6 Answers by experts - July 2021

1. What other documents can I provide if I don’t have payslips from my employers?

You do have other options. If you do not have payslips, you can provide alternative forms of payment evidence, including bank statements that show a payment transfer history from the employer, and social security records. Official taxation receipts can also support income.

2. My employment certificate is in French, but you can still read my name. Do I need to provide a translation of the document?

If official documents are not issued in English, you must submit official translated copies as well as the original language documents. It is important that the English translations are provided by a registered/ accredited translation service.

3. How do you assess pre-qualification experience?

Pre-qualification criteria may be applied to some of our occupations. If you don’t have a sufficient period of employment following your qualification, we can consider employment performed prior to the qualification. Total years required will depend on the Group classification for that occupation. Pre-qualification criteria only apply to occupations classified in Groups B, C, D & F.

4. How do you process a Priority Processing application within 10 working days when a regular application can take up to 3 months? How do you guarantee a fair judgement for a priority processing application even though it is expedited?

Priority Processing applications are assessed by a specialised team of assessors dedicated to the task. However, the eligibility of your documents must first be tested to pass priority processing criteria. If you need an assessment using Priority Processing, you will need to ensure all supporting documents are ready and submitted at the time of lodging your application.

5. Are qualifications obtained through RPL (recognition of prior learning) treated the same as qualifications obtained at a university or TAFE? 

For general professional occupations, an RPL qualification/s is accepted as a regular qualification, provided it is an accredited program and has been awarded from an accredited institution.

6. We don’t want to start the assessment process as it might expire before the Australian borders reopen. Is there any possibility of an extension due to COVID?

We understand that due to the impact of COVID-19 on travel, there will be circumstances where you may have put your migration prospects to Australia on hold. In this case, while we cannot extend the expiry date of your completed skills assessment, you can apply for renewal of your skills assessment if it’s near to expiring or expired. Please visit our website for more information.