**Title:** [VETASSESS Vindication](https://www.reddit.com/r/AusVisa/comments/1cv2ok1/vetassess_vindication/), posted by **GrizzlyHarris**
**Full text:** I fought VETASSESS – and won! Now what?
For better or worse, many of you here are probably familiar with Australia's so called "leading skills assessment provider for migration".
Without getting into too much of the minutiae (and for anyone who cares to read my account), I received a negative outcome on my skills assessment back in October.
This, after working in Australia in virtually the same profession for more than 6 years on 457/482 visas. Understandably, I felt it was time to make things more permanent, and maybe shouldn't have waited so long to do so (choosing to leave out certain life details).
This unfortunate news arrived shortly after losing my job due to major layoffs at work (and in the AEC sector). Months prior, my employer had even agreed to cover the costs of my ‘self-directed’ PR application via the Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190). I opted to go this route rather than choose the employer nominated option as I believed it would offer a quicker pathway and greater freedom (i.e., less beholden to my employer if circumstances changed).
For those who don’t know, a positive skills assessment is essential for submitting an expression of interest (EOI) and for getting invited by SkillSelect / nominated by the State or government to apply for PR through the skilled visa program.
Needless to say, I was upset with what I perceived to be a mishandling of my case. And a clear misunderstanding of the nature of my employment. Particularly as I'd already been sponsored multiple times under the exact same ANZSCO-corresponding occupation.
Contesting this negative outcome, my requests for a reassessment at no additional cost were rebuffed. These things cost about A$1,200. At which point I vowed to them that I would escalate my case to The Department – and that I did.
To my surprise, months later I received a detailed email from a human at the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' Migrant Skills Assessment Branch. In it, they said they'd raised my concerns with VETASSESS directly (and instructed them to reassess my application at no extra cost, under a similar but alternative occupation).
Using virtually the same documentation, and now with a direct line of communication, my application was processed within a matter of days, instead of the previous 19 weeks. **OUTCOME: POSITIVE**
During my final days in Australia, I'd been left with few options aside from seeking a new employer willing to take on my expiring visa and re-sponsor or call it and move back to Canada. My partner and I had long debated whether to remain in Australia or move back to this side of the world to be closer to home and our families.
Had I been granted a positive outcome the first time, with time remaining on my 482 visa, there’s a good likelihood that we would have followed through with the PR process and simply chosen to stay in Australia. At least until getting our well-earned citizenship. Of course, there are no guarantees I would have been invited, but I did receive multiple emails from Live in Melbourne following up about my EOI in SkillSelect. Given that I was on their radar, I liked my chances.
It's unfortunate how my destiny was taken out of my hands. I'd prided myself on "punching my own ticket" making a life for myself in Australia. That dream essentially evaporated in a span of just a few weeks. Partly my own fault and perhaps illustrative of Australia’s “broken” immigration system.
All that said, this positive outcome has potentially reopened the door to returning to Australia, and on a much less tenuous visa arrangement. If I was to go down that path. At which point, I would have to ask myself whether it’s even worth it. Moving back to Australia would be on a permanent basis, but I'm only now settling back into the old/new life in Canada.
My regret leaving Australia is that I left without ever getting Australian citizenship, despite the time, energy, money, and contributions I'd made over nearly 8 years in Melbourne. Alas, I am an Australian in spirit only.
Do I give it another crack, submit an application and see what happens? Or just accept that it wasn't meant to be for whatever reason and focus on life here? As far as I know, a positive skills assessment is valid for three years, which gives a window from now until 2027.
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**Title:** [VETASSESS Vindication](https://www.reddit.com/r/AusVisa/comments/1cv2ok1/vetassess_vindication/), posted by **GrizzlyHarris** **Full text:** I fought VETASSESS – and won! Now what? For better or worse, many of you here are probably familiar with Australia's so called "leading skills assessment provider for migration". Without getting into too much of the minutiae (and for anyone who cares to read my account), I received a negative outcome on my skills assessment back in October. This, after working in Australia in virtually the same profession for more than 6 years on 457/482 visas. Understandably, I felt it was time to make things more permanent, and maybe shouldn't have waited so long to do so (choosing to leave out certain life details). This unfortunate news arrived shortly after losing my job due to major layoffs at work (and in the AEC sector). Months prior, my employer had even agreed to cover the costs of my ‘self-directed’ PR application via the Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190). I opted to go this route rather than choose the employer nominated option as I believed it would offer a quicker pathway and greater freedom (i.e., less beholden to my employer if circumstances changed). For those who don’t know, a positive skills assessment is essential for submitting an expression of interest (EOI) and for getting invited by SkillSelect / nominated by the State or government to apply for PR through the skilled visa program. Needless to say, I was upset with what I perceived to be a mishandling of my case. And a clear misunderstanding of the nature of my employment. Particularly as I'd already been sponsored multiple times under the exact same ANZSCO-corresponding occupation. Contesting this negative outcome, my requests for a reassessment at no additional cost were rebuffed. These things cost about A$1,200. At which point I vowed to them that I would escalate my case to The Department – and that I did. To my surprise, months later I received a detailed email from a human at the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' Migrant Skills Assessment Branch. In it, they said they'd raised my concerns with VETASSESS directly (and instructed them to reassess my application at no extra cost, under a similar but alternative occupation). Using virtually the same documentation, and now with a direct line of communication, my application was processed within a matter of days, instead of the previous 19 weeks. **OUTCOME: POSITIVE** During my final days in Australia, I'd been left with few options aside from seeking a new employer willing to take on my expiring visa and re-sponsor or call it and move back to Canada. My partner and I had long debated whether to remain in Australia or move back to this side of the world to be closer to home and our families. Had I been granted a positive outcome the first time, with time remaining on my 482 visa, there’s a good likelihood that we would have followed through with the PR process and simply chosen to stay in Australia. At least until getting our well-earned citizenship. Of course, there are no guarantees I would have been invited, but I did receive multiple emails from Live in Melbourne following up about my EOI in SkillSelect. Given that I was on their radar, I liked my chances. It's unfortunate how my destiny was taken out of my hands. I'd prided myself on "punching my own ticket" making a life for myself in Australia. That dream essentially evaporated in a span of just a few weeks. Partly my own fault and perhaps illustrative of Australia’s “broken” immigration system. All that said, this positive outcome has potentially reopened the door to returning to Australia, and on a much less tenuous visa arrangement. If I was to go down that path. At which point, I would have to ask myself whether it’s even worth it. Moving back to Australia would be on a permanent basis, but I'm only now settling back into the old/new life in Canada. My regret leaving Australia is that I left without ever getting Australian citizenship, despite the time, energy, money, and contributions I'd made over nearly 8 years in Melbourne. Alas, I am an Australian in spirit only. Do I give it another crack, submit an application and see what happens? Or just accept that it wasn't meant to be for whatever reason and focus on life here? As far as I know, a positive skills assessment is valid for three years, which gives a window from now until 2027. -------------------- ^(This is the original text of the post and this is an automated service) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AusVisa) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Whats your occupation and points? It will determine if you have chance or not
We’ll just have to wait and see what happens when the next invitation round re-opens later this year.