# ACS assessment for Spouse - do we need to pay another 4450 for assessment of spouse?



## indian01 (Feb 29, 2012)

Hello All,

I have few questions, 

1) since I m sending documents of my spouse also for ACS assessment, do I need to pay another $400 for her ACS assessment?

2) If I send my spouse documents also, will it not slow down my assessment process? Anyone who has got their spouse doc's assessment, kindly share the timeline? How much time ACS took to assess your case?

3) Anyone done spouse's docs assessments, please let me know if the assessment report for spouse comes as a separate report or it is mentioned in Primary Applicants report itself, that ACS performed assessment on spouse's qualifications and experience as well?

4) For spouse, her experience letter are the regular ones, with no roles and responsibilities defined. Its with designation at the time of leaving, Start date and last date. Do we need her spouse's experience letters also the detailed ones?

Anyone who has knowledge about it and has got assessment for spouse as secondary applicant, please pitch in and reply. 

Much thanks, waiting for your replies.


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## mansin (Mar 1, 2012)

*do we need to pay another 4450 for assessment of spouse?*

This is paid only in the situation , where spouse does not have the basic functional level knowledge in English. 

For getting spouse skills point .. Spouse needs to get 6 in IELTS in all the modules and for going as a dependent .. it enough to get 6 avg score in IELTS....

Thanks


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## indian01 (Feb 29, 2012)

mansin said:


> Hi Indian01,
> 
> I will try to answer your questions best to my knowledge and understanding....
> 
> ...



Mansin has replied to my questions, which I m putting up here in thread, so that anyone else seeking answers to these questions can see it here.

Thanks so much mansin for replying.


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## indian01 (Feb 29, 2012)

Thanks mansin for your prompt response. Yes I got your message and I got answers to my questions as well. Thanks so much for your prompt response.

Now since ACS does the assessment separately, I dont know if we should go for spouse assessment as my spouse is a S/W tester. Plus the company she has worked with in India was back in 2005. We moved to US after that.

So for companies till 2005, although those are MNCs now there is nobody known left in testing team, she dont even know whom to contact in HR dept. Now we are in Bglore and since those are Delhi based companies, it is not possible to reach them or even if we write them and ask them for exp letters, not sure if they will respond in time and if they will give us the exp letter with roles and responsibilities. We do have Regular type exp letter (the one with Designation, Start Dt and Leave Dt). Another two companies are acquired by RBS and Oracle, so don't know where to reach them and who to contact for experience letters.

We are getting 65 points with just my application. I was just thinking to get her evaluated as well via ACS and that will help us gain 5 more points, just in case our file goes to EOI pool (gets CO after 1st July 2012).

She is not in touch with any of seniors in those two companies to even have Statutory Decalartion.

Now she has been working in US since 2007 to Sep 2011, so we have full 3 years exp for her from US with all the supporting documents.

Now dilemma is that should we apply for her ACS assessment with only US experience, since we need it for 5 points only as she is not primary applicant. And second dilemma is, since job S/W Tester is not there anymore in occupation list for any state, will we get +ve assessment for her.

Please let me know if you know answers to any of my questions.

Much thanks.


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## indian01 (Feb 29, 2012)

mansin said:


> *do we need to pay another $400 for assessment of spouse?*
> 
> This is paid only in the situation , where spouse does not have the basic functional level knowledge in English.
> 
> ...


I am confused by this reply mansin.

Kindly see my case and advise -
1) I m primary applicant. - Sending my application for ACS assessment.
2) Thinking to send spouse's application also for ACS assessment so that we can get additional 5 points for her work experience. Now in this case I believe we will have to pay another $400 ACS fees right?

3) Also as per my understanding my spouse will have to give IELTS exam if we want to gain 5 points for SPouse's adaptability. 

So this part of your response _This is paid only in the situation , where spouse does not have the basic functional level knowledge in English. _ does not apply to us, please clarify based on your experience.

Thanks.


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## mansin (Mar 1, 2012)

indian01 said:


> I am confused by this reply mansin.
> 
> Kindly see my case and advise -
> 1) I m primary applicant. - Sending my application for ACS assessment.
> ...


Yes you are right !!! ... This is only useful , if you are in the margin like 60 points and need extra points for qualifying ... otherwise .. I dont find any difference...


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## mansin (Mar 1, 2012)

indian01 said:


> Thanks mansin for your prompt response. Yes I got your message and I got answers to my questions as well. Thanks so much for your prompt response.
> 
> Now since ACS does the assessment separately, I dont know if we should go for spouse assessment as my spouse is a S/W tester. Plus the company she has worked with in India was back in 2005. We moved to US after that.
> 
> ...


Dear Indian01,

The first step towards ACS is ... 

1) I am sure you would have gone through this site / PDF ... Just for the record I am pasting this over here...

http://www.acs.org.au/public/ska/do...ccupationCodes_2011V4_tasksGSM_RGJuly2011.pdf

2) ust in case our file goes to EOI pool (gets CO after 1st July 2012).--- I am not able to understand why .. spouse skill assessment will have any relation here.. let me know .. if I am missing something.

3) As I have mentioned in the other post ... the spouse skill assessment is normally , done .. when there is shortage of points ... since there is no separate weightage for people having 65 points or 70 points. Both are equal as far as I understand. 

4) Even if you are going ahead with the ACS parellely with your .. maybe both will get assessed at the same time .. but if you wait for her assessement .. you are potentially wasting time... you could have gone ahead with the DIAC process instead..

5) Also , for ACS there is no need to check the state lists .. as the list (PDF) above suffices ...


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## mansin (Mar 1, 2012)

Sorry missed .. this ... Yes .. it wont apply to you .. since .. You can easily give IELTS and have the basic scores ... so that it proves that the basic competency in English is there


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## indian01 (Feb 29, 2012)

mansin said:


> Dear Indian01,
> 
> The first step towards ACS is ...
> 
> ...


Thanks mansin for your detailed response, gone through EOI links etc again. I m now clear.


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## korak (May 10, 2012)

*Question on employment reference*



indian01 said:


> Thanks mansin for your detailed response, gone through EOI links etc again. I m now clear.


Dear Indian01, Mansin

I am a new to this. May I please ask this question to you, since are experienced.

I want to apply for ACS assessment. ACS employment reference guidelines state that following info should be available in a certificate for each company:

Start & Finish Dates of Employment
Description of Duties Performed
Hours worked - Full time or Part time
Country where Employment was Completed
Company Letterhead and signed by the author

As a part of relieving process, I do have all of the above info from my previous employers except "Description of Duties Performed". I just have a title like Software Development Lead. Will that do or should I get get a new document stating my role & responsibilities?

Thanks a lot in advance!


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## mansin (Mar 1, 2012)

korak said:


> Dear Indian01, Mansin
> 
> I am a new to this. May I please ask this question to you, since are experienced.
> 
> ...


Hi Korak !!!

Welcome to this wonderful forum . First of all best wishes for the ACS process. 

See the idea , is to provide as much document as possible to ACS, so that they dont come back asking for the same, remember every time you have to send them a courier (DHL , FEDEX) quite expensive. 

This is what I did 

1) Sent all the services certificates from previous employers
2) Took a detailed references from managers , Project lead , team lead , principal consultant etc , with whom , I was comfortable to discuss this requirement of mine and got that attested and sent them.

3) Sent the same for my spouse , but unfortunately , ACS came back asking for detailed reference on company letter pad. 

4) In the final attempt , we sent the following to ACS:- 

a) Statutory declaration from one of the project lead , who was working in the same company , where she was working on a 50 rs stamp paper.

b) Another statutory declaration stating that "the reason , why she was unable to provide the reference letter on a company letter pad ... as it is against the company policy bla bla.....""

This solved the puzzle and we got the assessment, Now I would suggest you to be extra careful in first attempt itself and send the documents like... stat dec , self stat dec 

Regards
Mansin


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## korak (May 10, 2012)

mansin said:


> Hi Korak !!!
> 
> Welcome to this wonderful forum . First of all best wishes for the ACS process.
> 
> ...


Dear Mansin,

Thank you so much for your prompt response!!

Best wishes, Korak


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