AUSTRALIAN COMPUTER SOCIETY

PRE-APPLICATION SKILLS ASSESSMENT (PASA) GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS

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Please read this information carefully before you apply for pre-application skills assessment

Con ten tsContents....................................................................................................................................................................... 2Introduction.................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Authority...........................................................................................................................................3Professional occupations....................................................................................................................3Purpose............................................................................................................................................3Scope..............................................................................................................................................3PASA process.................................................................................................................................4References and resources..................................................................................................................6

Preliminary procedures and general administration....................................................................................................7Communication...............................................................................................................................7Record-keeping and privacy...........................................................................................................7Who can apply for a skills assessment?...............................................................................................7How can I prepare?...........................................................................................................................7What do I send with my application?....................................................................................................7Evidence to support your application....................................................................................................8Recent work experience exemption..............................................................................................12Members of the ACS.....................................................................................................................13Cost and charges..........................................................................................................................13Refunds and withdrawals..............................................................................................................13How to pay the fee........................................................................................................................14How long will assessment take?...................................................................................................14Application status/Progress of your application............................................................................15How information is used................................................................................................................15Using a Migration Agent...................................................................................................................15Accessing your personal information............................................................................................16After your skills assessment..........................................................................................................17

Assessment process.................................................................................................................................................. 18Recognition and Assessment of Academic Qualifications............................................................18Assessment of Work Experience..................................................................................................19Assessment criteria.......................................................................................................................20GROUP A (suitable)....................................................................................................................................20GROUP B (suitable)....................................................................................................................................21GROUP C (suitable)....................................................................................................................................22GROUP D (unsuitable)..................................................................................................................22GROUP E (unsuitable)..................................................................................................................22RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)...........................................................................................23PLAGIARISM...............................................................................................................................................24Summary of assessment criteria...................................................................................................25

Outcomes................................................................................................................................................................... 28Will my skills assessment expire?......................................................................................................28Replacement of a PASA Result Letter..........................................................................................28Re-validation...................................................................................................................................29Reviews and appeals.......................................................................................................................30Can I be reassessed?......................................................................................................................31Data matching and false information..................................................................................................32

Further information..................................................................................................................................................... 33Document approval and change history.............................................................................................33

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I n t r o d u c t i o n

Authority

In accordance with Regulation 2.26B(1) of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Commonwealth Consolidated Regulations) (the Regulations), the Minister for Immigration has designated the Australian Computer Society Inc. (ACS) as a relevant assessing authority for skilled occupations as listed on the Skilled Occupations List www.immi.gov.au/allforms/.

Regulation 2.26B (2) of the Regulations provides the authority for the ACS to determine, at its sole discretion, the standards against which the skills of a person are assessed as being suitable for their nominated occupation.

Professional occupations

This document covers ICT professional occupations, which are included in SOL and ENSOL based on the 1220.0 - ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, First Edition, 2006, and are assessed by the Australian Computer Society Inc (ACS).

ANZSCO descriptors of each occupation can be found on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website at:

http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/1220.02006?OpenDocument .

In addition to the ANZSCO Code descriptions for each of the IT occupations listed, as the relevant assessing authority, the ACS has set the standards against which the skills of each applicant are assessed. These are set out in this document and are subject to change.

Purpose

These Guidelines provide detail on the procedures used by the ACS in the consideration of applications for assessment of qualifications and work experience carried out for the purposes of migration to Australia.

Scope

The Guidelines apply to the following types of applications: All pre-migration applications. Those domestic stream applications which have been submitted by applicants who are in Australia on temporary visas (and who are applying for permanent residency) and require a pre-migration skills assessment.

The Guidelines do not apply to domestic stream applications other than those described above.

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PASA process

Pre-Application Skills Assessment process is the process by which the ACS determines that a person fulfils the skill requirements specified in this document for migration purposes.

If you wish to apply to migrate to Australia as an IT (Computing) Professional under the General Skilled Migration categories, you must have a skills assessment from the ACS to include with your migration application to Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

You must meet all of the ACS educational and professional requirements to receive a positive skills assessment.

You need to be aware that successfully migrating to Australia as an IT (Computing) Professional is no guarantee of employment as an IT (Computing) Professional in Australia.

The ACS is not able to give prospective migrants advice on any aspect of the migration process except skills assessment. All migration-related queries must be directed to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Information and contact details are available at www.immi.gov.au.

The ACS will: process your application and issue you with a receipt; assess your application against its requirements; request any additional information required; finalise your assessment on the basis of the evidence provided; and provide you with the results of your migration skills assessment stating whether you

have been found suitable or unsuitable as an IT (Computing) Professional for the purposes of migration to Australia under the General Skilled Migration categories.

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Figure 1: PASA process

July 2010

Step 1 – Information

Provision of information (web site, telephone, email enquiry service)Application

Review or appeal process

Step 2 – Skills assessmentEvidence review process

Qualification Work experience Other - licences / certification

Step 3 - OutcomeAssessment letter for migration

Integrity checking (throughout process)IdentityDocumentation

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References and resources

Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)

Includes information for skilled people who want to work, study or live in Australia.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

A valuable source of information on the demographics of Australia.

Australian Government Your connection with government in Australia by linking to information and services of over 900 Australian Government websites as well as selected state and territory resources.

Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA)

MARA can help consumers to find a migration agent and provide advice about the fees that agents might charge.

Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)

Your link to everything that's happening in the international education sector.

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P r e l i m i n a r y p r o c e d u r e s a n d g e n e r a l a d m i n i s t r a t i o n

Communication

Please direct your enquiries about any aspect of the skills assessment process over phone or in writing (e-mail or letter) to the ACS Skills Assessment administration team, whose contact details are available on the ACS website http://www.acs.org.au/index.cfm?action=show&conID=acsno.The result of your assessment will be sent to you or your authorised agent by mail and will not be released to any other party prior to this.

Record-keeping and privacy

Records of all migration skills assessment procedures will be kept for a period of at least seven (7) years. Records kept will include correspondence with all applicants and prospective applicants. Summary information of each application will be kept on a computerised database for ease of access and for generation of statistics.

Personal information is collected only for the purpose of assessing your application, including for the purpose of the verification of information from contacts provided by you. Information will be treated as strictly confidential within the ACS and will only be released to the ACS officers directly involved with your assessment. Information may be released to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship or to other parties if required by law.

Who can apply for a skills assessment?

You are eligible to apply if:

you have skills in one of the professional information technology classifications, which are assessed by the Australian Computer Society

This is a pre-migration skills assessment. Other requirements for migration (such as age or English language ability) are not considered by the ACS when you apply for skills assessment.

How can I prepare?

Before you apply you should familiarise yourself with the requirements, relating to your qualifications and professional experience, described in this document.

What do I send with my application?

When you apply for a skills assessment, you must provide:

a completed application form

identification information

evidence to support your application

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payment of required fee.

Evidence to support your application

Important: The evidence you provide is essential in establishing that your skills and experience satisfy standards set by the ACS.

1. General requirements

1.1. You must support all claims by submitting certified or notarised copies (do not send original documents; these may be difficult to replace and you should retain them for your personal records) of the following documents with your application:

Verifiable independent evidence of your identity and date of birth, such as a birth certificate or passport.

Note: secondary education documents cannot be used in lieu of passport/birth certificate.

Note: If the required identity information is not provided your application may not be accepted by the ACS.

Verifiable independent evidence of change of name (if applicable). This would include a Marriage Certificate or a Deed Poll notice.

Verifiable independent evidence of completing all tertiary education or other courses such as :

Academic award: Degree/diploma/certificate stating the title of the award, name of the awarding institution, the year the degree/diploma/certificate was conferred and the grade achieved.

In cases where degree/diploma/certificate has not yet been awarded applicants must provide an official academic record (transcript) which clearly indicates that the applicant has met all of the course requirements and is eligible to be awarded the qualification.

Applicants who hold professional and/or vendor certification designations (e.g. CP, IP3P, ITCP, MCTS, etc.) must provide certification validation ID with a URL link as a proof of certification to facilitate verification of authenticity of the certificate.

Statement of academic record: Statement of academic record (transcript) showing the names of all the subjects studied and grades received. Result slips or web results are not acceptable in lieu of the official academic record.

A legend explaining the grading system must be included.

If the university has granted you exemptions/advanced standing in any ICT subjects, you will also need to enclose the documents on which the exemptions were based (e.g. TAFE diploma and academic record or result

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slips supporting cross-institutional study at another university). The ACS acknowledges the autonomy of higher education providers in granting credit transfer and/or recognition of prior learning in their own programs, however if you do not provide proof of exemptions the ACS will not recognise completion of those subjects.

Thesis abstract (for PhD, Doctoral and Masters by research awards) endorsed by primary supervisor, where possible. When you provide a certified copy of the thesis abstract, the name of the university and the date of the thesis publication must appear on every page.

Applicants who have successfully completed an ACS accredited Professional Level IT education program in Australia, or those who have obtained professional IT degrees accredited and delivered in the countries of Seoul Accord Signatory bodies are advised to check the accreditation status of the qualification with the appropriate institution and/or signatory body before applying.

The evidence is verified against published information available from the issuing institution and from the ACS list of accredited programs.

Verifiable statements from your employers to support all your employment as IT professional.

Important: Hardware assembly, cabling and repair; computer operating; data entry and/or coding; clerical/administrative interaction with computer applications, etc. are not regarded as IT professional level employment.

Statements must be dated, signed by your employer or a person authorised by your employer (the name, position and contact details of the person making the statement must be clearly indicated) and must include details of the exact periods of employment and a full and detailed description of the nature and content of your work. Where possible, statements should be on company letterhead.

1.2. Where past education providers and/or employers no longer exist and you need this information for your application, you may submit a personal statement on a properly signed and witnessed Statutory Declaration.  The Statutory Declaration is to detail as a minimum:

the reason/s why you are submitting a Statutory Declaration; and all the necessary detail about your education and/or employment.

Important: If you provide a Statutory Declaration with your application, you must also provide some form of corroborative information from a third party for the claims made in the Statutory Declaration.

1.3. If you are reluctant to approach your current employer for a statement of service that you need for your application, you may submit a personal statement on a properly signed and witnessed Statutory Declaration. The Statutory Declaration is to detail as a minimum:

the reason/s why you are submitting a Statutory Declaration; and all the necessary detail about your employment experience.

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Important: If you provide a Statutory Declaration with your application, you must also provide some form of corroborative information from a third party for the claims made in the Statutory Declaration.

1.4. You may submit a reference from your colleague who occupies or has occupied a higher position than you and is an expert in your nominated occupation, within the organisation you were employed at, on a properly signed and witnessed Statutory Declaration. The Statutory Declaration is to detail as a minimum:

the reason/s why your colleague is submitting a Statutory Declaration and all the necessary detail about your employment experience.

Important: If you provide a Statutory Declaration with your application, you must also provide some form of corroborative information from a third party for the claims made in the Statutory Declaration.

In this case, you must provide an organisation chart showing upward and downward reporting relationships. All titles must be included. The organisation chart must be verified by your colleague’s immediate supervisor. A company seal is not sufficient, the document must be signed.

1.5. It is important that you provide all requested information with your application. Only the information provided with your application will be considered during the assessment.

1.6. When assessing your application, the ACS compares your education and employment experience against an equivalent occupation in Australia. This requires you to provide very detailed and precise information on your education and employment experience.

1.7. General statements provided by you, your employers or training institutions will not be sufficient evidence of education or employment experience.

1.8. If you do not answer all the questions on the application form in full or do not provide sufficiently detailed documentation to support your application, your application may not be successful.

1.9. Any foreign language documents must be accompanied by certified English language translations (see section 4 for further information).

2. Self employed applicants

2.1. If you are or have been self employed, you must provide evidence of occupation specific self employment.

2.2. The evidence should include a personal statement on a properly signed statutory declaration providing details on:

the exact commencement and completion date of each period of self employment the occupation in which you were self employed the nature and content of the work tasks you personally performed the number of staff employed and their occupations your business registration certificate covering each period of self employment

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a statement on a letterhead from your accountant or legal representative certifying the name and nature of your business, the exact dates of the period of self employment and the capacity in which you have been self employed

statements from suppliers, confirming the nature of your business, dates of trading periods, details of the material /equipment purchased and the types of material/equipment supplied

statements from your clients covering the entire period stating number of days/hours worked and full details of the work.

evidence of any licensing or registration and the prerequisites to obtain the licence or registration, and

any other documentation that builds support for the existence and purpose of the business. This may include information such as certified copies of advertising or promotional material (including internet advertising etc).

3. Document validation

3.1. All statements must be signed by a person authorised to make, and capable of making, the statement.

3.2. The name, position and contact details of the person making the statement must also be clearly indicated.

3.3. The content of all documents must be able to be verified by the ACS.3.4. You must provide sufficient information to allow verification of your documents.3.5. You must ensure you keep a copy of all documents you send to the ACS. Documents

will not be returned to you.3.6. Do not send documents in plastic sleeves or folders.

Important: All supporting documentation MUST match the information as provided on the application form.

4. Translation of documents

4.1. All documents not in English must be translated by acceptable translators.

Applications submitted within Australia

4.2. Acceptable translations may be obtained from translators accredited with the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Details of these translators can be found in the Yellow Pages or the telephone directory under ‘Translations’ or on NAATI’s website search screen: http://mail.naati.com.au/naati/pdsearch/pdsearch.aspx .

4.3. Please check the Translator’s accreditation either by calling NAATI on 1300 557 470, or asking to see the Translator’s letter or certificate of accreditation as a translator in the languages and directions required and checking the Translator’s ID card from NAATI. Translations done by NAATI accredited translators must include the translator’s name, NAATI identification number and accreditation status.

Applications submitted outside Australia

4.4. Acceptable translations may be obtained from: A Ministry of Justice (or equivalent) in the country where the qualification was obtained.

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The Australian Education International Section (AEIS) at an Australian Diplomatic Mission.

Any Australian High Commission, Consulate or Embassy. Private and Commercial Translators. The Awarding Institution.4.5. Overseas translations must be done on the organisation’s letterhead and include an

official stamp, the translator’s name, signature and contact telephone number (all in block letters) legibly printed below the signature.

4.6. It must be possible for the ACS to contact the translator if necessary, to verify the translated documents from the details provided.

4.7. When submitting foreign language documents you must provide: certified copies of all foreign language documents; and certified copies of the English translations.

5. Certifying your documents

Documents can be certified by a Commissioner for Oaths, Justice of the Peace, Notary, Lawyer, Registered Migration Agent, Doctor, Bank Manager, CPA, Chartered Accountant or any other official in your home country who is authorised to endorse documents and legal declarations or witness sworn affidavits.

The Department of Immigration requires a copy of what is submitted to assessing authorities so please retain a copy for such purpose.

Important:

All applicants are required to submit a ‘complete’ application. A ‘complete’ application is one which is completed in full, is signed by you, and is accompanied by the correct application fee.

In addition, all applications must be decision ready. A decision ready application is one which is ‘complete’, and contains all necessary documents which are taken as being your best case for skills assessment.

An applicant may be requested to provide further documentation to enable his/her skills to be assessed. If this requested documentation is not received within the specified time frame – currently 35 days if the applicant lives in Australia and 49 days if the applicant lives overseas, or, though received within the specified time frame, this requested documentation does not satisfy requirements outlined in this section and/or does not contain requested information – a result will be issued based on the documentation held. No further requests will be made.

Recent work experience exemption

Those applicants who believe that they have met the Australian study requirement criteria to seek recent work experience exemption must provide all relevant information as an ordinary PASA Applicant.

Important: Applicants should not apply until their course work for the award by an Australian educational institution has been completed.

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Your PASA application needs to indicate whether you are seeking recent work experience exemption under the DIAC provisions currently in place for applicants who meet the Australian study requirement.

Refer to General Skilled Migration booklet , available on the Australian Department of Immigration & Citizenship (DIAC) website for more details.

References for IT Professional work experience may also be included in your PASA Application if you wish to have your professional IT experience taken into consideration.

Members of the ACS

The ACS defines following Professional Membership levels:

Member - MACSSenior Member - MACS (Senior) Fellow - FACS

Professional members of the ACS are still required to submit a PASA Application.

For all ACS Members, we can access the documents you have already provided in your membership form. Please note that if a document has been accepted for membership, it will not automatically be accepted for Assessment for Migration purposes and you may be asked to provide further documents.

Important: Applicants using membership of the ACS must be current financial Members and hold CP designation before being eligible to apply under the membership discounted category.

Cost and charges

A remittance in Australian currency in the form of either an international bank draft for the appropriate amount drawn on an Australian bank and payable to the Australian ComputerSociety or by credit card should accompany each application submitted to ACS.

Fees may be subject to adjustment at any time. To check the PASA associated costs, please refer to Cost and Charges web page.

Applications received with less than the full fee amount will not be accepted and will be returned to the applicant.

PASA application fees are non refundable.

Refunds and withdrawals

Before assessment commences, applications can be withdrawn at any stage.

However, if any preliminary work or the formal assessment has commenced or the formal assessment has been completed, a refund will not be issued.

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How to pay the fee

Payment may be made in one of the following methods:

Cheque / Money order / International bank draft

These should be made payable to The Australian Computer Society. Credit card

Major credit cards are acceptable: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Australian Bankcard (not eftpos card)

Those who pay by credit card are warned that should the bank decline the transaction, alternative method of payment must be arranged. Credit card payment will no longer be acceptable in this instance. Your processing time will pause until a new payment (via another form) is made. If you are overseas, you should contact your bank about any special arrangements.

International fund transfer / Direct deposit

If you wish to pay by transfer, our account details are as follows:

Bank: Commonwealth Bank of AustraliaBranch: Corner Liverpool & Castlereagh Streets, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia Bank Branch Number: (BSB) 062 - 017 Account Name: Australian Computer Society Inc. Council Account Account Number: 80 - 1049 SWIFT Code: CTBAAU2S

If paying by transfer, please be sure to include your surname in the Remitter Details of your payment advice so that it can be easily traced in our records. You are advised that failure to provide this will result in delays to your processing time. Please also include a copy of transfer paperwork/evidence in the application as proof of payment.

A receipt will be issued to acknowledge that we have received your application and fee.

Please do not send your payment of fees in cash by post.

How long will assessment take?

As a general rule, applicants should allow at least twelve weeks between the time of making a complete and satisfactory application to the ACS and a decision being made by the

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responsible decision maker. Timelines may be extended by a number of factors, including the complexity of the application, incomplete applications, requests from the ACS for additional information and the time taken by the applicant to provide additional or revised information.

Please allow for postage times.

If you are required to provide further documentation the processing time will commence once these documents have been received.

Application status/Progress of your application

On receipt of your application you will automatically receive an acknowledgement email that will include instructions on how to access the ACS secure website to check the status of your application. Included in this email will be your reference number that you will need to quote for any further correspondence with the ACS.

It is important to include an email address in your application. Whilst we are happy to assist you, the best way to check the progress of your application is via our secure website.

When we receive your application, you will be sent a letter/email acknowledging receipt of your application and the payment of the fee. When the assessment is completed, you will receive a letter advising you of the outcome.

How information is used

The ACS manages information collected from you in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988. The ACS collects your information for the purposes of determining whether you have suitable professional ICT skills.

The information you provide in your application will be used by the ACS and DIAC for the purposes of verifying your claims and assisting in the processing of your application.

Using a Migration Agent

The ACS normally deals directly with applicants seeking an assessment of their qualifications and employment experience. Australia's privacy legislation prohibits the ACS from discussing your application with other people unless you authorise them. Therefore, if you want someone such as a solicitor, family member or agent to deal with the ACS on your behalf, you will need:

tick the relevant box on page 1 of the application form provide the agent's contact details sign the last page of the application form.

Alternatively provide a separate, signed letter of authority.Download the Appointment of a Migration Agent or Exempt Person or Other Authorised Recipient form.

To find a migration agent, visit the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) website.

Important: You can lodge PASA application yourself. A migration agent cannot influence the outcome of your application, nor can they fast-track the processing of your PASA application.

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However, if you do not feel confident in lodging an application, or if your case is complex, you may wish to use a migration agent to help you. If you do decide to use a migration agent, use a registered migration agent.

For more information about using a migration agent in and outside Australia, please visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/migration-agents/.

Accessing your personal information

The Privacy Act 1988 may provide you with access to copies of your documents that you have given the ACS as part of your application.

If you require copies of documents you have given the ACS or that the ACS has given you, you can write to the ACS at the following addresses:

Australian Computer Society or Australian Computer SocietyThe National Office Queen Victoria Building Level 3, 160 Clarence Street PO Box Q534Sydney NSW 2000 Sydney NSW 1230

What documents are available?

There are several important restrictions on the types of documents available under FOI. For example, documents which may not be available include:

• ‘exempt documents’ such as internal working documents, or documents affecting the personal privacy of other people• documents which are already publicly available or available by paying a fee under another Act

How long does it take?

The FOI Act allows us 45 days to provide access to the documents you request, or tell you why we will not provide access.

If you require the information urgently, please tell us. We will try to process your application more quickly but cannot guarantee a specific response time. (Documents cannot be released until we have assessed them in accordance with the FOI Act.)To avoid disappointment, plan ahead and lodge your FOI application as soon as possible.

What document should l ask for?

When requesting documents, make your FOI application as specific as possible. If you seek a particular document, tell us. This will help us search for the document and respond promptly to your request.

How much does it cost?

To check the FOI associated cost, please refer to the Cost and Charges webpage.

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We will not start processing your application until you pay the application fee. In some instances there may be additional processing fees (such as photocopying costs) but we will tell you about these costs if relevant.

Application for Access under the Freedom of information Act (NSW) s.17 & s.35

Download a copy of the Application for Access under the Freedom of information Act.

After your skills assessment

If you have received a skills assessment, you need to include it with your migration application to Australia’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). DIAC requires applicants lodging a General Skilled Migration application to include all the documents that were provided with their application for a skills assessment. A positive skills assessment is only one of the requirements that will be considered by the Australian migration authorities in your application for migration.

It is in your interest to make certified copies of your skills assessment for your own use, as it may be required for other purposes.

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A s s e s s m e n t p r o c e s s

The assessment process examines your formal qualifications along with the length, breadth, depth and nature of your work experience in any one occupation.

The process determines whether you are capable of undertaking the full range of tasks expected of an IT Professional.

Work/employment experience is that work ordinarily performed by an IT Professional in Australia in the occupation being assessed. The job descriptions are as set out in the ANZSCO Code.

The ACS is authorized to assess qualifications and experience.

Applicants meeting the requirements for Group A, B or C will be assessed as suitable for the appropriate skilled occupation.

For assessment purposes, all qualifications held by an applicant will be considered.

Recognition and Assessment of Academic QualificationsFor assessment purposes, all qualifications held by an applicant will be considered.

Accredited and Recognised Degrees "Accredited degree" means a degree awarded by a university to a student who successfully completed a program of study in ICT, which program is recognised after a physical accreditation visit by the ACS. Because of the physical visit, only Australian degrees can technically be termed "accredited degrees".

Accreditation is valid for students enrolling until the end of the year specified in the list of Accredited University Courses for each course.

Unless otherwise stated, accreditation applies only to the Accredited University Courses conducted at the named campuses and locations.  "Recognised degree" means a degree normally awarded by a foreign educational institution, after successful completion of a program of study in ICT, which program has been –

 ·       accredited by the responsible accrediting body in that country, which is a signatory to the

Seoul Accord, or  

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·       evaluated by the ACS as being equivalent to a degree accredited by the ACS or a signatory of the Seoul Accord. These programs do not appear on the list of qualifications formally recognised under the Seoul Accord.

Through the Seoul Accord, the signatories recognise the equivalence of the preparation of graduates of computing education programs accredited by the signatories for professional computing practice at the entry level.

 If an applicant's degree falls in one of the categories referred to above the applicant will be assessed as meeting qualification requirements.

If an applicant's degree does not fall in one of the categories referred to above, the ACS will use the current Australian Education International-National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR) Country Education Profiles (CEP) to establish the educational level of the qualifications held by the applicant. Qualifications other than those listed in the relevant CEP are assessed individually.

A Bachelor or higher degree course undertaken by an applicant granted advanced standing, credit(s) or exemption(s) will only be regarded as undertaken where, in the opinion of the ACS, credit(s) or exemption(s) are given for equivalent subjects (particularly in terms of IT content) taken at an equivalent educational level in an institution of equivalent academic standing.

No advanced standing, credit or exemption given on the basis of qualifications from overseas will be considered in relation to an Australian Graduate Diploma or higher degree qualifications.

Assessment of Work ExperienceThe assessment of work experience involves decisions as to its nature and its duration.

To be counted towards the applicant’s suitability, work experience must be both of a suitable professional level and content and must be remunerated. Volunteer work is not considered. Work expressed to be at trainee or junior level is also not normally considered unless the applicant has already acquired a qualification which would have served as a means of obtaining the skills needed to perform the duties.

Duties involving the assembling or repairing computers, at an operator level, installing and updating manufacturer-supplied software, data entry and interaction with software-based commercial systems are not normally considered to be at a professional level.

The duration of employment requires specific start and finish dates (month/year) and an indication whether the work was full-time pr part-time in nature. Part-time work is counted on a pro-rata basis with 38 hours or more per week being considered as full-time.

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Assessment criteria

GROUP A (suitable)

Applicants must provide evidence that they have a qualification assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor (undergraduate) degree or Graduate Diploma or higher degree level qualification with a major in ICT in a highly relevant field to the nominated occupation and at least two (2) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation, completed in the seven (7) years before the date of application for Skills Assessment.

Note: Four (4) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation are required if the ICT qualification/s is not relevent to the nominated occupation.

Courses must contain at least a major in ICT, and a predominant objective should be to educate persons to be professionals in ICT.

As a guide, a major in a Bachelor degree must have a minimum of two equivalent full-time semesters of ICT content. Such ICT content must progress through all years of the program with at least one third of it being at a demonstrably advanced level (final year level).

The same criteria in relation to ICT content and progression as described for a Bachelor degree apply to programs which are postgraduate in time but substantially undergraduate in content.

As a guide, to meet the criteria a Graduate Diploma or Masters degree which is undergraduate in content and taken usually after a qualification other than an ICT degree or equivalent, must:

Contain a minimum of three semesters*; and

Contain a minimum of twelve units; and

Contain two semesters* of full-time equivalent ICT content; and

Be underpinned by an ICT or non-ICT degree level qualification or an AQF Advanced Diploma or Diploma or equivalent; and

Have at least one semester* of ICT study at a demonstrably advanced level.

* Duration of study is expressed for full-time study. Where study is completed at a rate less than full-time, then scaling to the equivalent of full-time is applied.

As a guide, a major in ICT for a Post Graduate Diploma or higher degree qualification which follows a degree-level qualification in ICT or equivalent must have an ICT content of at least one third, all of which must be at post graduate level.

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GROUP B (suitable)

Applicants must provide evidence that they have a qualification assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Diploma or Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Advanced Diploma with a major in ICT, or an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor (undergraduate) degree, or Graduate Diploma, or higher qualification with a minor (sub-major) in ICT in a highly relevant field to the nominated occupation and at least five (5) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation, completed in the ten (10) years before the date of application for Skills Assessment.

Note: Six (6) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation are required if the ICT qualification/s is not relevent to the nominated occupation.

As a guide for an AQF Diploma or an AQF Advanced Diploma or overseas equivalent, the ICT content must be at least 50%.

As a guide for a minor (sub-major) for a Bachelor degree the ICT content must be at least 20%.

As a guide for a Graduate Diploma or higher degree qualification described in 2.2.5 above, a minor (sub-major) must relate to a program with an ICT content of at least 50%.

As a guide for a Post Graduate Diploma or higher degree qualification described above, a minor (sub-major) must relate to a program with ICT content of at least 15% and less than 33%.

Following certification courses, either individually or in combination, may be sufficient to meet the qualifications criteria:

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Microsoft Certified Solution Developer, Certified Lotus Professional or Certified Novell Engineer (from 1997)

Certified Directory Engineer from Novell, Master Certified Novell Engineer, Certified Novell Instructor, CITEC Certified Engineer or Oracle Certified Master (from 2004)

Microsoft Certified Professional Developer or Microsoft Certified IT Professional (from 2007)

Certified Information Systems Auditor or Certified Information Security Manager from Information Systems Audit and Control Association (from 14 June 2007)

Certified Information Systems Security Professional from International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (from May 2008)

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (from August 2009)

July 2010 21

GROUP C (suitable)

Applicants are assessed in this group when the Application for Skills Assessment submitted to the ACS indicates that the applicant is seeking recent work experience exemption under the DIAC provisions currently in place for applicants who meet the Australian study requirement.

Refer to http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/1119.pdf for more details.

Applicants must provide evidence that they have an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor (undergraduate) degree or Graduate Diploma or higher degree level qualification with a major in ICT in a highly relevant field to the nominated occupation.

References for IT Professional work experience may also be included in the PASA Application if applicants wish to have their professional IT experience taken into consideration.

If applicable, the length of study in Australia and the time limit for submitting an application for an Onshore Overseas Student General - Skilled Migration (GSM) visa are not components of the PASA (Pre-Application Skills Assessment) and are not assessed by the ACS. These requirements are set and assessed by DIAC.

Specific details of the study in Australia requirements are available from the DIAC website www.immi.gov.au .

GROUP D (unsuitable)

Applicants assessed as not meeting one or more of the above criteria will be assessed as unsuitable.

GROUP E (unsuitable)

Applicants who do not provide sufficient documentation within the specified time frame to enable their skills to be assessed will be assessed as unsuitable.

July 2010 22

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL)

Applicants who do not hold an ICT (or ICT-related) qualification, but have a qualification in another discipline which is assessed as being at least comparable to the general educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor (undergraduate) degree or higher degree level qualification, may apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Applicants in this category should have at least six (6) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation

Applicants who do not hold any tertiary qualification but have extensive professional development education, may also apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Applicants in this category should have at least eight (8) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation.

It is recognised that some applicants may have spent a considerable length of time in professional-level ICT employment without having acquired a formal qualification equivalent to an Australian Degree or Diploma. This employment may have been supplemented by informal study and/or training in courses conducted by education or industry based organisations.

The purpose of RPL is to give applicants the opportunity to demonstrate that they have acquired a level of knowledge equivalent to that of a formal tertiary ICT qualification. Emphasis is on demonstrating what has been learned rather than what has been done. For this reason, applicants are asked to address as many of the areas referred to in the Key Areas of Knowledge they consider are covered by their acquired knowledge.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate a clear comprehension of a number of the individual thematic modules within their chosen knowledge areas. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate application in at least one of the units or modules which should be clearly supported by professional references included and the Project Reports submitted in section 4 of the RPL Application Form.

Sufficient detail must be provided to demonstrate the depth and breadth of knowledge associated with a formal course of study. In addition applicants are required to submit two Project Reports, each providing a detailed description of a career episode in the applicant’s employment in sufficient detail as evidence of applying the claimed knowledge to a working situation.

Applicants are required to provide two project reports.

Of the two reports, one must pertain to project undertaken within the last three years, and the other for project within the last five years. Projects over two years long may be used for both reports under either of the following conditions:

The project has clearly-defined work efforts which took place in parallel, each with their own solution development and design activities and their own deliverables.

The project had clearly-defined phases that were executed in succession, each with its own solution development and design activities and deliverables. Note that a second project phase that constructs and implements the solution developed by the first phase does not meet this requirement.

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Depending on the nature of the applicant’s role in the project, this would be expected to cover a selection of such factors as:

System analysis and design and software engineering methodologies used; Contribution to the processes involved in the design and implementation of enterprise-

wide computer systems; Programming languages, design paradigms and implementation procedures adopted; Database and/or file design and management techniques employed; Network topologies, including size, distribution and security facilities installed; Project management and quality assurance techniques followed; Internet application design, including database interactivity and security measures

implemented; ICT managerial activities, demonstrating the nature and extent of responsibilities.

Applicants must complete and sign DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP for each project report.

Applicants who apply for RPL and do not hold a recognised tertiary academic qualification will have deducted from their total work experience a period of relevant IT (Computing) Professional experience deemed necessary to have reached the level of qualification allocated. For example, if an applicant is allocated a qualification level equivalent to a 2-year diploma, they will have two years deducted from the total of their recognized work experience, and therefore eight years in total will be needed.

PLAGIARISM

Applicants must always indicate when they have drawn on the work of others; other people’s original ideas and methods should be clearly distinguished, and other people’s words, illustrations, diagrams etc. should be clearly indicated regardless of whether they are copied exactly, paraphrased, or adapted. Failure to acknowledge the sources by clear citation and referencing constitutes plagiarism.

The ACS reserves the right to use software applications to screen any applicant’s submitted work for matches either to published sources or to other submitted applications. In some cases, applicants may be asked to submit electronic copies of project reports and other written work submitted with the PASA application for screening by plagiarism detection services. Any matches might indicate either plagiarism or collusion.

If at any stage in the assessment process plagiarism is detected, the assessment will be terminated and the outcome recorded as negative. This information may be provided to other Australian Government agencies. No refund of the fee will be provided.

July 2010 24

Summary of assessment criteria

Group A

Level of Qualifications Field of study Work Experience

Qualification/s assessed as

comparable to the educational

level of an Australian

Qualifications Framework (AQF)

Bachelor (undergraduate) degree

or Graduate Diploma or higher

degree level qualification

A major in ICT highly relevant to

the nominated occupation

At least two (2) years of full time

professional ICT work experience

in a field closely related to the

nominated occupation, completed

in the seven (7) years before the

date of application for Skills

Assessment.

OR

Qualification/s assessed as

comparable to the educational

level of an Australian

Qualifications Framework (AQF)

Bachelor (undergraduate) degree

or Graduate Diploma or higher

degree level qualification

A major in ICT not relevant to the nominated occupation

At least four (4) years of full time

professional ICT work experience

in a field closely related to the

nominated occupation

Group B

Level of Qualifications Field of study Work Experience

Qualification/-s assessed as

comparable to the educational level

of an Australian Qualifications

Framework (AQF) Diploma or

Australian Qualifications Framework

(AQF) Advanced, or

an Australian Qualifications

Framework (AQF) Bachelor

(undergraduate) degree, or

Graduate Diploma, or higher

A major in ICT highly relevant to the

nominated occupation

A minor (sub-major) in ICT highly

relevant to the nominated

occupation

At least five (5) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation, completed in the ten (10) years before the date of application for Skills Assessment.

July 2010 25

qualification

OR

Qualification/-s assessed as

comparable to the educational level

of an Australian Qualifications

Framework (AQF) Diploma or

Australian Qualifications Framework

(AQF) Advanced Diploma , or

an Australian Qualifications

Framework (AQF) Bachelor

(undergraduate) degree, or

Graduate Diploma, or higher

qualification

A major in ICT not relevant to

the nominated occupation

A minor (sub-major) in ICT not

relevant to the nominated

occupation

At least six (6) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation are required.

OR

Level of Qualifications Work Experience

No ICT Bachelor with at least a minor (sub-major) in ICT, or

no Diploma or Advanced Diploma with a major in ICT, but a

qualification in another discipline which is assessed as

being at least comparable to the general educational level of

an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor

(undergraduate) degree or higher degree level qualification.

Application through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

No tertiary qualification.

Application through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

At least six (6) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation

At least eight (8) years of full time professional ICT work experience in a field closely related to the nominated occupation.

July 2010 26

Group C

Level of Qualifications Field of study Work Experience

Australian Qualifications

Framework (AQF)

Bachelor (undergraduate)

degree or Graduate

Diploma or higher degree

level qualification

A major in ICT highly

relevant to the nominated

occupation

Recent work experience exemption under

the DIAC provisions for applicants who meet

the Australian study requirement

* References for IT professional work experience may also be included in the PASA Application if applicants wish to have their professional ICT experience taken into consideration.

2.1 GROUP D (unsuitable)

Applicants assessed as not meeting one or more of the above criteria will be assessed as unsuitable.

2.2 GROUP E (unsuitable)

Applicants who do not provide sufficient documentation within the specified time frame to enable their skills to be assessed will be assessed as unsuitable.

July 2010 27

O u t c o m e s

The ACS will form an opinion on whether you have suitable IT Professional skills based upon the evidence you provide. Therefore, it is important to provide all necessary information with your application.

Applicants will receive one of two advices: the applicant’s skills are assessed as being on professional ICT level (suitable), or the applicant’s skills are assessed as not being on professional ICT level (unsuitable).

All outcomes are advised by letter. A successful outcome is for migration purposes only. The letter issued by the ACS is not a qualification, nor does it entitle you to employment in Australia. In addition, the letter does not exempt you from having to undertake further assessment requirements of the State or Territory where you choose to work or live on arrival in Australia. A decision on any further requirements will be made by an appropriate authority when you contact them.

PASA result letters will be sent via registered Australian mail (postage is included in the application fee).

Will my skills assessment expire?

An assessment advice of suitable is valid for 1 year from its date of issue.

An assessment advice of suitable for recent work experience exemption applications is valid for 2 years from the date of issue.

Replacement of a PASA Result Letter

A replacement is a reprint of your assessment result letter, with the original date.

You may request a replacement of your result if you require a duplicate copy of your valid assessment result.

Complete and sign the Application for Replacement of a PASA Result Letter, quoting your file number and send to the ACS with the replacement fee.

Please ensure that you include your current address on the replacement request. Requests will be accepted by post or fax only - emailed or verbal requests will not be accepted.

After your result letter expiry date, you need to apply for your PASA re-validation.

July 2010 28

Re-validation

You are eligible to apply for your PASA re-validation if:

You have been previously assessed as suitable as a PASA applicant under PIM3 standard (ANZSCO) but your skills assessment result is due to expire or has expired, or

Your previous PASA application was received on or after 1 July 2010.

Please note: if your previous PASA application was received before 1 July 2010, you must lodge a new PASA application.

You need to indicate on the payment section of the application form that you are applying for re-validation. If you are unsure if you are entitled to a re-validation, please e-mail us and quote your previous reference number. Please also note that if you do not specify you are applying for a re-validation, the ACS will assume your application is for a new assessment, and the full fee will be charged.

To apply for a re-validation, you will need to provide:

Re-validation application form Copy of previous assessment letter (or the reference number) Verifiable independent evidence of your identity and date of birth, such as a birth

certificate or passport Verifiable independent evidence of change of name (if applicable). This would include a

Marriage Certificate or a Deed Poll notice Re-validation payment

Assessment will take up to ten weeks to complete.

July 2010 29

Reviews and appeals

If you are not satisfied with your Skills Assessment result, you may apply for a review of your PASA or you may appeal your PASA outcome.

Review of PASA

If you choose to review your skills assessment, it will be reviewed by a different assessor than the one who provided the original assessment. Assessor will independently go through the documentation submitted with the original application together with any new documentation. This will incur a review fee for each review requested. A review of PASA can only be requested within 60 days of the date of the original assessment result letter.

You are eligible to request a review your PASA for the following reasons:

Change of ANZSCO Code If you wish to change your ANZSCO Code you can apply for a review after your initial letter has been forwarded to you.

You have additional information that was not included in the initial assessment application.

Full review of assessment.

You will need to provide additional information to support your application for review of assessment.

If you have already used the assessment result letter for Migration purposes, then the assessment process is regarded as finished and no Review request can be made.

To lodge an application for review you must complete Application for Review of PASA, sign and mail to:

Deputy DirectorPO Box Q534, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney NSW 1230, AUSTRALIA

Make sure you state your reference number in all correspondence. You must include the Review Fee. To check the review associated cost, please refer to Cost and Charges.

This fee is non-refundable. Reviews take about four to six weeks to process.

Appealing the PASA Outcome

The occasions that may give rise for an appeal include, but are not limited to:

The applicant disagrees with the grounds for unsuitable assessment The applicant disagrees with a formal notification of the assessment outcome The applicant disagrees with the resolution of a problem report*

*During the application process or during the preparation phase, an applicant may encounter a problem that inhibits or will inhibit their application submission or evaluation. The applicant may

July 2010 30

file a problem report to obtain resolution to the issue. The types of problems that may be found include:

• Errors or ambiguities in the ACS PASA Guidelines for Applicants (this document)

• Errors in the assessment administrative system, specifically related to the registration process and completion of assessment records

An Appeal can only be made within 60 days of the date of the original assessment result letter.

If you have already used the assessment result letter for Migration purposes, then the assessment process is regarded as finished and no Appeal can be made.

To lodge an appeal you must complete Application for Formal Appeal of PASA Outcome, sign and mail to:

Deputy DirectorPO Box Q534, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney NSW 1230, AUSTRALIA

Make sure you state your reference number in all correspondence.

Please note: You may include reasons as to why you believe the outcome is not appropriate in your case. You cannot however present any new information/evidence. If you wish to add new material to your submission you must apply for a review of your PASA.

You must include the Appeal Fee. To check the appeal associated cost, please refer to Cost and Charges.

This fee is refundable if you receive the outcome you are seeking. It is not refundable if the outcome remains as originally assessed.

All documents on your file will be photocopied and forwarded to an Appeal Committee for re-assessment. Under Australian Privacy Legislation your permission will be required to forward copies of documents to the Committee.

When requesting an Appeal, your signature will denote your consent to dissemination of the file documents.

Appeals take about four to six weeks to process. The outcome of an Appeal is FINAL.

Can I be reassessed?

You will be able to undertake a reassessment if:

You have been previously assessed as suitable under the old guidelines (e.g. PIM 2 Guidelines). Please note that your assessment will be done based on our current guidelines, or

You have previously been assessed as unsuitable, and feel you now meet the guidelines.

You need to lodge a new PASA application and pay a full applicable fee.July 2010 31

Applicants seeking recent work experience exemption: please note that once your qualification has expired, you can only be assessed in this category again if you have since completed a new qualification that meets the criteria.

Applicants that have previously applied for PASA do not need to provide all documents again.

To apply for a reassessment, you will need to provide:

A new application form Appropriate payment Copy of previous assessment letter (or the reference number) Current identification if you have been issued a new passport Additional documentation

Please note that in spite of qualifications or experience previously being assessed as suitable, the ACS reserves the right to refute the previous decision or request further details relevant to these credentials.

Data matching and false information

Information you provide to the ACS may be used for data matching with other Australian Government agencies such as the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Australian Tax Office.

Giving misleading or false information or documents is viewed as a major breach of ethical behaviour and may seriously jeopardise your migration prospects.

If at any stage in the assessment process fabricated, falsified or non-genuine evidence or information is detected, the assessment will be cancelled and the outcome recorded as negative. This information may be provided to other Australian Government agencies. No refund of the fee will be provided.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman

If you are dissatisfied with the way your application has been handled by the ACS, you may wish to raise your concerns with the Commonwealth Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will usually require that you have raised your concerns with the ACS and given it a reasonable opportunity to respond before approaching his office. Contact details are: Internet www.comb.gov.au .

July 2010 32

F u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n

You can contact the Skills Assessment Section as follows:

Courier: Level 3, 160 Clarence Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia  

E-mailClick Here 

Fax+61 2 9299 3997 

PostPO Box Q534Queen Victoria Building Sydney NSW 1230 Australia

Document approval and change history

Date approved June 29, 2010

Date Guidelines will take effect:

July 01, 2010 Date of Next Review:

July 01, 2011

Approved by: General Manager: Professional Standards and Education

Custodian title & e-mail address:

Skills Assessment and Accreditation Managerhelen.martynyuk@acs.org.au

Responsible Division: ACS Professional Standards and Education

Revision Rev. 1.2

Distribution: CEO, Skills Assessment Committee, ICT Infrastructure Manager, Webmaster

July 2010 33

Audience: Public – accessible to anyone

Expiry date: June 30, 2011

July 2010 34