dreamof_oz

Hope you dont mind me asking you "welsh tony" You have been recommended...(barbitana) if anyone should know u would! really appreciate your input!

specific work experience query:
last 12 months been working as a locum(health care-MODL profession, and just sent off skills assessment),


Nov 04-Feb05 4-5 days ( Employer A) : 28-35 hrs week



then took up new longer appointment as locum working between 2 places for 2 different employers B and C

Feb 05- present. (working for employer B- one day and a half a week, and employer C 2-3 days depending if boss needed more cover.
which is 3 1/2- 4 1/2 days week total.

My employers have agreed to write references(according to DIMIA guidelines), but unsure what to do about proof of salary as I'm self employed and have been paid on a weekly basis-cheques and no pay slips.

ALSO

I know that I have worked more than 21 hours a week for the last 12 months. But could the variation in weekly hours(21- 35) be a problem? would they have to have detail timetable of hours worked per week? or would be ok for my employer to say i worked 2-3 days etc per week.


really need some advice

orange&

Sorry, I'm not welshtony....but... my understanding is that DIMIA is only interested in the bottom line i.e. 20 or more hours per week. Any variations over this will probably be fine with them. I also understand that they're not interested in aggregating hours over a certain time period e.g. if you worked 10 hours one week, but 40 hours the next, you wouldn't fulfil their core criteria which is a basic of 20 hours every week. This is how it was explained to me by someone in the know..... don't know what others think. Hope this helps.

dreamof_oz

Ive never done less than 21 hrs a week(working between 2 practices) over last 12 months, so i guess im ok for that. my concern is how detailed do they want proof of hrs. would they be happy with letter/reference saying i did x amount per week...or would they want detail per week per month etc.

I have worked the min 21 and over the same type of job, but between 2 practices( which is normal in my profession).


how this helps

welshtony

No problem with this as all is 20 hours or more. if there was one or more weeks where you only worked 2 days or less, get them to put that in the reference as you are allowed to "forfeit" up to 26 weeks in the 12/18 requirement.




Similarly, Employers B and C state that your minimum hours were minimum of 10 hours and minimum 14 hours respectively, except any weeks that were less than this. I would then do up a spread sheet for the last 18 months, identifying your pay cheques in your bank statements and from the amount you can deduce what the hours were for each particular week. These bank statements will be proof enough for DIMIA with the three references.

As I said, employer can be general to a degree and state that hours were minimum of xx and maximum of yy except for z weeks where you worked less than the minimum xx hours. Your spread sheet and bank statements will then give them the weekly breakdown of the hours with A and the combined hours with B and C.

Regards


Tony

dreamof_oz

many thanks tony for the response;

my employers said that they wouldnt mind writing out few invoices- mayb 5/6 randomly over the 12months (showing payment per week)

ie. locum.....(name) was paid x amount for x amount of days inclusive 15th april-19th april. this this enough?

dreamof_oz

as im self employed ive been working on a percentage basis for one of the positions. so my wages will vary per week. so mayb a few invoices from boss would be better.

welshtony

Yes maybe - but the main reason they want to see payslips and/or bank statements is to see if the level of pay is commensurate with somebody working at least 20 hours per week. Give them the whole story, chapter and verse - you have nothing to hide or lose, you have worked for 20 hours or more for at least 12 months of the last 18.

Tony

dreamof_oz

thanks for your good advice

cheers

nirakar

welshtony,

You seem very knowledgeable when it comes to calculating work experience. I was wondering if you could help me too. I posted same question in this forum a couple of days ago and one guy told me that I may not be eligible to apply as a skilled worker because of my work experience. Would please let me know, if I am eligible to apply for Australian Immigration?

I worked as a Systems Analyst (for my university in the US) while I was pursuing my bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

01/27/2000 to 04/25/2002 = student employee (20 hrs/wk--sep-apr and 40 hrs/wk--may-aug)
Terminated for two months after my undergraduate degree and came back as a full-time staff, but without any benefits (paid hourly and same salary as I was getting paid as student employee--$14.55 per hour)
07/03/2002 to 09/01/2003 = staff employee (40 hrs/wk)
09/02/2003 to 12/16/2005=student employee (20 hrs/wk--sep-apr and 40 hrs/wk--may-aug)

This is what it says in a letter I received from my university about work hours:
"Per...(university name)…policy, undergraduate are allowed to work up to 20 hrs/wk during fall and winter semesters and up to 40 hrs/wk during spring and summer terms. Graduate students are allowed to work up to 30 hrs/wk during fall and winter semesters, in their field of study. Students are paid biweekly."

The truth is I did not really work 20 hours per week. I worked 18-19 hrs per week during school year and 40 hrs in summer (sometimes little less and sometimes over-time), which easily gives me more than 20 hours per week.

Can I claim 20 hours per week work experience based on the statement in the letter provided my university (above)?

Thanks

welshtony

Hi Nirakar

The ACS have a policy that part-time work, to be counted, needs to be at least 20 hours per week. DIMIA has legislation that requires paid skilled experience to be a minimum of 20 hours per week. There is no discretion for the DIMIA officer if it is 19 hours per week and 40 hours during holidays to give an average of 25 hours per week. The ACS MIGHT, and I stress MIGHT, recognise this period ASSUMING it was seen as skilled IT experience.

If the ACS do recognise this experience, they will give 50% credit for such part-time work so your best case scenario would be:

17.5 months for 01/00 to 04/02 (based on 8 months part-time and 4 months full-time each year)
14 months for 07/02 to 09/03 - full-time work
will be another 17.75 for current period of 09/03 to 12/05

So you would be right on the (assuming you have a recognised IT degree) required 4 year IT experience.

DIMIA's required 12 month in the last 18 month period, you will not be able to meet, but you will have 4 months full-time experience followed by a 4 month period of non-countable part-time experience in the previous 8 months as at 12/05. If you complete your post-graduate in 12/05 and get back into full-time work, after 8 months yo uwould then have the required 12 months for DIMIA.

I think you need to know asap what, if any of your experience while studying is likely to be counted so consult an experienced ACS skills consultant and see if it is worth applying for an ACS assessment now. Even if it fails, it may list some periods as recognisable and then you will know exactly how much further IT experience you need.

You should never claim to have worked 20 hours if it is the case that you you never actually did you can claim to have worked say an average of 26 or 27 hours per week over a 12 month period. Like I said, this probably will not wash with DIMIA but MIGHT wash with the ACS.


Tony

nirakar

Tony,

Thank you so much for taking the time to calculate my work experience and letting me know what you think. I had never thought anybody would answer someone’s question like you did for a person you have never seen and met and probably never will. I wish you were near by, I would have definitely bought you a lunch/dinner or my wife and I would have cooked a nice dinner for you.
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I am providing some information about me and my family, if your suggestion would change based on this information. I have Bachelor’s degree in Management with Information Systems emphasis and I am going to receive my Master's degree in Public Policy this December (total 18 years of education). I am starting a full-time job as a Business Analyst in January. I am married with one very young child. My wife has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting (16 years of education), but no work experience.
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I had posted similar question in another forum and the guy gave similar advice like you did. He does not think I have any chance at this time for Australian PR.

After listening to you and that person from the other forum, I decided not to do anything with Australian Immigration at this time (at least for a year or so or may be never). I will not contact any experts either. I was planning on sending my applications to Australia and Canada at the same time, but now I will focus only in Canadian Immigration where they do not have strict rule like minimum 20 hours per week and things like that. They let me add all of my hours and divide by 1950 to convert it to full-time equivalent (except minimum required one year full-time continuous work).

Thank you again for your time and suggestions.