ACS Skills Assessment

**MarK Jowett** · 06-09-2011, 03:47 PM

Hi Zebedee. Hope we both get good news then and aren't fighting for the last sys admin place :)

Do you think using an agent was worth it? I found the process time consuming but not difficult? I suppose i am flying blind with regards which occupation I went for and what I had put on my references.

But basically it was just a case of getting together refs/certs/transcripts and sending them off?

Or are there any other little tricks PTlabs advised you of to improve your chances.

I know that I've had an email from ACS this morning saying they are still waiting for all my certified docs, which I posted on the same day as my online application, so hopefully they're just taking their sweet ass time delivering them. Should have used a courier and not royal mail!

**zebedee** · 06-09-2011, 03:58 PM

Hi Mark! Yes, fingers crossed for us both! We decided to use an agent as it doesn't feel like that much money considering the potential life change and with three young children and a full time job, I just didn't feel I would ever get around to investigating what was actually required. We've talked about trying to move over to Oz for quite a few years, and now age is kinda going against, it was time to get bum in gear.

I don't think I've been given any tips as such, but PTlabs focussed me on getting this, getting that and ensuring that the wording on the references was correct and in "Oz" speak. They have done the admin side of things as well, so I didn't have to do any of that. I think without an agent and the commitment, I probably wouldn't have got around to getting it sorted - but then that's just me! Fair play to you for sorting it out yourself.

I used Royal Mail to get our docs over there - took a few days - I am showing as on "Stage 2" on the ACS website. It's really in the lap of the gods now!

Look forward to chatting with you more :)

**MarK Jowett** · 06-09-2011, 04:02 PM

Ah so you're ahead of me at the moment. Interesting it only took royal mail a few days. Mine was posted on the 30/08 so not that long ago. Think I just panicked when I got the email from ACS asking for the certified docs - made me think at first that they had received them but they were somehow incorrect.

Yes, look forward to swapping battle stories along the way! :)

**mattyegg** · 06-09-2011, 08:16 PM

If you are with Peter then you're in good hands.
Best of luck, let me know how you get on.

**omarau** · 06-09-2011, 11:51 PM

Im with Emily, but it seems that the case officer and what the so called "authorized assessor" are two different persons, and we have no idea who our authorized assessor is. Anyway good luck for both of you guys. System administrator is still marked as high availability on SA sponsorship list, my occupation "software engineer" is already marked as medium availability :S I Hope I get my ACS letter soon enough to apply for SA sponsorship. Anyway, here is my timeline so far:
online application: 11-Aug-2011
documents sent via DHL: 11-Aug-2011
documents delivered to ACS: 15-Aug-2011
documents acknowledgment email: 16-Aug-2011
with assessor: 19-Aug-2011

**zebedee** · 07-09-2011, 10:23 AM

Thanks Matty, and it's interesting to read your posts and great that you have you have your visa! Peter has been awesome so far, lots of great help :)

**omarau** · 09-09-2011, 11:37 AM

Maybe this is a little bit off the topic here but im sure it will be for the interest of many.
South Australia migration has updated their sponsorship plan for 2011-2012 recently (on 09-Sep-2011 to be precise). Now all ICT occupations are marked as highly available without any extra conditions! not even for IELTS

. So does that mean that we dont need to submit any IELTS results with our sponsorship applications to SA anymore?

feeling lucky to be an ICT profession now

Link to SA SSML: http://www.immigration.sa.gov.au/app...vel_status.php

**MarK Jowett** · 09-09-2011, 11:38 AM

I didn't think SS needed IELTS for IT professions if you're from an english speaking country. I thought it was just needed for getting extra points for your DIAC visa.

**omarau** · 09-09-2011, 11:48 AM

Extract from SA SS website:

Some occupations have additional requirements that you must meet in addition to all other sponsorship requirements. If there is no special requirement listed you are required to meet the threshold requirements for sponsorship.

If you hold a valid passport from, and are a citizen of, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America, or the Republic of Ireland, you must provide an IELTS test result if the requirement is 7.0 or higher. Where the requirement is less than 7.0 no IELTS test result is required.

http://www.immigration.sa.gov.au/app...vel_status.php

Anyway, this condition has been removed for ICT occupation now. So no need to worry about what it was before :)