Clarity regarding the definition of "closely related skilled occupation"

[TiaanAndLeigh]

Hi All

We received out invite yesterday, after submitting our EOI on Sat 1 Feb. But now that we have it I am questioning whether or not I filled in the information regarding work experience correctly. Where it asks is this a closely related skilled occupation I checked yes. However, I have only been registered as an architect since Feb 2012. All my work experience prior to that was either as a student or candidate architect, but always in the same field, and most of it even in the same office.

Reading the definitions on skillselect of closely related skilled occupation where it states that this includes work which is part of natural job progression. My interpretation of this is that all my work experience falls into that category.

Should I let the invite lapse and then update my EOI, or did I make the correct assumption? There is a lot of money at stake here so I can't afford to get it wrong.

Any architects done an application lately who can give some insight?

Thanks All!

[TooMuchLawlessness]

As long as you have a minimum of one year work experience in your nominated occupation or closely related to it in the past 10 years, you are okay.

dipb needs at least 12 months work experience in the past 10 years just like for the skills assessment.

All the best.

[gordonza]

Hi,

As far as I understand it your work experience is only valid from the date of obtaining your qualification. I am not sure how it works with architects, do you get a degree, then work in your field and then register with a professional body?

If that is the case then I would think it's work experience from the date you obtained your degree. So your work while a student would not count but while a candidate architect may well count??

I would ask the professional body in Australia that assessed your skills to give you a work experience letter. Then you will know for sure.

For my wife's skills as a teacher we got one of those letters from the relevant skills body and it turned out we would have been short of experience while she was a relief teacher in the UK.

Cheers,

Gordon

[HadEnoughofJuju]

Hey there TiaanAndLeigh, I also seem to remember reading here on the forum somewhere that only work experience gained after your initial 4 year degree was completed is recognised as work experience for the purposes of applying for a skilled migration visa. It's a good idea to get the letter confirming you work experience from the skills assessing authority. As long as the experience falls within the guidelines of the Skilled Occupation definition for your chosen occupation you should be fine.

I would suggest that if you are really that uncertain about work experience and whether or not it relates to the chosen professional that you contact one of the agents recommended here on the forum and get some professional advice on the matter, the last thing you need is to have a visa declined because of a misinterpretation of one of the questions.

[TiaanAndLeigh]

Thanks All

They have given me points for "more than 5 years but less than 8" work experience, which means the start date for the work experience credited coincides with the end of my studies. I started working in 2009 after completing my studies in 2008. Architecture comprises 3 degrees, a bachelors, then an honours and then a masters. Once all are complete then 2 years in practice training are required before registering as a professional.

So I think I have fulfilled these requirements, but am really anxious that I will be told that I have over claimed for points and lose the application fee. I can wait for the invite to lapse in April and then ammend the EOI and try again, but i really don't want to prolong this any longer. I definitely want to get the application in before the next price increases.

[HadEnoughofJuju]

This is what I found on the IMMI site for the 189

What is a Closely Related Occupation?

Any periods of employment in a closely related occupation must be undertaken at the equivalent skill level of your nominated occupation. This means that any employment that you claim as ‘closely related’ to your nominated occupation should be:

• in the same ANZSCO Unit Group. For example, the occupations of Management Accountant and Taxation Accountant are in the same group, or
• consistent with a career advancement pathway. For example, Accountant to Chief Financial Officer, or
• where the relevant assessing authority has determined that the employment is closely related to the nominated occupation.

Further information on occupation information, skill level and ANZSCO unit groups are available on our website - see Australian Skills Recognition Information (ASRI).

Working at least 20 hours a week

‘Working for at least 20 hours a week’ means 20 hours paid work each week. You may also meet this requirement where your employment provides for variable hours of work that extend beyond a week such as some shift workers and fly in fly out workers.

So I think I have fulfilled these requirements, but am really anxious that I will be told that I have over claimed for points and lose the application fee. I can wait for the invite to lapse in April and then ammend the EOI and try again, but i really don't want to prolong this any longer. I definitely want to get the application in before the next price increases.

I would get an agent on the horn and conform with them. It better to pay for an hours consultation than loose the entire application fee.

[TooMuchLawlessness]

What did your skill assessment say?

is the job applying for in oz needs professional certification, that is, do you need academic credentials before professional training like law and medicine? If yes, then work experience counts only after professional training and acceptance to practice.

so in your case post professional training and acceptance work experience is what matters and you need a minimum of 1 year for dibp to grant you the precious words and on numbers on their paper (ie visa).

Good luck.

[Bronwyn&Co]

I wonder if the Immi people ever read this site & see how their rules confuse people?

[spartikusza]

Hi everyone,

i am hoping someone will be able to help me. how do i go about checking if my work experience will be accepted before i submit an EOI? i dont want to claim for example 8 years and then find out that some of the claims aren't accepted.

i did a PGCE in SA which makes me eligible to teach high school. now, lots of my work here in Taiwan has been elementary school teaching and working in a language school teaching mainly university students. would that work experience be considered closely related to secondary school teaching?

• 2004-2008 taught at a language school- ages 5-16
• 2009 taught in an elementary school
• 2010-2012 taught in a English language school for high school students and university students(part time)
• 2010-2013 taught in elementary school
• 2013- current teaching in high school

[gordonza]

Hi everyone,

i am hoping someone will be able to help me. how do i go about checking if my work experience will be accepted before i submit an EOI? i dont want to claim for example 8 years and then find out that some of the claims aren't accepted.

i did a PGCE in SA which makes me eligible to teach high school. now, lots of my work here in Taiwan has been elementary school teaching and working in a language school teaching mainly university students. would that work experience be considered closely related to secondary school teaching?

• 2004-2008 taught at a language school- ages 5-16
• 2009 taught in an elementary school
• 2010-2012 taught in a English language school for high school students and university students(part time)
• 2010-2013 taught in elementary school
• 2013- current teaching in high school

Your experience should be fine... just get it assessed by AITSL, in other words get a work experience letter from them in addition to your skills assessment... (You will need to get a letter from each employer giving their address, contact details, what you did there including subjects and how many hours per week/month, all should be on a letter head... just look on the AITSL site for guidance)

My wife was trained for secondary school like yourself and also worked in junior school as well as high school positions.. I think so long as it's a teaching post it is considered closely related but just check with AITSL first and get that letter from them. Rather be sure that all of it is regarded as appropriate.

When you lodge your visa you will need to supply all of this documentation as well... we supplied all of that as well as the letter so DIBP could see for themselves.

Edited February 13, 2014 by gordonza

[spartikusza]

Thanks gordonza

so just to double-check, if AITSL gives me a work experience letter, then with that together with all the various letters from schools will will sufficient for the EOI application?

[gordonza]

Hi spartikusza, I think it should be, obviously it depends on your circumstances but it did work for us. There may be other factors that your case officer would look at but it certainly sounds like you should be fine.

[TiaanAndLeigh]

Hey there TiaanAndLeigh, I also seem to remember reading here on the forum somewhere that only work experience gained after your initial 4 year degree was completed is recognised as work experience for the purposes of applying for a skilled migration visa. It's a good idea to get the letter confirming you work experience from the skills assessing authority. As long as the experience falls within the guidelines of the Skilled Occupation definition for your chosen occupation you should be fine.

I would suggest that if you are really that uncertain about work experience and whether or not it relates to the chosen professional that you contact one of the agents recommended here on the forum and get some professional advice on the matter, the last thing you need is to have a visa declined because of a misinterpretation of one of the questions.

Hi there

The AACA, which is the skills assessing body for architects, only assesses qualifications and not work experience. Is it worth spending the R3500 on a points test letter from VETASSESS to back me up?

I know that the work that I have done is in the same field, as I have only ever worked in architecture. In fact, most of it in the past 10 years has been in the same office. I do have 2 years since registering as a professional so should be ok there. What I am worried about is all the talk I have seen here on the forum about not being granted teh visa due to discrepencies on the EOI.

But the closely related skills definition says that the work must be at the same skill level, which it obviously wasn't prior to me refistering as a proffessional. But the definition also says that the work must be "consistent with a career advancement pathway", which I believe the work was. This is why I am stuck on the definitions. When I filled out the EOI I read and checked these definitions and was sure I comply, but now the fear of losing the collossal application fee is what is making me doubt myself.

Thanks all for your help!

[qwerty]

I'm also wondering about closely related occupation. Would someone who is a Sales and Events Manager (i.e. Conference and Event Organiser) be able to get a skilled assessment and points for relevant work experience as a Café and Restaurant Manager? This is for a person who has done major events like the G20 summit and has a NDip. in Hospitality and Catering.

Edited November 4, 2015 by qwerty

[RedPanda]

Qwerty, if nobody answers this, since it is an old thread maybe people will skip it? Then you can open a new topic. (This is what Mara told someone else, who posted in an older thread.)

[pjebrown]

Hi Tiaan and Leigh, what happened in the end here? Did your candidate years count?