Question about skills assessment

[seabassvg]

Hi guys

Quick query about assessment. I have to have my architecture degree assessed by AACA. An agent mentioned to me that the South African architecture degrees have struggled to get passed. I am not sure what universities they have had experience with (does not sound like much), but are there any architects on the forum who could shed some light on the subject. Do we have a credible degree?

I will submit the forms anyway, as this is the only option to really know.

[Dave05]

Hi Seabassvg,

Any news on your skills assessment from the AACA?

I am an architect and would like to know if anyone else had any success in accrediting their South African architecture degree, before I pay the AACA their $AU1050 assessment fee.

I spoke to a migration agent today, and he sidestepped all my questions about whether they have successfully assisted any architects with immigration to Australia.

I specifically asked him about the success rate for the skills assessment for architects – but no luck.

Your reply would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

[seabassvg]

Hi Dave05 I am sending the application tomorrow, but it will be some time before I get any feedback.

I also asked an agent and he was not so confident, but confessed that they did not have too much experience with architects, then again it is a case by case assessment and I think it also depends on the University (I went to UCT). A friend of mine had no problem with his BArch degree from UCT about 3/4 years ago. I have thought about this quite a bit, and it is my only option in order to get the ball rolling, so I will have to take the risk.

I will update my status once I have heard anything from them.

[acmac]

At the time when I submitting information for my ACS skills assessment, I only had references from 2 companies prooving 5 years of experience. My CV shows I have about 13 years of work experience in IT. Last week I received another reference from a company I thought I wouldn't get a response from for another 3 years. Do they only recognize work experience backed by references? If so, would I beable to claim the 3 additional years when eventually submitting application for visa (189)?

[mschepers]

We are waiting for the skills assesment from Engineers Australia to come back now.

It is quite wierd since they do not do anything by email. They believe in the postal service.

We received a receipt in the post and then yesterday we received another letter saying that we filled out a old form with the old amounts and we still need to pay a further $10. We did so last night and faxed it back to them. hopefully things will move along now.

Medicals are scheduled for the 3rd of Oct (next week) and we have all documents scaned and ready. Wish i had a bit more patients with the whole process. It feels like you do every single little thing as fast as possible just to get stopped with the next step.

Apply, pay wait... apply, pay, wait. over and over :-)

At least the IELTS tests are done and everything else is in order. Just a little stressed about the health assesment... has anyone been told to lose weight before their Australian visas are granted??

Guess we just need to sort of take our focus of this a little so we dont get so stressed by the waiting. Cause I read about visas taking 3 weeks and I read about visas taking a year... So no one can really say for sure how long it takes, am I right?

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE THAT IS WAITING PATIENTLY WITH US :-)

[Dave05]

Hi Seabassvg,

Thanks for your reply – good luck with your assessment – holding thumbs!!

Please let me know the outcome of your assessment – I am eager to do my EOI, and it would make me feel a lot better if I know of at least one person who had their South African degree successfully accredited.

I completed my master’s degree at the University of Pretoria, so my assessment will be different.
According to the agent I spoke with, the AACA will look at your individual subjects studied – not sure how accurate that is.

Regards and all the
best,

[TiaanAndLeigh]

Hi Seabassvg

Where did you study? I am an architect and submitted my docs to AACA at the end of May. I did my BAS at Wits and MArch at UKZN. Got my skills assessment back last week, positive for bachelors, honours and masters. They don't, however, assess work experience at all. Only the degrees themselves, so am not sure what to do about determining work experience, as I have a few years experience prior to registering with SACAP.

Hope this helps!

PS. Where in Aus are you looking at heading to?

[seabassvg]

Hi T&L I studied at UCT BAS & Barch (this was before the course was converted to MArch (I graduated in 99). I am busy with all the work assessment including invoices, client letters, portfolio,docs form accountant, etc. My understanding is that only work experience after registration with SACAP will be considered (I got mine in May 2003), but I may be wrong. I am fairly confident there will be no problems with the degree. I am heading to Sydney as my family live there and I have a few contacts in the industry.

cheers, Seb

[TiaanAndLeigh]

Hi Seb

Please can you tell me more about the work assessment you mentioned. This is the first I am hearing. Is it also through the AACA?

Thanks!

[seabassvg]

From what I understand you have to prove your work experience if you are targeting those points. Most of the skills assessments review this work experience and give you an indication of the points you can apply for when you submit your application. Unfortunately AACA does not do this so all the documentation has to be submitted with your application to DIAC.

If you have been employed, you would need to provide bank statements, payslips, IRP5's & letters from your employers stating the work you did under their employ. If you are self employed (as I am) it is a bit trickier. I am submitting a bunch of invoices, letters from my larger clients, a portfolio of work, a letter from my accountant, bank statements (although I can only get the last 5 years), and tax returns. This will reflect my work experience for the last 10 years (I am targeting 8 years experience, but have worked for 13). It is literally hundreds of pages of info.

Lastly, I believe that you can only claim work experience from the date of registration in your profession, but maybe someone else can confirm this.

Let me know if that helps.

[ACB]

Hi everyone, I see you have all been down this road and might be able to help me; I am in the process of applying for a 189 visa. As a qualified architect with 8 years experience, I would like to target the points for skilled employment. As you know the AACA don't provide a comment on employment, only ones degree. Does anyone know what is required or what one needs to provide to obtain the skilled employment points for an architect? Does SACAP registration affect this also?

[pjebrown]

Hi guys, if anyone could help here it would be great. I have my positive skills assessment from AACA, but as above I am unsure about work experience. I worked as a candidate architect for 3 years, and then was a registered professional for 4 years. Can I claim 10 points on the EOI for greater than 5 years experience? Do our candidate years count? 

Edited December 12, 2018 by pjebrown

[Duggen]

3 hours ago, pjebrown said:

Hi guys, if anyone could help here it would be great. I have my positive skills assessment from AACA, but as above I am unsure about work experience. I worked as a candidate architect for 3 years, and then was a registered professional for 4 years. Can I claim 10 points on the EOI for greater than 5 years experience? Do our candidate years count? 

 

This may not apply in the case of architecture, but with regards to an occupation like accounting, your two years audit don't count. I would assume you wont only be given work experience from when you were a qualified architect, so 4 years.

[RYLC]

You can only count the years after qualification received. Work experience before hand doesn’t count unfortunately. Candidate = unqualified. 

Edited December 13, 2018 by RYLC

[KayB]

I agree with earlier comments that only the experience gained after qualification is received counts. Also check the specific requirements for your occupation. I applied to VETASSESS with 8 years post qualification experience but they removed one year which they counted towards the mimimum requirements for the occupation and recommended I use 7 years for points. I was bummed as it kept me from getting the 90 points I needed for South Australia at the time. But glad I didn’t find that out after submitting a visa application and then failing to make it. So in the end I applied to Tasmania and got the state nomination. Be careful to read all the fine print. There is no excuse for ignorance. Best wishes.