What is ACS Skill Assessment?
Information Technology, no doubt has a great scope in every nation. Innovation in technology not only amazes people but also helps in the significant economic growth of a country. This is why the ITC sector is thriving everywhere. Australia also invites ITC professionals with great hopes to live and work permanently in the country. Every year thousands of applicants put forward their wish to work in Australia as an ICT professional.
The ACS or Australian Computer Society is a professional association that represents the ICT sector of Australia. The Australian government has authorised ACS to conduct an assessment of the qualifications and skills of ICT professionals who want to migrate to Australia. The applicant must check from the Department of Home Affairs Australia whether they need to get a skill assessment done or not.
ICT professionals who want to migrate to Australia need to get their skill assessment done from the ACS. A positive outcome of the assessment marks as a milestone in the immigration process and makes them eligible to work in Australia as an ICT professional. ACS provides a complete guide that will help the applicants in understanding the complete ACS Australia skill assessment process.
ACS Guidelines for Australia Skill Assessment
The applicants need to nominate an ANZSCO occupation that matches with their job role and description. Based on this, the ACS will assess your qualifications and/or work experience. Applicants do not require proof of their English language proficiency for the ACS skill assessment process. However, they might require so for obtaining an Australian visa.
ACS assesses the qualifications of the applicants to determine the AQF compatibility as per the Australian educational standards. The outcomes of the assessment are categorised as Major, Minor or Insufficient.
As per the ACS guidelines for Australia migration skill assessment, for every ICT occupation, some closely related ICT units or core ICT units are provided in the ANZSCO list. ACS takes a keen look at these units to determine your status. After completing the qualification assessment, ACS then determines if your work experience will meet their eligibility criteria or not.
The Four Pathways of ACS Assessment
1. Temporary Graduate (TG): Those who have a Bachelor degree or higher from Australia can use this pathway. It is however only available for Subclass 485 visa.
2. Post-Australian Study: Those who have completed a Bachelor degree or higher from Australia and want to get their skill assessment done for migration purposes can use this pathway.
3. Skills Assessment Pathway: It is the general ACS skill assessment pathway under which an applicant can get their ICT qualifications and ICT employment assessed by ACS.
4. Recognition to Prior Learning Pathway: Applicants who do not have any tertiary qualifications in the ICT field or those who have insufficient or no ICT content can use this pathway.
For a standard 3-year bachelor level qualification, at least 33% of the qualification must be ICT.
For a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree, at least 50% of the qualification must be ICT.
For a postgraduate degree that does not require an ICT major in graduation, at least 33% of the qualification must be ICT.
For a postgraduate degree that does not require an ICT major in graduation, at least 33% of the qualification must be ICT.
ACS Skill Assessment Processing Time
The ACS skill assessment processing time, in general, is around 12 weeks. There can be further delays as well if the applicant has not provided correct documentation. However, the applicant may request for priority assessment if their visa deadlines are 12 weeks from the date of the application. The applicant needs to provide at least a 2 week’s notice for the same. The great part is that there is no additional fee for priority assessment. ACS offers this as a courtesy service.
ICT professionals who want to migrate to Australia are sometimes required to get a migration skill assessment done. The assessment process involves a review of their work experience and ICT qualifications. ACS or Australian Computer Society is the body responsible for the Skill Assessment Process. Applicants need to nominate an occupation from the list of ANZSCO codes for ICT occupations in Australia. There are four pathways to ACS skill assessment - Temporary Graduate, Post Australian Study, Skills Assessment Pathway and Recognition to Prior Learning (RPL). The processing time for ACS skill assessment is around 12 weeks. However, applicants whose visa deadlines are 12 weeks from the date of the application can request a priority assessment.
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