Many people want to migrate to Australia for better living standards and career opportunities. Skill assessment is crucial for work visas in Australia. If you belong to the IT field and desire to move to Australia through a work visa, you can go for an ACS migration skill assessment.
The assessment is an important step in the application procedure in which skill assessing authority analyses your education and work experience. Your application will not be processed if you proceed without an assessment.
In this comprehensive guide, we will highlight all important aspects related to ACS migration skill assessment.
What IS ACS?
The information and technology sector in Australia is growing rapidly. Australian computer science (ACS) is a skill-assessing authority that deals with the skill assessment of those individuals who come to Australia as skilled migrant workers in the IT sector. For, instance people belonging to the following occupations can take the ACS migration process:
- Software Engineer
- Systems Analyst
- Network Engineer
- Database Administrator
- ICT Security Specialist
- Web Developer
- Business Analyst
- Systems Administrator
- Software Tester
- Data Analyst
- Project Manager (IT)
- ICT Support Engineer
Those people belonging to IT fields must pass the ACS migration skill assessment to be eligible for skilled work visas.If they fail, their application will not be processed without it.
Throughout the assessment procedure, ACS checks your eligibility and assesses your knowledge and experience to see whether you meet all the standards and are capable of working as a skilled person in Australia.
Eligibility Criteria Of ACS Migration Skill Assessment
The ACS migration requirements may vary due to the work experience, nature of occupation and educational background. The most common eligibility requirements include:
Educational Eligibility Requirements:
You must have an educational background in ICT to be eligible for ACS migration skill assessment. Applicants may hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Diploma holders are also considered eligible. Furthermore, those applicants who have done an ICT minor can also be considered eligible if the ICT is two-thirds of their degree.
Educational background can give you points. However, work experience matters the most. Applicants are also required to provide evidence of their qualifications. Therefore, they must submit all the relevant transcripts and other important certificates.
| Qualification | Criteria for ICT Major | Duration |
| Bachelor’s Degree | A minimum of 33% of the qualification must be ICT. | Standard 3-year Bachelor’s qualification |
| Diploma/Advanced Diploma/Associate Degree | One full academic year of ICT content is required. |
|
| Post Graduate | A minimum of 50% of the qualification must be ICT. | For a 2-year postgraduate |
Work Experience Requirements:
You must have relevant work experience in your field. It is also crucial that the experience you gain should be post-study work. Otherwise, it will not count. Applicants need to provide all the pieces of evidence of their previous work experience.
During the skill assessment, ACS assures that the tasks you performed during your previous work match the responsibilities mentioned in the job description of ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations). Your degree and diploma determine how much work experience you may need to be eligible for the ACS migration skill assessment.
| Qualification Level | Degree Relation to Occupation | ICT Major/Minor | Work Experience Requirements |
| Bachelor’s Degree or higher
Bachelor’s Degree or higher |
Closely related | Major | 2 years in the last 10 years
4 years anytime in the past |
| Not closely related | Major | 4 years anytime in
the past |
|
| Closely related | Minor | 5 years in the last 10 years
6 years anytime in the past |
|
| Not closely related | Minor | 6 years anytime in
the past |
|
| Diploma/Advanced Diploma/Associate Degree | Closely related | Major | 5 years in the last 10 years
6 years anytime in the past |
| Diploma/Advanced Diploma/Associate Degree | Not closely related | Major | 6 years anytime in the past |
English Proficiency:
Applicants are required to be proficient in English. You could take any one of the approved tests such as PTE, TOEFL or IELTS. Make sure that your point score is sufficient based on your occupation and visa category.
How To Apply For the ACS Migration Skill Assessment?
You can apply online for the Australian migration assessment. You need to follow the below-mentioned steps to apply for the ACS skill assessment:
- Make an account on the website of ACS.
- Choose which type of skill assessment you need
- Fill out the information in the online application and upload all the necessary documents including your passport, transcripts, work history and employment reference letter. The letter must include the beginning and date of your employment, duties you performed during your job and a review of your performance.
- Pay the fees for your skill assessment application.
Processing Time Of Skill Assessment:
The processing time of ACS migration skill assessment is generally 8-10 weeks. However, it can longer time in case ACS needs additional information. You can check the application status to see the skill assessment outcome.
What To Do Next?
You must pass the ACS migration skill assessment if you desire to migrate to Australia as a skilled worker. It is not wrong to say that the chances of a visa grant also depend on your skill assessment. Since it holds a valuable position in the whole application procedure, you must seek professional guidance.
The Migration is a registered consultant company. Our expert consultants are specialized in Australian visas and skill assessment and can help you achieve your goal. We will be dealing with every aspect of your application. Contact us today to book your appointment.
FAQs:
Q1: How do I choose the right ANZSCO occupation for my application?
You have to make this decision yourself and choose skills based on your experience and qualifications. Because your experience and skills will be assessed by an authorised assessor when you submit your formal application.
Q2: What is the duration period of the ACS skills assessment?
The standard ACS skills assessment takes about 8-10 weeks to complete.
Q3: How long can I use my ACS migration skill assessment result letter for / migration purposes?
You will receive your result letter by email from ACS after the completion of your skills assessment. This letter is valid for 24 months from the date it was issued and you can use it as evidence of your Migration Skills Assessment when you apply to the Department of Home Affairs.
Q4: What type of English Proficiency test do I need for the ACS migration skill assessment?
You can take either the IELTS Academic or General Training test for provisional skills assessment. However, you need the IELTS Academic test for a full (permanent) skills assessment.
