PhD Assessed for Skilled Occupation

[Bolivia]

Hello, thanks for your good work. I gave a question and would like to hear your opinion. I'm about to get assessed by Vetassess and would be lodging an EOI subsequently.

I finished my PhD in Australia which was fully funded like a paid employment. I contacted Vetassess to inquire whether I could submit a scholarship evidence to support my application to get my PhD assessed as a 3 year paid employment. They affirmed this positively.

My occupation is Social Professionals (nec).

My question is whether the DIBP would be willing to award me points for the period of my PhD research in part or in full for migration purposes.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[MysticRiver]

To be honest, I am a bit surprised that VETASSESS said your Ph.D. can be assessed as work experience. I know most of the assessment authority (ACS/EA) does not allow this. I didn't see DIBP has anything specific about that, so can't say anything with certainty, maybe you can send them an email as well.

Here is all that DIBP says about skilled employment:

Skilled employment
Your employment must have been in your nominated skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.

You can only claim skilled employment if:

• in the 10 years before you are invited to apply you completed at least 20 hours of paid work per week (this may be adjusted for shift or fly-in-fly-out workers) in your nominated occupation and/or a closely related occupation. Closely-related occupations must be:
  • in the same ANZSCO Unit Group or
  • consistent with a career advancement pathway or
  • determined by an assessing authority that it is closely related to your nominated occupation.
• either the authority undertaking your skills assessment states in the assessment that your employment is skilled (in your EOI, use the date stated in your assessment as your employment commencement date) or
  your employment experience meets the standards for skilled employment set by your assessing authority on their website.

If the standards of your assessing authority are not on their website, you must meet the minimum skill level set by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) .

Assessing authorities are listed against occupations in the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations.

 

[Bolivia]

To be honest, I am a bit surprised that VETASSESS said your Ph.D. can be assessed as work experience. I know most of the assessment authority (ACS/EA) does not allow this. I didn't see DIBP has anything specific about that, so can't say anything with certainty, maybe you can send them an email as well.

Here is all that DIBP says about skilled employment:

Thanks for your response. As a matter of principle, Vetassess accepts a paid PhD with adequate documentation for work experience in some occupations. It's clearly stated on their website.

What I'm needing clarifications on is whether the DIBP would accept it, since some of the requirements are sometimes different an assessing body to DIBP.

Your comments are quite helpful. I'll contact the DIBP to confirm.

Regards.

 

[MysticRiver]

So far, I didn't see any criteria from DIBP which explicitly prohibit such claim if the assessment authority approves. But, I'll also be interested to know what DIBP says. Please update us if you get a reply.

 

[Bolivia]

So far, I didn't see any criteria from DIBP which explicitly prohibit such claim if the assessment authority approves. But, I'll also be interested to know what DIBP says. Please update us if you get a reply.

Thanks MysticRiver. Will surely update the forum. The conundrum I encountered was a result of not lodging my visa application upon invitation before July 1. Had initially received invitation for 190 visa but my occupation got removed from the list on July 1 and the DIBP refused to proceed with the visa application. The only option is to get assessed for another occupation, which I'm now doing.

Thanks!

 

[MysticRiver]

Aah, hard luck. If you had lodged it before 1 July, DIBP had to accept that.

 

[Bolivia]

So far, I didn't see any criteria from DIBP which explicitly prohibit such claim if the assessment authority approves. But, I'll also be interested to know what DIBP says. Please update us if you get a reply.

Hello everyone! Just a quick update: I rang DIBP and I was told different things by three people who answered my phone calls (called three times) to authenticate the initial response that they would accept a paid Ph.D. as work experience.

Meanwhile Vetassess has assessed positive my Ph.D. with 2 years.

I have also received a nomination from Victoria government for 190 visa, and an invitation from skills Select.

Will be lodging a visa application over the coming weeks. We'll see how things go.

Hope everyone is progressing well.
All the best! Bolivia

 

[MysticRiver]

Thanks @Bolivia for providing the update. Can you please update your timeline, if you don't have any personal issue with that?

 

[Bolivia]

Thanks @Bolivia for providing the update. Can you please update your timeline, if you don't have any personal issue with that?

@MysticRiver I'm not sure why but it's been challenging to fill the required details on timeline page . Any suggestions on how to get it done?

 

[MysticRiver]

Can you please explain the difficulty. One thing I know is the date fields, where you have to put in the form of 2017-08-23, i.e. YYYY-MM-DD. I know that's something annoying, I'll fix that in future.

https://www.migrationdesk.com/account/timeline

 

[Bolivia]

Can you please explain the difficulty. One thing I know is the date fields, where you have to put in the form of 2017-08-23, i.e. YYYY-MM-DD. I know that's something annoying, I'll fix that in future.

https://www.migrationdesk.com/account/timeline

@MysticRiver It's been sorted. Thanks

 

[@Ahmad]

Hello everyone! Just a quick update: I rang DIBP and I was told different things by three people who answered my phone calls (called three times) to authenticate the initial response that they would accept a paid Ph.D. as work experience.

Meanwhile Vetassess has assessed positive my Ph.D. with 2 years.

I have also received a nomination from Victoria government for 190 visa, and an invitation from skills Select.

Will be lodging a visa application over the coming weeks. We'll see how things go.

Hope everyone is progressing well.
All the best! Bolivia

@Bolivia Hi, Just wondering if DIBP processed your application and if so, did they approved your points which were claimed over your funded PhD duration? I am at the same condition and your advice would be much appreciated...
Thanks
Ahmad

 

[@Ahmad]

Hello everyone! Just a quick update: I rang DIBP and I was told different things by three people who answered my phone calls (called three times) to authenticate the initial response that they would accept a paid Ph.D. as work experience.

Meanwhile Vetassess has assessed positive my Ph.D. with 2 years.

I have also received a nomination from Victoria government for 190 visa, and an invitation from skills Select.

Will be lodging a visa application over the coming weeks. We'll see how things go.

Hope everyone is progressing well.
All the best! Bolivia

Hi @Bolivia , I am in the process of application for visa 189/190. Just wondering if DIBP confirmed your points claimed for your funded PhD duration as job experience ? I've heard inconsistent advices on this and you experience would be valuable and much appreciated..

 

[Irfan safi]

Vetassess didn't consider my PhD as full paid Job. They mentioned that my masters degree was was not relevant to my PhD degree so pre-requisit for profession to be evaluated was not fulfilled

 

[Bolivia]

Thanks @Ahmad! You're right. There're lots of inconsistent info out there. But each case is quite different to another which may be the reason for diverse views and opinions on this issue. A good place to start is to consider the requirements of your assessing authority. Try to check their specifications on the web site and possibly give them a ring.

With my experience and findings, there are two vital factors in the process of lodging an application. The relationship between the ANZCO Code of your nominated occupation and the tasks performed during your doctoral research. Second is the evidence that the doctorate was paid. I provided evidence through necessary documentations for the two and Vetassess did assess both qualification and experience positively.

The Department has requested for medical and I anticipate that the process should be finalised soon. Where did you finish your PhD? What is your your assessing authority? How far have you gone in the process? If there's anything else you want me to comment on please let me know.

Hope this helps.


All the best!

 

[@Ahmad]

Thanks @Ahmad! You're right. There're lots of inconsistent info out there. But each case is quite different to another which may be the reason for diverse views and opinions on this issue. A good place to start is to consider the requirements of your assessing authority. Try to check their specifications on the web site and possibly give them a ring.

With my experience and findings, there are two vital factors in the process of lodging an application. The relationship between the ANZCO Code of your nominated occupation and the tasks performed during your doctoral research. Second is the evidence that the doctorate was paid. I provided evidence through necessary documentations for the two and Vetassess did assess both qualification and experience positively.

The Department has requested for medical and I anticipate that the process should be finalised soon. Where did you finish your PhD? What is your your assessing authority? How far have you gone in the process? If there's anything else you want me to comment on please let me know.

Hope this helps.


All the best!

Thank you very much @Bolivia for the response. I'll probably need to check with my assessing authority (Engineers Australia) first as well as with DIBP. I finished my PhD last October and got my Master degree assessed by Engineers Australia. I then submitted an EOI early this year claiming 70 points. However, the competition for possibe spaces in really tough this year, there is not much chance that 70 pointers would be invited to apply at least for few month, thus I need to improve my EOI.
My PhD period was paid on an international scholarship. My duties during the PhD were not entirely similar to ANZCO Code of my nominated occupation, but are closely related.

Got two more questions: what kind of document the assessing authority and DIBP require for the two factors that you mentioned? I assume that they might need 1 ) evidenced of payment which could be payslips/a formal letter from the university/scholarship offer letter..
2) documents for assessing the contents of the job that have been carried out during the PhD, this might be an official letter from the university authtiris explaining the kind of works that have been done. Or maybe they need a copy of PhD project/papers?

If you can also let me know your ideas about these sort of documents, that would be great so that I can start putting these together..

Kind regards

 

[Bolivia]

Thank you very much @Bolivia for the response. I'll probably need to check with my assessing authority (Engineers Australia) first as well as with DIBP. I finished my PhD last October and got my Master degree assessed by Engineers Australia. I then submitted an EOI early this year claiming 70 points. However, the competition for possibe spaces in really tough this year, there is not much chance that 70 pointers would be invited to apply at least for few month, thus I need to improve my EOI.
My PhD period was paid on an international scholarship. My duties during the PhD were not entirely similar to ANZCO Code of my nominated occupation, but are closely related.

Got two more questions: what kind of document the assessing authority and DIBP require for the two factors that you mentioned? I assume that they might need 1 ) evidenced of payment which could be payslips/a formal letter from the university/scholarship offer letter..
2) documents for assessing the contents of the job that have been carried out during the PhD, this might be an official letter from the university authtiris explaining the kind of works that have been done. Or maybe they need a copy of PhD project/papers?

If you can also let me know your ideas about these sort of documents, that would be great so that I can start putting these together..

Kind regards

Thanks for providing a bit more background regarding your situation. It is very essential that your role during your PhD candidature is closely related to the ANZCO Code of your nominated occupation. That's a matter of policy. You may want to look into that.

As per your questions, evidence of payment may start with the scholarship award letter, payslips or bank statements detailing a few payments from the institution. If you can convince a principal officer of your school, like HOD or Director or Research/Dean who would support the claim that you were paid for your PhD, that would be very great.

On employment reference, your PhD advisor may have to write on your behalf detailing your research activities and linking your roles directly to the ANZCO Code of your nominated occupation.

Pls check with your assessing authority for their requirements. The key is knowing what they want and supplying them.

If you have more questions I'll try as much as I can to answer.

Cheers my friend!

 

[@Ahmad]

Thanks for providing a bit more background regarding your situation. It is very essential that your role during your PhD candidature is closely related to the ANZCO Code of your nominated occupation. That's a matter of policy. You may want to look into that.

As per your questions, evidence of payment may start with the scholarship award letter, payslips or bank statements detailing a few payments from the institution. If you can convince a principal officer of your school, like HOD or Director or Research/Dean who would support the claim that you were paid for your PhD, that would be very great.

On employment reference, your PhD advisor may have to write on your behalf detailing your research activities and linking your roles directly to the ANZCO Code of your nominated occupation.

Pls check with your assessing authority for their requirements. The key is knowing what they want and supplying them.

If you have more questions I'll try as much as I can to answer.

Cheers my friend!

@Bolivia Thank you very much for the information you provided. All make sense..I will try to put these together and improve my EOI.. Best

 

[Sharma47]

Tons of info here guys. Great discussion. I am in a similar situation.
I have an Undergrad, Masters and PhD all in electrical engineering.
My PhD had two parts of funding:
1. University President Scholarship for tuition fees.
2. RA at a lab where I was supposed to work for 40hours/week I was paid an additional amount of ~1300 USD a month. My PhD was in all 4 years.
3. There were course works of 6 hours per week. For the first two years.
My PhD was funded by an Industry via my PhD advisor's laboratory. I paid annual taxes, but they are hard to retrieve as its all in Korean.

Post PhD I worked as an assistant professor at a premier university in India [ IIT's] for a full academic year.
After that I moved back to South Korea to work on the commercialization of my PhD thesis and the resulting patents, supported by my University and the Korean ministry of science and industries. It generated 13 high end engineering jobs and couple of million dollars of revenue.
I am still stuck at 55-60 points.
Back in October 2015, I was positively assessed by EA as a professional Electronics Engineer.

I will call EA today and find out if I can claim 10 points on my work experience.

 

[Sharma47]

Ok So I called EA. Discussed my case, they referred me to the page 27-29 of the MSA booklet, told me that to qualify as a professional experience in Engineering, you need to have experience in the corporate. Paid PhD can not be considered as a part of the corporate affair.
University experience: Researcher or Lecturer can not be considered as a professional engineering experience.
They asked me: " Why were you confused?"
I told them, that "my PhD generated a corporation, so I was confused!"
We both laughed and call ended. Looks like only Vetassess has to way out.