The importance of securing a professional opinion on your eligibility for any visa has been emphasised in a recent case from the Migration Review Tribunal in which the applicant was denied their visa after successfully securing a Skills Assessment, lodging an Expression of Interest and subsequently being invited to apply for a subclass 189 visa – then being denied the visa owing to a miscalculation of the points he was entitled to under the Points Test! The visa applicant believed he had completed a certain number of years of skilled employment, entitling him to points in that category, but on closer examination, the work was not closely related enough to the ANZSCO description of the occupation he had applied for a Skilled visa in respect of.
Common Mistakes in the Points Test
The points test is an easily misunderstood part of the Skilled visa application process – common mistakes include not correctly weighting the value of a degree awarded under an international educational system, claiming work experience that is not closely connected enough to a nominated occupation or misunderstanding the formalities of a Professional Year. It is important to at least seek a professional opinion on your eligibility for any visa before proceeding to apply – many skilled applicants will have only one shot at a successful visa grant, as years can pass in the application process, meaning they may be ineligible to reapply later if denied initially. Many applicants are also keenly aware of the tricky non-refundable status of their visa application fees.
We Can Help!
Don’t risk your hard earned money and your irreplaceable time. The Migration Place can offer an obligation-free consultation to determine your eligibility prior to commencing any visa application process. It’s also useful to determine the full scope of your options – with over 140 different visas in the Australian migration system, prospective migrants often miss out on options they weren’t even aware of! Call us, email us, or contact us through social media today!