.aspx for more details.
Good luck.

kurrikurri

Thanks for your email. We have an emigration specialist on our case! Since October 2006. However, our application wasnt straight forward. Husband is a roofer by trade but wasnt in paid employment in this trade for the past few years. He did his apprenticeship and 9 years roofing a while ago, but came out of it a little while. Kept his hand in helping friends, free of charge, and no wages confirmation. Therefore he became self employed for a year and this ends, end of September 07. The emigration co would know we couldnt do anything until then. BUT we should have been told by them before now!

We looked at the STNI at the start, but if I can remember rightly, it wasnt an option in NSW, which is where we want to be. Victoria was mentioned, but we thought it easier that my husband became self employed for a year. Not now as the case may be.

Do you know, if we decide now to go to Victoria, my husband being a roofer, does he HAVE to stop in this profession for 2 years? Is there an option of doing something else if work dries up, or he works for a company that makes him redundant? Thanks.

kurrikurri

Hi, further to my last reply - sorry I made a mistake. NSW does have the regional sponsorship - what on earth was I thinking of - other than it was time to go to bed, late last night. I remember looking at it this morning, we did look at the Regional Sponsorship, which was an option, but the emigration agent said it was better to go for the PR visa and then we werent tied to a particular area of NSW. My husband knew he could get other work outside the stated areas also, (but the company isnt big enough to sponsor us and we are not related to the owners neither), but that wont be an option if he had to be tied into a particular area. He wasnt entirely sure if he could do roofing part of the week, and part hours working in another area. Thats why we thought it easier not going along that route, but as you say, if its easier than the IELTS test, then we will have another look at it and maybe put some threads on asking the questions which we were unsure of the last time. Thanks.

charlie-k

Sorry for sounding dumb but what is the 'bonus experience?'
I have looked on the Points Test link again.
Are the extra points for having a job offer?