Lewis Lapthorn

I'm aware DIMIA's minimum recent work experience requirement is 20 hours per week for 12 from the previous 18 months.

Averaged out, this isn't a problem for me. My hours are generally between 20 and 25.

However, if you were to have worked, for example, 18 hours per week for the odd week, would this be a problem? Or is there a total figure DIMIA go by?

lacey21

have pmed you lew

Lewis Lapthorn

Cheers Lace. I'm still confused here.

Let's say your self-employed and work between 20 and 25 hours per week.

Does this mean that if just one week in a year you dipped just under that because, for example, a string of last minute cancellations (hairdresser), or your child was sick etc. DIMIA would reject your application?

lacey21

Yeah!

Depends on your turn over

George Lombard

Hi LL,

Generally it's a week by week proposition and you have to show at least 20 hours of a skilled occupation for a relevant period, could be 6/12 months, 12/18 months, 24/36 months or 36/48 months depending on your application and circumstances. So in each case you just add up the weeks that qualify and don't count weeks under the 20 hours. You can't average them. You might lose a few weeks that way but you would need to be very unlucky to have so many weeks with failed appointments and sick customers.

Obviously if you don't keep a timesheet which allows you to present the information in this way, then you'd need to work a bit harder to prove to them that you were working the 20 hours for any week at all.

Cheers,

George Lombard

www.austimmigration.com.au

Lewis Lapthorn

God bless you George. Thank you so much.

lacey21

How would you do that then?

Just as a point of interest, George.

Just in case, lol she says....
lol

lace x

George Lombard

Hi Lace,

Now it's best not to have a CO on the drink if you're going to give them a spreadsheet of your hours and weeks at work lol, and heaps better if you've got an employer who just gives you a reference, but for self-employed people you just need to work through what evidence is available to see what fits best. Sometimes income or tax records and a standard hourly rate work, but of course that assumes prompt payers. It all depends.

Cheers,

George Lombard

www.austimmigration.com.au

lacey21

Sent the Tax stuff off George, no bottle of scotch though!

So this officer should be ok with that. She can see I have worked a decent hour for a decent wage.

Cheers for that,
lace xx

lacey21

Lewis I have PMed you.

hugs Lace xxx