I second selvenz. Put simply, a 189 EOI will be ranked against other 189 EOIs based on point testing. Whereas for 190 EOI, as long as you are over the minimum 60 points, you will be in the pool for the state to select and they will select anyone above the pass mark, subject to that state's occupational ceiling/planning. Please see this official explanation, it should be crystal. SkillSelect Rankings and Invitation Explained


I think you are talking about VETASSESS' Point Test Advisory (PTA) letter, which cost an additional minimum $80. First question for you: do you have additional experience over and above the minimum experience required? For example, to be assessed positively by VETASSESS for your occupation you may need at least one year experience, but you have more than three years experience and you intend to claim additional points for that (extra 5 points for more than 3 years relevant overseas experience, for example). If that is the case, my advice would be to just pay the amount and get PTA, it will be much easier for DIBP to confirm your claimed points especially if they can rely on the PTA. Get the PTA, let VETASSESS perform the necessary due diligence on your experience and opine that your more than 3 years work experience are relevant to your nominated occupation. Naturally the officer from DIBP will find it easier to process your application since your experience is assessed already for your claimed points.

If you do not have more than 3 years relevant experience, then you do not need the PTA since it will be pointless to you. VETASSESS' standard assessment for skilled migration would assess your basic requirements for your nominated occupation, ie. relevant bachelors degree and at least one year relevant experience.

Also to note, PTA also opines on whether your bachelor degree is equivalent of an Australian bachelor degree. If you are claiming points for this and if your bachelors degree is foreign, then the PTA might be useful to the DIBP officer to confirm your 5 points claimed for a Australia equivalent bachelors degree.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

This post has been edited by prancingHORSE: Aug 20 2014, 12:27 PM

Well if you look at this message below in response to you question... Indeed.

You then probed for someone to indicate how many points in total would be deemed "safe" for 189...

... to which this kind person here indicated 65 points, although there is no firm rule on this.

So am I missing something, or are you questioning in circles?

I assume your one year of experience is in Australia, if that is true, your idea of points which you can claim sounds fine.

If you really wish to save that $80, well alright I would save it too if I was you, because it seems that you have a definite Australian degree and have definitely resided in Australia while pursuing this degree. One year work experience is captured/assessed as part of VETASSESS' standard general skilled migration assessment, so it seems that there is no need for a Point Test Advisory letter at all.

Yes, each state processes their state sponsorship applications separately. But the gist of the process is like this: 1) lodge EOI with DIBP, and then 2) lodge state sponsorship application. In the EOI, you will have to indicate which visa sublass you're keen on (189 and/or 190 etc), if you indicate 190, you will be asked which state specifically, to which you can answer "any" or a specific state. After having done so, the state immigration guys will be able to see you in the SkillSelect system that you have indicated your interest to be sponsored by that particular state - this is just state immigration having access to your EOI, this does not mean they will process. To get them to process, you need to lodge an application with the state immigration on their website and the requirements/process varies according to state. I strongly suggest, if you have a target state in mind, to check out that state's immigration website. I know the state I am familiar with sets out the process clearly, and I highly doubt other states would not have the same clear guideline set out on their website.

Hit me up via PM if you have more personal questions to ask. Otherwise, best we discuss here for everyone's benefit.

This post has been edited by prancingHORSE: Aug 20 2014, 06:15 PM

The VETASSESS general skill assessment (GSM) for migration assesses mainly two items: 1) education 2) work experience. They will have to opine on whether your qualification is "comparable to the educational level of an Australian Bachelor degree or higher degree, in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation".

Short answer IMO is no, you do not need the 'Additional Advisory Letter for DIBP to consider a claim for points in the GSM Points Test' (this is called the Point Test Advisory (PTA) letter, by the way), as your GSM covers the relevancy of your education already. Especially if your Australian degree is highly relevant (ie. an engineering degree for an engineering nominated occupation), then your case is as straightforward as it gets for the VETASSESS assessment officer, and eventually for the DIBP officer.

I think hihihehe gave you solid response to the rest of your concerns.

The most cost effective is to use your Msian bank to perform foreign telegraphic transfer to Aus bank. Maybank for example you can do this online at a transaction cost of only RM10 for a transfer amount of up to RM10,000 per day if I am not wrong - Google.

It is cheaper compared to other methods such as Western Union / Moneygram because foreign TT takes 2-3 days whereas Western Union / Moneygram is supposedly instant.