What Documents to Prepare for Australian Computer Society Migration Skills Assessment

I know that you already know what documents to prepare. You stumbled here because you want to cross check your references.

There is nothing more I know that you don't already know. But I will still blog about my experience so others can learn from it.

Documents required:

• Employment certificates
• Diplomas
• Transcripts

See? Nothing more than what you already know.

But here are some tips:

• These documents should be attested/notarised.
• Your employment certificates should contain your period of employment, position, salary, whether it is full time or part time, and roles and responsibilities.
• Your employment certificates should be printed in a company letterhead - this is important if your certificate comes in more than one page.
• In the absence of the job descriptions because HR thinks you don't need them because a generic format template is already available since time immemorial, you may want to secure a Statutory Declaration from your manager or colleague of higher position than yours.
• The Statutory Declaration should contain Sworn Before, Signed Before or Witnessed Before signed by the authorised witness (the notary public), with the date and place in which the declaration was made and witnessed.

Note: If it helps to get you an employment certificate with roles and responsibilities, you may want to mention to your HR that you are planning to pursue a higher degree and the university requires a detailed certificate to help them assess which course fits best with your experience.

Why these tips? I wasted some more $$$ for appeal/review because I missed out some points I mentioned above. This serves as warning to you.

Fees

• New application: A$500.00
• Review/Appeal application: A$395.00

I could have saved A$395 have someone told me about these or if I have researched more about it and cross check from someone else's experience.

Now you can't say someone didn't tell you. 😉😉😉

How to Renew NBI Clearance from Overseas

I know how it feels....frustrating, isn't it? 

Most of the time, everyone would advise you to go to the embassy and have your fingerprints captured, pay a hefty amount, etc. etc. etc.

Well, that could be the right way -- but only for those who needed to get a new NBI clearance. By new, it would mean no existing NBI clearance from 2014 to present.

Pre-requisite:

• Authorised representative in Manila or from anywhere in the Philippines who is willing to go to Manila
• old NBI clearance
• 2x2 coloured picture (printed in a photo paper)
• authorisation letter
• Php 115.00

Send these documents to your authorised representative. You may send them by post or you may scan them and have them printed in a cafe (or studio for the picture) if they do not have a printer already. I would recommend the latter as it saves time and money - you're welcome!

Ask your representative to go to and contact:

SANDRA P. SOBIDA 
Mailed Clearance Section
NBI Taft Avenue Manila 
Tel#: 5238231 local 5465

You now have one frustration less from getting that grant, congrats!

How to Get a Police Certificate of Clearance in Singapore for Foreigners

Singapore Police Force does not usually issue certificate of clearance to non-citizens but will entertain so in a case-to-case basis.

The guidelines below only cover processing done on site.

• Make an appeal to apply for COC

Documents required:

• [PDF] Letter from authority or your invitation to apply
• [PDF] Scanned copy of passport identity page
• [PDF] Scanned copy of your pass (front and back separately)
• [JPG] Digital passport-sized photograph in white background with a dimension of 400 by 514 pixels

Note: PDF format is max 2MB; JPG format is max 60KB

Wait for 5 working days for the approval. You will receive an SMS and an email notification.

• Apply for COC once appeal approval SMS/email is received

Required:

• Credit card/nets
• Appeal reference number

Cost: $55.00

• Schedule a fingerprint appointment and print the letter

Things to bring:

• Appointment letter
• Passport
• Folder/envelope (optional)

Address: 391 New Bridge Road, Blk D #02-701, 088762, Police Cantonment Complex

Your COC will be printed between 15-30 minutes after fingerprinting.

I have read in one of the forums about a mistake that when his clearance was printed, it shows a different picture. To be on the safe side, especially if time is of essence, bring a passport-sized photograph with you.

Invitation to Apply: Taking Risks is Not For the Faint of Heart

By the time I received the invitation to apply for 189 visa, I was so anxious to click that Apply button already. It was 22 November around 9PM GMT +8.

On 27 October, roughly a month before I received the ITA for 189 visa, I got invited for nomination in NSW for 190 visa. When someone receives this invitation for nomination, he has 14 days to decide to pursue or withdraw the application. 

I figured that since I already have an invitation waiting, which was yet to expire on 10 November and the next invitation round for subclass 189 was to happen on 9 November, I have a chance to get invited and should I get unlucky there is already a fallback to pursue the application for NSW nomination.

I did not get lucky. No visa 189 invitation on 9 November for me.

Looking at the trend from ImmiTracker and SkillSelect, I summed up the numbers and decided to take the risk. I waited for the next round of invitation, which was to happen on 23 November. 

Thank heavens I got invited on that round! Otherwise, I can only blame myself for wanting more than what has already been presented to me. And maybe up to present I am still convincing myself about that door of opportunity being closed because another one shall present itself magically.

The catch: The round after I got the ITA for 189 visa, none were invited in the same ANZSCO code as I have. 

Perfect timing!

How to Get an Australian PR Visa Grant in Less Than Two Weeks

It sounds very optimistic, isn't it? But it is not impossible either. 

I got mine in nine business days. Some even got theirs in five business days.

Of course, this timeline does not include documents preparation, skills assessment, English language test, health assessment, and most especially the timeline between EOI submission and selection - they shall be tackled in separate posts.

How did I do it? What did I do? What did I not do?

Disclaimer: This does not guarantee that you will get your grant in the same timeline as I did. Maybe I just got lucky. Maybe it was divine intervention. Who knows?

Do's

• Scan documents in high resolution coloured PDF if they are not notarised
• 5MB max size per file
• Sort and merge the documents by category in chronological order 
• e.g. multiple employers, diplomas, payslips, etc.
• Use filename convention which should be consistent to all the documents 
• e.g. DOE, John - EmploymentCertificate.pdf
• Provide all the documents you think are necessary at once during visa application submission
• max 60 files to upload per applicant

Dont's

• Do not over-provide documents. Remember: less talk, less mistakes

Checklist of documents provided:

• Health assessment result
• provided for directly by the clinic/hospital
• I, including my family in the application, have subjected to health examination prior visa application since visa fees are non-refundable. For a family of five, visa fee is a hefty amount that is why I made sure our health are cleared.
• You can generate the referral letter from ImmiAccount thru application of health declarations. Once submitted, referral letter with HAP ID is generated for you to show to the clinic/hospital.
• After your health checks, you can view the status within 24-72 hours from ImmiAccount. If the status says "Health clearance provided.." then congratulations, you can now proceed!
• Police clearance certificate
• Skills assessment result
• I took ACS assessment for ANZSCO 261313
• English language test result
• I took PTE-A and requested for them to send a copy of the result to DIBP (required)
• Diplomas
• Transcripts
• Employment certificates
• Other proofs of employment: payslips for the current year, income tax returns for the previous years, social security contributions documentations
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate
• Resume/CV
• Passport identity page (old and new)
• Evidence of all identity cards/documents mentioned in the visa application form
• Evidence of life insurance
• Immunisation record for the kids
• Forms 80, 1221, 1193, 1229

Apart from the higher being, I am also grateful to have gained insights from nice and helpful people of ExpatForum - please do not abuse these wonderful people, learn to back read!

If you find these information useful, drop me a note!