10 Mistakes You Should Avoid When Completing Your Expression of Interest (EOI) Form, Part A
You are the correct age, you have all the right qualifications and work experience, and you did exceptionally well in your English proficiency exam. So how come you lodged your EOI months ago and nothing happened yet? Or if you already lodged your visa application after being invited, how come it was refused?!
For those of you who are not familiar with the term, an Expression of Interest (EOI) is a method of showing your interest in applying for a skilled visa to migrate to Australia. It is an online form which asks a series of questions about your skills. It is used to calculate your ability to meet the points test and can be made available to state and territory governments if you would like to be considered for a sponsored skilled visa.
Applying for a visa can be a straightforward process when you know what you are doing; unfortunately, the legislation is so complicated and there are so many procedures to follow and understand, that there is no wonder why so many people get it wrong.
Silly mistakes can cost you not only time and money but can also mean that you lose your once in a lifetime opportunity to apply for an Australian visa. Also, don’t be misled to believe that if you receive an invitation to apply for a visa your success is guaranteed; case officers check applications carefully and if something does not add up, they will refuse the application. So, do not let it happen to you, and make sure you get it right from the beginning.
Here are the first five of our Do’s and Don’ts when you approach your EOI:
1. Make yourself familiar with all stages of the process.
Do not repeat Anil’s mistake who lodged his EOI by himself and entered the details of his certificate under the “skills assessment” section; he did not know what “skills assessment” was, and wrongly assumed it was his qualification. Needless to say, he was not eligible to apply for a visa despite the invitation he received.
2. Make sure you know how to calculate your work experience correctly; not all work experience can be considered towards points calculation.
Giulia, for example, discovered only after her application was refused that she wrongly claimed points for work experience she had completed during her university studies. Unfortunately, at this stage, we could only suggest to her to start the process from the beginning.
Others might underclaim points; did you know, for example, that you could claim points for full-time job as well as for a part-time one? So, before you claim, or decide not to claim points, make sure you understand the requirements.
3. Do your homework when it comes to points awarded for qualifications too.
Miscalculation of qualification’s points is likely to result in a visa refusal, so know what qualifications you can claim points for. Do not assume, for example, that you can claim points for multiple qualifications, and remember that your qualification must be assessed as equivalent to an Australian qualification at the same level.
4. Ensure your EOI is up-to-date with correct information about your qualifications and work experience.
In addition, make sure you are aware of other critical information such as your English test expiry date and your date of birth; if you need, mark these on your calendar with an advanced warning. Remember, if your English test results expire, or if you can claim less than 65 points because of your age or work experience, you won’t be able to apply for a visa.
5. If you are seeking nomination from a state, do not answer “Any” to the question “In which State or Territory would the client be interested in seeking nomination from?” and wait for a nominating state to contact you.
Why? Because you may never receive a nomination unless you indicate a specific state or lodge an application for nomination directly with the state.
Dan waited long eight months before he approached us and learnt what are the correct procedures to obtain the nomination he needed for his permanent visa; with our help, he received a state nomination only eight weeks later and shortly after applied for a visa.
Unfortunately, we come across many mistakes people make when they apply for a visa themselves or follow their friend’s advice. While you may not hear about these mistakes that often, they are still very common.
Our advice: learn the subject well, do your homework, or best – seek the advice of a professional.
Continue to part B, and do not hesitate to contact us or email info@owis.com.au if you have any question!