Professional Year Expanding

Engineering is added to the professional year courses used to obtain 10 points for skilled visas

Three professional year programs are now approved by the minister via the latest Legislative Instrument IMMI 08/074 (dated 1.10.08 commencing on 27.10.08) as follows, the latest addition being the Engineers Australia program:

Professional Year Program provided by the Australian Computer Society which is available to IT graduates;

Professional Year Program provided by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, CPA Australia and the National Institute of Accountants which is available to accounting graduates;

Professional Year Program provided by Engineers Australia which is available to engineering graduates.

The significance of completing an approved professional year program is that the student can gain an extra 10 points under Part 6B.5 Australian employment qualifications of the points test.

Students 10 points short of the 120 points necessary to obtain the subclass 886 skilled independent visa can use the subclass 485 skilled graduate visa to do the professional year or meet the Australian employment qualifications also worth 10 points (see Item 6B52 in the skilled visa points test).

The subclass 485 skilled graduate visa can be used to accumulate 10 points by doing a ‘professional year’ which is defined in Reg 2.26AA as a:

a course specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing for this definition

Given that the processing times for skilled visas has stretched, students short 10 points can also just get a job in one’s nominated skilled occupation and probably end up getting 12 months work experience in from when one’s student visa expires and the final skilled visa is granted.

Here is item 6B51 says for the granting of 10 points for obtaining ‘Australian employment qualifications’:

The applicant has been employed in Australia, in the applicant’s nominated skilled occupation, or a closely related skilled occupation, for a period totalling at least 12 months in the 48 months immediately before the day on which the application was made

The writer argues that one does not have to wait for a positive skills assessment before one is regarded being employed in a skilled occupation as the skill assessment merely confirms what one achieved earlier (presumably by having completed the course).

Reg 2.27C (a) allows bridging A & B visaholders who have permission to work, to count that time for work experience for skilled visa applicants.  Here is what that reg says in full:

2.27C   In determining whether an applicant satisfies a criterion that the applicant has been employed in a skilled occupation for a certain period, a period of employment in Australia must not be counted unless the applicant:

(a)       held:

(i) a substantive visa; or

(ii) a Subclass 010 Bridging A visa; or

(iii) a Subclass 020 Bridging B visa;

authorising him or her to work during that period; and

(b)      complied with the conditions of that visa.

However applicants should never rely on a bridging visa, skilled visa applicants should always apply for a temporary substantive visa as well, the obvious one being the subclass 485 skilled graduate visa.