BREAKING NEWS!
If you are a ROOF SLATER TILER, PLASTERER, PAINTER & DECORATOR, WALL & FLOOR TILER without formal trade qualifications, we can now arrange for you to obtain an Australian qualification (AQF III) by workplace assessment here in the UK. CALL SHIRLEY OR SHEILA NOW FOR MORE INFORMATION. 0161 776 9839.
SKILLS ASSESSMENT - Suspension of Pathway D
Until further notice, Trades Recognition Australia is no longer accepting applications for trade skill assessment where applicants have trained predominantly on-the-job. These applicants are normally assessed under Pathway D (see the Uniform Assessment Criteria on the TRA website). This means that unless you have formal qualifications obtained through a recognised course of training comparable to an Australian Trade certificate you will not be able to apply for a trade skill assessment at the moment. An amended Pathway D is expected to be brought in later this year.
This does not apply to the following occupations: -
MOTOR MECHANIC
GENERAL ELECTRICIAN
GENERAL PLUMBER
BRICKLAYER
CARPENTER/JOINER
REFRIGERATION & AIR CONDITIONING MECHANIC
CABLE JOINTER
ELECTRICAL POWERLINE TRADESPERSON
These occupations are now assessed by Vetassess. To apply for skill assessment under these occupations you must have at least 2 years skilled work experience.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING
Since 1 September 2007, if you hold a passport from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland, you automatically score 15 points for English Language ability. However, there are now provisions for applicants with 'Proficient English' (having an operational command of English with the ability to use and comprehend complex language well and understand detailed reasoning) to undertake an English test and provided you can score at least 7 out of 9 on each of the four test components, you can score 25 points. The English tests are conducted by an organisation called IELTS and they are administered at various universities around the UK.
When the Department of Immigration announced the new provisions for English testing, Sheila and I decided that it would be very helpful indeed if we were able to tell our clients what it involved. We therefore took the IELTS English test in July 2007. The test costs £95 and consisted of 4 components, listening, reading, writing and speaking and each part was conducted in strict exam conditions and you weren't able to take anything into the room except your passport. The listening, reading and writing exams were all written ones and were taken over a three hour period with the speaking part undertaken later in the day.
At the end of the speaking test we were able to leave and were told that our results would arrive within the next two weeks. It was a nervous wait for Sheila and I but luckily the results didn't matter to us as we only wanted to have the experience to be able to tell our clients about the process and how hard it was etc. However, I wouldn't like to think that the result of this test could be the deciding factor on whether or not you were able to get a visa to live in Australia, as neither of us was confident that we had passed!!
Sheila and I finally received our results and we both scored at least 7 on each of the four components so if we were applying for a visa that would translate into 25 points for English!!
For more information on the English test please go to www.ielts.org.
Essential Information |
Permanent Visa Information |
Temporary Visa Information |