Australia Immigration: Things to Know When Claiming Points
Have you got enough points? Have you claimed the right points? What points can you claim for your application? These are only a few of the questions most Do-It-Yourself applicants ask. Some of us think that the higher points we claim, guarantees visa approval. Quite often, we are claiming points that we are not eligible for, which will result to a refusal of your application.
With thousands of applications lodged year after year, the competition is getting tougher; we all want to stand out and claim the most possible score we can. While you can be prioritized over applications with lower scores, you need to be mindful of having enough verifiable supporting documents to demonstrate the corresponding points you are claiming.
Below are the common mistakes we commit when claiming points:
- Points for English
One of the common mistakes some of us make is that we use the overall score when claiming points for English Language. English Language points are awarded putting into consideration all the four components in IELTS: Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. For example, if you scored 8 in Listening, Writing and Reading and 7 in Speaking, then you can only claim Proficient English (10 points) instead of Superior English (20 points).
- Points for Employment
This part can really be tricky in various ways. Firstly, you need to determine if your occupation is in the Skilled Occupation List. Once determined and did not find exact occupation, know if your occupation is closely related, being in the same unit group. For example, Web Administrator is in the unit group 3131: ICT Support Technicians. All work experience to be claimed must be paid with verifiable supporting documents. Lastly, you can only claim points undertaken after you were deemed qualified, usually after completing your degree or diploma, or on a case-by-case basis.
- Points for Qualification
Many are not aware that Universities in the Philippines are assessed on three sections. For example, University of Santo Tomas is in Section 1 of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), while St. Paul University is in Section 2 of the AQF where you Bachelor’s Degree from St. Paul will only be deemed equivalent to Australian Bachelor’s Degree if you took the degree 4 years full time, with 120-185 credits, and with an average grade of 1.00 to 2.00, otherwise it will only be equivalent to Australian Diploma. Basically, you need to understand the AQF to know if you are claiming the right points for your qualification.
These are only a few of the common mistakes most of us commit when claiming points for Australia PR Application. It is really wise to ask around and seek help when lodging your application. Anyway, that is what Pinoy Australia Information Forum is for — to help all Filipino migrate across to Australia.
