TRA Skills Assessment Update: Stage 1, the Provisional Skills Assessment

TRA Skills Assessment Update: Stage 1, the Provisional Skills Assessment

The full details of the four stages of the Job Ready Program are still being finalised by TRA, and a fuller report of these will be available as soon as further clarification from TRA as been receive. Some details about Stage 1, the Provisional Skills Assessment, are:

• Amount of work experience: two days per week for six months. TRA will be flexible about this and look at it on a case-by-case basis. It could be work on a regular basis or in holiday periods.
• Work as part of a course (for example, industry placement) can be counted towards the requirement, providing it is in a commercial environment.
• Overseas work experience does not count – must be in an Australian workplace.
• Unpaid work can be counted, providing this was legally conducted.
• Level of work experience expected is at about the 1st/2nd year apprentice level. For example, work as a kitchen hand may be counted for a skills assessment as a cook. A range and variety of tasks is the important thing.
• IELTS results up to 2 years old can be submitted.
• For old system TRA assessments, you would provide the old assessment and IELTS results. In this case, you would lodge electronically and the fee would be waived
  

more detail is coming real soon... keep your eyes open... :)

Trades Recognition Australia (TRA): Job Ready Program

From 1 January 2010 TRA has a new skills assessment program, the Job Ready Program. The Job Ready Program is a four step process, and all four of the steps must be completed to satisfy the Job Ready Program.

Step 1 - Apply for a Provisional Skills Assessment

A successful outcome will enable you to apply to DIAC for a 485 skilled graduate temporary visa.

TRA says the requirements for this Provisional Skills Assessment are similar to the previous TRA skills assessment process.

To be eligible to apply for a Provisional Skills Assessment you must:

• hold a valid visa
• hold an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualification in an occupation assessed by TRA
• have an IELTS score of at least 6 in each of the four bands of the IELTS test (or hold a valid passport from and are a citizen of the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, New Zealand, United States of America (USA), Republic of Ireland
• pay the AUD $300.00 Provisional Skills Assessment Fee
• have relevant work experience performed in Australia that demonstrates a range of tasks and duties of the occupation you are qualified in.

Supporting documentation required include a statement from your employer about your work experience in Australia over at least six months. The statement must detail the occupation in which you were employed; exact periods of employment; and a description of the nature and content of your work along with the machines, tools and equipment used.

Step 2 - Complete the Job Ready Employment

On a 485 visa you will have 18 months to complete the required 12 months of full time employment that will enable you to gain more skills and experience in an Australian workplace. You will also gain valuable training in Australian workplace culture and language.

Compliance with this step will include Employer Registration, an Employment Contract and a Workplace Log.

Step 3 - Complete a Job Ready Workplace Assessment

You will have an opportunity to demonstrate your trade skills in the workplace to a TRA approved assessor.

Step 4 - Apply for a Job Ready Final Assessment

You will have collected all the evidence required during Steps 1 to 3 to apply for a final assessment which can be used as the skills assessment required to apply for permanent migration.

To gain a successful skills assessment as an onshore applicant with a trade qualification to enable you to apply to DIAC for a residence visa, you must successfully complete all four steps of the Job Ready Program. See the overview

This would seem to mean that onshore GSM applicants for Subclass 885, 886 and 487 visas who nominate a trade occupation must first apply for a Subclass 485 visa.

Offshore: Skills assessment changes from 1 January 2010

This "skill assessment" changes will affect the "offshore" applicant as well.

Applicants for a

• Skilled – Independent (Subclass 175),
  
• Skilled – Sponsored (Subclass 176) or
  
• Skilled - Regional Sponsored (Subclass 475) visa,

who nominate a trade occupation, must have worked in the skilled occupation for at least 12 months in the period of 24 months ending immediately before the day on which the application was made. See more on changes

same sex partner, as a dependent family member to student visa holder

I got an email asking me about same sex partner, who want to bring a partner to Australia. Since 1 July 2009, for the immigration purposes, there is no different between same sex partner or opposite sex partner. As some countries still not allowed the same sex marriage (Australia as well), if that partner have been living together for more than 1 year, then that couple is considered to be a "de facto" partner.

Partner can apply to get a visa to Australia as a "family member". There are 2 ways to doing this:

• apply at the same time, in one application with student visa
• apply separately, while student is in Australia

Personally, I recommend to lodge the application at the same time, that is to save cost and less paperwork to deal with.

Don't worry if the partner is different surname... or whatever. As long as you have enough evidence to show that you are in "de facto" relationship. The evidences can be a photo, join bank account or bill that come to the same address...etc...

And of course, the partner can work while s/he stay here as well... :)