# Migrate to Australia with BCS higher education qualificatios



## annef (Oct 20, 2010)

Dear All,
I have passed Professional Graduate Diploma in IT. This level is the academic equivalent to Year 3 of a UK university honours degree.Also this qualification It is recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as Level 6. 

I have 4 years of full time experience as a software engineer. I'm 26 years old.
Do i have enough marks to migrate as a skilled person to Australia?

Does above mention BCS qualification falls under Section A in ACS qualification classification? ( Australian degree equivalent ) 

Thanks.
Anne


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Start @ Visa Options - Professionals and other Skilled Migrants - Workers - Visas & Immigration and using the *What's New Link*, have a look at the *SOL#3 and #4* and see what the best occupation is that would suit your qualifications and experience.
A-Z Occupations List - Australian Skills Recognition Information may also help.
The first step is then to get a Qualifications assessment with ACS and based on success there, you need to check out the eligibility tables for either the 175 visa or 176 visa.
If you fail to come up with the 120 points for a 175 you may want to consider a state sponsorship 176 if your occupation is on a State Migration Plan as that will likely need only 100 points and give your application higher priority for processing, details also via the *Whats New Link.*
The SMPs are not active with Immi right now but are expected to be so before too much longer and should be by the time you have ACS assessment, that taking about 12 weeks and there likely to be a similar time to get state sponsorship.


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## annef (Oct 20, 2010)

*Ref.Migrate to Australia with BCS higher education qualifications*

Hi,
Thanks for the reply. I have went through the immigration site and i came to know that I will fit in as a software engineer, since i have 4 years exp. with me. My only doubt is where my BCS PGD in IT qualification fit in to in ACS assessment. Does it fall's to Group A or Group B?


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Been a while since I checked ACS regs in details but is it not with Group A is for when you have a qualification considered to be of sufficient IT focus and Group B when the qualification is otherwise or not of a sufficient level and so X years of experience may be used as a supplementary factor.
If it is that, then you need to look at your own qualifications and decide accordingly.


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## annef (Oct 20, 2010)

*BCS higher education qualifications course content*



Wanderer said:


> Been a while since I checked ACS regs in details but is it not with Group A is for when you have a qualification considered to be of sufficient IT focus and Group B when the qualification is otherwise or not of a sufficient level and so X years of experience may be used as a supplementary factor.
> If it is that, then you need to look at your own qualifications and decide accordingly.


Hi,
Thanks again for the reply. I have went through my BCS higher education qualification and came to know that *my qualification is major in Information Technology*. 
Also, my course content is almost 100% IT related. 
As you can see my course subjects are.
Certificate Level:	

Computer & Network Technology
 Information Systems 
 Software Development

Diploma Level:	

Professional Issues in Information Systems Practice (Core)
 Principles of Internet Technologies
 Software Engineering 1
 Object Orientated Programming Version 2

PGD Level: 

Management Information Systems
 Programming Paradigms
 Software Engineering 2
 Web Engineering
 Professional Project (Developed fully functional software solution)

I'm wondering why this qualification not falling to Group A because according to ACS my qualification need to satisfy following requirements.
*From ACS PRE-APPLICATION SKILLS ASSESSMENT Doc*
_As a guide, to meet the criteria a Graduate Diploma or Masters degree which is undergraduate in content and taken usually after a qualification other than an ICT degree or equivalent, must:
Contain a minimum of three semesters*; and
Contain a minimum of twelve units; and
Contain two semesters* of full-time equivalent ICT content; and
Be underpinned by an ICT or non-ICT degree level qualification or an AQF Advanced Diploma or Diploma or equivalent; and
Have at least one semester* of ICT study at a demonstrably advanced level.
* Duration of study is expressed for full-time study. Where study is completed at a rate less than full-time, then scaling to the equivalent of full-time is applied.
As a guide, a major in ICT for a Post Graduate Diploma or higher degree qualification which follows a degree-level qualification in ICT or equivalent must have an ICT content of at least one third, all of which must be at post graduate level._

Also all the other experts please.... comment on this.

Regards.
Anne


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

I have not said that your qualifications will not mean Group A is not applicable but merely have said what you have quoted from ACS and suggested it could be Group A is for where qualifications of the required level have a focus on IT.
The experts re assessment are ACS.


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## annef (Oct 20, 2010)

Wanderer said:


> I have not said that your qualifications will not mean Group A is not applicable but merely have said what you have quoted from ACS and suggested it could be Group A is for where qualifications of the required level have a focus on IT.
> The experts re assessment are ACS.


Hello,
Thanks again....
My biggest problem is the risk that i have to take. Because if my qualification falls into Group A then all fine. However if ACS put my qualification to Group B then i will not be able to migrate to Australia. (Coz. I have only 4 year exp.) 
Only way to get to know is, ask from someone who applied to ACS with BCS qualifications. 
Fingers crossed. .. please help !!!

Rgds,
Anne


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

What you are hoping for is that someone has done the same course as yourself and made an application to ACS and that is a bit unlikely, there having been very few if any people with IT quals from the UK that have been on the forum and most with such Quals in fact come from India or Pakistan and more often than not questions get asked and then it's off into cyberspace rarely to be heard of again.

Wait a bit and see if you get any responses but you may find your choice is to make an application, risk the application fee or wait until you have another years experience.
Perhaps by then you may even want to consider a WHV if you have a UK passport and then when in Australia you may find an employer prepared to sponsor you and that can also be a path to PR.


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## annef (Oct 20, 2010)

Wanderer said:


> What you are hoping for is that someone has done the same course as yourself and made an application to ACS and that is a bit unlikely, there having been very few if any people with IT quals from the UK that have been on the forum and most with such Quals in fact come from India or Pakistan and more often than not questions get asked and then it's off into cyberspace rarely to be heard of again.
> 
> Wait a bit and see if you get any responses but you may find your choice is to make an application, risk the application fee or wait until you have another years experience.
> Perhaps by then you may even want to consider a WHV if you have a UK passport and then when in Australia you may find an employer prepared to sponsor you and that can also be a path to PR.


Hi,
I'm in a situation where I have to apply before I'm getting 6 + exp. Because if i wait till 6+ exp. then i'll be 29. 
I guess BCS Higher Education Qualifications are available in Indian subcontinent. Specially I have met few people here in UK who has done BCS when they are back in Sri Lanka. 
I have spoke to BCS Head office about that and according to them there is no reason to ACS pull *BCS PGD in IT* qualification to Group B. Unless they hate people who is doing BCS exams. 
I'm not worrying about 400 AUD, it's around 250 GBP. But seriously I don't want to pissed off by ACS.
Yeah been a UK citizen i do own a UK passport, but still i'm pleased to move on as a independent skilled migrant. LOL. I know how our people employ Indian's who has work permit Visa.
So, I'll be keep on eye to this forum. 
Wanderer, If you are from Australia, please ...... buzz few people and ask about this specific question. I hope you will give a big hand to me on this.....
Again, as a reminder my original question is, 
Does BCS PGD in IT qualification falls in to Group A in ACS skills assessment? 

Thanks a lot.
Anne from York, England.


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## Madaline (Jan 2, 2011)

annef said:


> Hi,
> I'm in a situation where I have to apply before I'm getting 6 + exp. Because if i wait till 6+ exp. then i'll be 29.
> I guess BCS Higher Education Qualifications are available in Indian subcontinent. Specially I have met few people here in UK who has done BCS when they are back in Sri Lanka.
> I have spoke to BCS Head office about that and according to them there is no reason to ACS pull *BCS PGD in IT* qualification to Group B. Unless they hate people who is doing BCS exams.
> ...


Hey

I'm planing to get done the same thing as you and I'm from Sri Lanka where BCS PGD qualification is quiet popular among school leavers. I just noticed that you have done quiet a big analysis on AQF etc. its useful for me as well  Currently I have no friends who going to do this but now I came across one 

Have you already applied and became successful ? Do you hold MBCS status as well ?

BTW I'm a business analyst with 5 years experience & hold BCS PGD qual as you.  I'm so pleased that if you could let me know whats with your application


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## annef (Oct 20, 2010)

Hi,
Sorry I was too busy with some other work so I didn't apply for ACS. Hmm.. BCS membership has nothing to do for sure.
Technically they should accept BCS PGD qualification as a Group A. Only thing to say NO for this is ACS is been very naughty and angry with BCS and anyone does BCS exams. What I think only way is apply and see if you have 5+ exp. Because even you drop them for group B still you can get select. 
I wonder why people who doing BCS exams and flying to Australia not replying .. it's so sad


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## Knight (Jun 25, 2011)

Hey Anne/ Madaline,

I landed on this thread because I searched for the same particulars that you were looking for.

Madaline - Strangely, I'm a Sri Lankan too who has BCS PGD in IT with over six years of experience as a Business Analyst (and now working a Project Manager) 

Anne - I have no clue as to what happened with your application, but sincerely hope it was successful.

I have been having the same question and when checked with few Migration Consultants in Sri Lanka few weeks back, what I was told was that our qualific used to be recognized as a degree-equivalent. Do not lose hope now, why I said 'used to be' is that they were really not sure how it would turn to once the 1-Jul 2011 changes are announced.

I checked the Aus Gov web site and couldn't find any related info. Other new changes are mentioned there anyway but no specifics about qualifications. What I'm going to do is to check with the consultants again whether they have got any reliable news lately.

In the meantime, please share if any recent developments in your quests.

Cheers,
Knight.


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## councy2005 (May 24, 2014)

Hello Annef
I am writing this message to you in order to request your assistance in writing BCS research project at PGD level.

I work as an IT Specialist for a Further Education and Training College in South Africa. 
We are currently experiencing Management information System (MIS) related problems. The MIS problems are mainly lack of systems integration and centralization. 
Although, my responsibility as an IT specialist is more on IT Support and Management (i.e. not programing and/or coding), I would like to focus my BCS PGD research on this problem or any similar problem. I have created a report on the problems currently faced on the MIS systems. Please let me know if you need this report for necessary assistance. 
Thanks for your assistance. 
Regards, 

Yusuf AA


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