ACS Skills Assessment - how long?

[Guest MarK Jowett]

After some lenghty delays getting references sorted (i should have just done stat-decs) I am now in a position to send off my ACS skills assessment application, which should be done by early next week.

 

Could anyone else who's recently gone through this give me an indication of how long it takes to process and get the results. The ACS website says 12 weeks, but i'm hoping it's less as I have a feeling my SS application (systems administrator) will be one of those that fills up shortly!

 

Thanks to all.

 

Mark

[Guest ozdreamsa]

I had applied in Nov, 2010, but was late sending hard copies, so docs were received on 14 Jan, 2011. and I got the result on May 4, 2011. It was more than those 12 weeks mentioned by ACS. But that was kind of old data. There should be other members who can share their experience. Good luck

[Guest karenbonnar]

Done it twice. You can assume it will take the full 12 weeks plus postage time. There is a thread on Poms in Oz that linked to a list of processing times for ACS and it seems most people wait this long.

 

The good news is the state sponsorship application is much easier and you can do in a night when you get your ACS letter back.

 

Karen

[Guest MarK Jowett]

Great, well, great that you guys let me know - not great about the length of time!

[Guest ozdreamsa]

Haha, hope that u get the great feelings once done

[Guest omarau]

Hi Mark,

 

I too have just lodge an application with ACS for software engineer and sure hope they dont use the whole 12 weeks thing, preparing the references and other needed documents took me almost the same period

anyway you can share your time with us here:

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/australia-expat-forum-expats-living-australia/87274-sharing-acs-status-applications-started-after-01-july-2011-a.html

we can "guess" when our application will be finalized by looking at other people who applied around the same time,

 

Regards,

Omar.

[Guest Big Bob]

After some lenghty delays getting references sorted (i should have just done stat-decs) I am now in a position to send off my ACS skills assessment application, which should be done by early next week.

Could anyone else who's recently gone through this give me an indication of how long it takes to process and get the results. The ACS website says 12 weeks, but i'm hoping it's less as I have a feeling my SS application (systems administrator) will be one of those that fills up shortly!

Thanks to all.

Mark

 

Mark I agree with Ozdreams... I had gone through ACS twice....12 weeks+ they need.... Try to mail them and tell them that you need to apply for state sponsorship and request them a soft copy of assessment (pdf) asap...That would cutoff your 2 weeks (postage) delay.

regards

Bob

[Guest Guest8609]

MY OH did it twice, each time it was over 12 weeks for ACS to finalise (excluding postage I think).

[Guest MarK Jowett]

I am wondering why so many people did it twice - hope I don't have to!

 

Anyway, just posted mine this morning. I can relax now for a bit (well after my IELTS on saturday).

[Guest Big Bob]

I am wondering why so many people did it twice - hope I don't have to!

Anyway, just posted mine this morning. I can relax now for a bit (well after my IELTS on saturday).

 

Mark you don't know DIAC...They are super dynamic...You never know whats ahead...

regards

Bob

[Guest Guest8609]

I am wondering why so many people did it twice - hope I don't have to!

 

Anyway, just posted mine this morning. I can relax now for a bit (well after my IELTS on saturday).

 

Well , some time ago DIAC decided the y want to chage codes for jobs. And some people didn't have their jobs mapped to a new code, so they had to apply for assessment again. Anopther thing is that DIAC was moving goal posts so often that some people decided to wait for things to settle a bit.

[Guest MarK Jowett]

Right, well hopefully mine will all be sorted before that can happen.

 

Interestingly (well I thought it was). I first started to do the online application for ACS on Friday last week, but had to cancel it as my last reference hadn't arrived in the post. I then did it again on Monday and it was a completely new web based application system. It was a lot simpler to fill in, and didn't have any description fields for your employment so I wasn't left wondering which bits i'd need to include and which to leave out. This new system just had fields for the dates of employment, job title, company then you attach your reference.

 

EASY!

 

Lets hope the process is speeded up with this new application system (doubt it though!)

[mattyegg]

Hello Mark

 

My application took just over 13 weeks for completion, had to try and get it done before DIAC rule change on 1st July, thankfully with the aid of Peter at PTLabs got this through in time.

 

 

Maybe to ease your worries, I also applied for Sytems Administrator which was still available at the end of the period where the allocation for networking engineer and others of that ilk had run out.

 

Good luck and try to minimise the sleepless nights, I found myself getting up at all times in the morning to check it's progress.

 

Matt

[Guest MarK Jowett]

Thanks Matt, that does make me feel better, should also make me feel better about employment opportunities in SA should I get through the visa process alive

[mattyegg]

Our flights are booked for 3rd July 2012 so need to go through job process when I get there, I'm dreading that part.

[Guest MarK Jowett]

Have you tried to apply for jobs before you go? My plan was to start applying as soon as the visa is sorted - however I know that my chances will be slim, without being able to attend interviews. But the way I see it, it can't hurt to dip my toe in the water and get an idea of what's out there before I arrive.

[mattyegg]

Will start nearer the time, probably March. Need to Ozziefy my CV.

[Guest MarK Jowett]

Ah right, you will have to tell me what that entails, unless of course it's just putting 'ay' at the end of every sentance

[mattyegg]

Once I work it out I'll let you know.

[zebedee]

Cool reading - I've just had my System Admins assessment submitted and now waiting in the wings. Really hoping we can make it to the state sponsorship phase for SA.

 

I'm using Pete from PTLabs too - he has made it a lot easier....

[Guest MarK Jowett]

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]

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

[Guest MarK Jowett]

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]

If you are with Peter then you're in good hands.

Best of luck, let me know how you get on.

[Guest omarau]

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 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