Architect - Applying as Architectural Draftsperson

ga2au · October 2020

@josephjoseph said:
Hello guys! Meron na po ba nabigyan ng visa grant sa forum na to this year?

I and my partner are both architects and we lodged visa application nung January 3, sadly after 9months wala pa ding CO contact or any news sa Immi Account

Meron pailan ilan, pero nasa priority skills sila. 😔

xiaoxue · October 2020

@intdesigner_arki said:

Thank you po sa insights @xiaoxue @athelene yung goal ko po talaga is to pursue Interior Design. Yung nakita ko lng po na masters na affordable yung Project Management heheh.. At least now alam na namin na dapat pala same pathway talaga if gusto mag PR.. salamat po! target po sana namin sa Melbourne.. si hubby po aircraft mechanic dito sa SG with 4 years experience..

Hi uli, curious lang, why don't you try nominating 232511 Interior Designer? According to Vetassess:
Qualifications in architecture may be considered relevant on a case-by-case basis if sufficient subjects covering key competencies as above can be demonstrated.

intdesigner_arki · October 2020

Hi @xiaoxue ok po i will try po na magpa assess as as ID since yun naman po talaga passion ko din and most of my portfolio is ID projects din po heheh. Curious lang po.. bago lang po kami kase nagstart magplan mag AU.. pwede ba separate EO kami mag submit ng husband ko? Bale i.list namin as dependent yung isat isa.. Common practice po ba yun para mas malaki yung chance to get invitaion? And ang dami po klase ng visa.. nakaka 🙈😱 yung iba po ba sinasabay sabay talaga pagsubmit nun? Hehehe pasensya na po dami tanong heheh..

ga2au · October 2020

@intdesigner_arki said:
Hi @xiaoxue ok po i will try po na magpa assess as as ID since yun naman po talaga passion ko din and most of my portfolio is ID projects din po heheh. Curious lang po.. bago lang po kami kase nagstart magplan mag AU.. pwede ba separate EO kami mag submit ng husband ko? Bale i.list namin as dependent yung isat isa.. Common practice po ba yun para mas malaki yung chance to get invitaion? And ang dami po klase ng visa.. nakaka 🙈😱 yung iba po ba sinasabay sabay talaga pagsubmit nun? Hehehe pasensya na po dami tanong heheh..

Hi Arki asawa ko, pero occupation niya is ID.

intdesigner_arki · October 2020

@ga2au hello po! Mabilis lang po ba assessment results pag ID?

ga2au · October 2020

@intdesigner_arki said:
@ga2au hello po! Mabilis lang po ba assessment results pag ID?

Hi! Last year pa namin paassess yung sa asawa ko. Mga 2months lumabas na yung results. Ngayun ata sobrang tagal na.

xiaoxue · October 2020

@intdesigner_arki said:
Hi @xiaoxue ok po i will try po na magpa assess as as ID since yun naman po talaga passion ko din and most of my portfolio is ID projects din po heheh. Curious lang po.. bago lang po kami kase nagstart magplan mag AU.. pwede ba separate EO kami mag submit ng husband ko? Bale i.list namin as dependent yung isat isa.. Common practice po ba yun para mas malaki yung chance to get invitaion? And ang dami po klase ng visa.. nakaka 🙈😱 yung iba po ba sinasabay sabay talaga pagsubmit nun? Hehehe pasensya na po dami tanong heheh..

Hi po, not sure po what you mean. Do you mean EOI po? Basta ang first step po is check ninyo po kung makakakuha kayo ng positive assessment. Kung parehas po kayo may positive assessment edi mas ok kasi may additional points. Nakita ko kasi sa ibang post ninyo na wala sa SOL ung aircraft cabin mechanic. Kung isa lang po pwede magpa-assess edi sya lang po pwede mag-EOI. For example po in my case, alam kong mababa yung chance na maging positive assesment yung asawa ko kaya di ko na sia pinagpa-assess. So ako na yung main applicant.

Aralin niyo po mabuti yung conditions ng Vetassess kung sa tingin ninyo makakapasok yung Qualifications ninyo (BS Architecture) sa occupation na gusto ninyong i-nominate.

Sabi nga ni Ms Rhea, one step at a time lang para di ma-overwhelm. Pag nakapagpa-assess na kayo then saka ninyo po uli intindihin yung conditions ng mga ibat-ibang visa.

--

P.S. I checked aircraft cabin mechanic sa Australian SOL pero di ko sia makita. Sa Canada kasi parang meron? https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/summary-occupation/7602/22437

intdesigner_arki · October 2020

@xiaoxue said:

@intdesigner_arki said:
Hello po! Thankful for this forum ang dami ko na po na learn kahit bago pa po kami nag start sa aming BM plans to AU. Ask lang po sana kami ng advice.. arki grad po ako sa pinas with license as architect & RMP. I have 5 years experience working in Singapore po (3 years as arch’l designer, 2 years as interior designer). Thinking mag apply po kami ni hubby as Visa 190.. but hindi po ako confident na ma grant based sa work experience ko. May malaki ba chance na ma grant? Nasa late 20s pa po kami.. or may other visa’s or pathway po na mas better? Yung other option ko po is mag Masters degree student in project management.. magandang pathway po ba yung course na yun to AU PR? Salamat po sa maka ka advise and stay safe always Godbless!

Hello, sa tingin ko, kung PR ang target mo, una mong ichecheck anong occupation sa SOL yung pwede mong ma-nominate. So ang idea mo ngayon is project management. I checked the SOL and ang closest occupation is 133111 Construction Project Manager. So in order to get a positive assessment, kelangan icheck mo kung papasok ka ba sa requirements ng Vetassess. Kelangan meron kang 1-year work experience after graduation related to your nominated occupation. If you think you can be assessed positively after graduating, i guess it's ok? https://www.vetassess.com.au/Portals/0/Downloads/qualification_assessment/Construction_Project_Manager.pdf

May tinanungan akong agent before about study pathway to PR he suggested me to consider taking Master in Architecture in Tasmania or Northern Territory. Why those 2 states? Because they do not have post-study experience requirements to be eligible for visa 190. Pero kelangan ata magexam sa AACA.

Hi po! Double confirm ko lang po.. considered po ba as regional australia yung Adelaide? Kita ko po kase may masters in interior architecture yung university of soutern australia

ga2au · October 2020

@intdesigner_arki said:

@xiaoxue said:

@intdesigner_arki said:
Hello po! Thankful for this forum ang dami ko na po na learn kahit bago pa po kami nag start sa aming BM plans to AU. Ask lang po sana kami ng advice.. arki grad po ako sa pinas with license as architect & RMP. I have 5 years experience working in Singapore po (3 years as arch’l designer, 2 years as interior designer). Thinking mag apply po kami ni hubby as Visa 190.. but hindi po ako confident na ma grant based sa work experience ko. May malaki ba chance na ma grant? Nasa late 20s pa po kami.. or may other visa’s or pathway po na mas better? Yung other option ko po is mag Masters degree student in project management.. magandang pathway po ba yung course na yun to AU PR? Salamat po sa maka ka advise and stay safe always Godbless!

Hello, sa tingin ko, kung PR ang target mo, una mong ichecheck anong occupation sa SOL yung pwede mong ma-nominate. So ang idea mo ngayon is project management. I checked the SOL and ang closest occupation is 133111 Construction Project Manager. So in order to get a positive assessment, kelangan icheck mo kung papasok ka ba sa requirements ng Vetassess. Kelangan meron kang 1-year work experience after graduation related to your nominated occupation. If you think you can be assessed positively after graduating, i guess it's ok? https://www.vetassess.com.au/Portals/0/Downloads/qualification_assessment/Construction_Project_Manager.pdf

May tinanungan akong agent before about study pathway to PR he suggested me to consider taking Master in Architecture in Tasmania or Northern Territory. Why those 2 states? Because they do not have post-study experience requirements to be eligible for visa 190. Pero kelangan ata magexam sa AACA.

Hi po! Double confirm ko lang po.. considered po ba as regional australia yung Adelaide? Kita ko po kase may masters in interior architecture yung university of soutern australia

Yes.

intdesigner_arki · October 2020

*university of south australia

athelene · October 2020

@intdesigner_arki said:
Hi po! Double confirm ko lang po.. considered po ba as regional australia yung Adelaide? Kita ko po kase may masters in interior architecture yung university of soutern australia

Yes. As of last year, most parts of Australia are designated as regional areas (for migration purposes) except for Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Adelaide is listed as Category 2 ‘Cities and Major Regional Centres:’
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/regional-migration/eligible-regional-areas

athelene · October 2020

@intdesigner_arki said:
Hi po! Double confirm ko lang po.. considered po ba as regional australia yung Adelaide? Kita ko po kase may masters in interior architecture yung university of soutern australia

By the way, if you're planning to take the master's in order to nominate "Architect" as an occupation, please note that a Master of Design (Interior Architecture) is not on the list of Accredited Architecture Programs or Qualifications. If you proceed with studying interior architecture and later on decide you want to nominate "Architect" as an occupation, you will have to do an Overseas Qualification Assessment even though you have an Australian degree (I know this because I've already asked AACA; my Australian degree is not an accredited program too). If you're nominating "Interior Designer" or "Architectural Draftsperson," then the Australian study would likely be just for professional development.

intdesigner_arki · October 2020

Thank you Ms @athelene ! Im going to apply as architectural draftsperson instead po. Another question po, currently im working as an interior designer (1 year+) but my previous role was architectural designer (3 years+).. after i start my vetasses application, do you think it would be wise to quit my current ID job and go back to being an architectural designer again? To help my visa application or while waiting for ITA? Because since im a BS Arch graduate and licensed archt (in PH) po that’s why i thought i wont include my current job as ID in the vetasses application..

athelene · October 2020

@intdesigner_arki said:
Thank you Ms @athelene ! Im going to apply as architectural draftsperson instead po. Another question po, currently im working as an interior designer (1 year+) but my previous role was architectural designer (3 years+).. after i start my vetasses application, do you think it would be wise to quit my current ID job and go back to being an architectural designer again? To help my visa application or while waiting for ITA? Because since im a BS Arch graduate and licensed archt (in PH) po that’s why i thought i wont include my current job as ID in the vetasses application..

In my opinion, it will depend on what the skills assessment will say about your work experience (some people here have said that vetassess deducts a year or so of work experience post-graduation, so that 3 years of experience could potentially decrease to 1-2 years). You need a minimum of 3 years of overseas experience to get points for overseas work experience. But you wouldn't know until vetassess actually completes the assessment. I suggest you get your skills assessment done first, before making any rash decisions such as changing jobs just for the sake of getting more work experience to include in the skills assessment.

ga2au · October 2020

@athelene said:

@intdesigner_arki said:
Thank you Ms @athelene ! Im going to apply as architectural draftsperson instead po. Another question po, currently im working as an interior designer (1 year+) but my previous role was architectural designer (3 years+).. after i start my vetasses application, do you think it would be wise to quit my current ID job and go back to being an architectural designer again? To help my visa application or while waiting for ITA? Because since im a BS Arch graduate and licensed archt (in PH) po that’s why i thought i wont include my current job as ID in the vetasses application..

In my opinion, it will depend on what the skills assessment will say about your work experience (some people here have said that vetassess deducts a year or so of work experience post-graduation, so that 3 years of experience could potentially decrease to 1-2 years). You need a minimum of 3 years of overseas experience to get points for overseas work experience. But you wouldn't know until vetassess actually completes the assessment. I suggest you get your skills assessment done first, before making any rash decisions such as changing jobs just for the sake of getting more work experience to include in the skills assessment.

Yes. Agree that Vetassess deduct years of experience. I have 6 years of illustrator experience at the time of my assessment , but they only gave me 3 years.

Cerberus13 · October 2020

Hello. I just want to share. Currently Architects and Architectural technologists are in the list of "Critical Skills" needed in Ireland (Republic of Ireland). You may want to check or consider Ireland. The latter occupation was just added this year, so the need is quite fresh pa.

I just got a job offer last late August. My Critical Skills Work Permit was approved just recently, this October, so they are not restricting to health care professionals only even this time.

Critical Skills Work Permit is a short path to Irish permanent residency (not exactly but equivalent) for only 2 years and is highly coveted but not quite popular. You may want to try your luck too if you like Ireland. Good luck!

ga2au · October 2020

@Cerberus13 said:
Hello. I just want to share. Currently Architects and Architectural technologists are in the list of "Critical Skills" needed in Ireland (Republic of Ireland). You may want to check or consider Ireland. The latter occupation was just added this year, so the need is quite fresh pa.

I just got a job offer last late August. My Critical Skills Work Permit was approved just recently, this October, so they are not restricting to health care professionals only even this time.

Critical Skills Work Permit is a short path to Irish permanent residency (not exactly but equivalent) for only 2 years and is highly coveted but not quite popular. You may want to try your luck too if you like Ireland. Good luck!

wow! what's your line of work in Architecture? then anung job ka nahire. BIM? in need of English test?

Cerberus13 · October 2020

@ga2au said:

@Cerberus13 said:
Hello. I just want to share. Currently Architects and Architectural technologists are in the list of "Critical Skills" needed in Ireland (Republic of Ireland). You may want to check or consider Ireland. The latter occupation was just added this year, so the need is quite fresh pa.

I just got a job offer last late August. My Critical Skills Work Permit was approved just recently, this October, so they are not restricting to health care professionals only even this time.

Critical Skills Work Permit is a short path to Irish permanent residency (not exactly but equivalent) for only 2 years and is highly coveted but not quite popular. You may want to try your luck too if you like Ireland. Good luck!

wow! what's your line of work in Architecture? then anung job ka nahire. BIM? in need of English test?

Hi yes BIM. No need for English test. Pinaka mahirap lang talaga mag hanap ng employer willing to sponsor you.

However meron silang FOI list ng companies na actively sponsoring overseas candidates which is a good reference kung saang companies ka may "chance".

ga2au · October 2020

@Cerberus13 said:

@ga2au said:

@Cerberus13 said:
Hello. I just want to share. Currently Architects and Architectural technologists are in the list of "Critical Skills" needed in Ireland (Republic of Ireland). You may want to check or consider Ireland. The latter occupation was just added this year, so the need is quite fresh pa.

I just got a job offer last late August. My Critical Skills Work Permit was approved just recently, this October, so they are not restricting to health care professionals only even this time.

Critical Skills Work Permit is a short path to Irish permanent residency (not exactly but equivalent) for only 2 years and is highly coveted but not quite popular. You may want to try your luck too if you like Ireland. Good luck!

wow! what's your line of work in Architecture? then anung job ka nahire. BIM? in need of English test?

Hi yes BIM. No need for English test. Pinaka mahirap lang talaga mag hanap ng employer willing to sponsor you.

However meron silang FOI list ng companies na actively sponsoring overseas candidates which is a good reference kung saang companies ka may "chance".

This is actually good news for people tlaga na medyo no chance na sa Australia. Nice!

RheaMARN1171933 · October 2020

@Cerberus13 said:
Hello. I just want to share. Currently Architects and Architectural technologists are in the list of "Critical Skills" needed in Ireland (Republic of Ireland). You may want to check or consider Ireland. The latter occupation was just added this year, so the need is quite fresh pa.

I just got a job offer last late August. My Critical Skills Work Permit was approved just recently, this October, so they are not restricting to health care professionals only even this time.

Critical Skills Work Permit is a short path to Irish permanent residency (not exactly but equivalent) for only 2 years and is highly coveted but not quite popular. You may want to try your luck too if you like Ireland. Good luck!

Just curious, why do you want to move to Ireland though? I live in the UK and would not think of moving there at all.

I’ve got a number of Irish and British clients migrating to Australia. Irish and Brits would move in a heartbeat to Australia if they get the chance.

Cerberus13 · October 2020

@RheaMARN1171933 said:

@Cerberus13 said:
Hello. I just want to share. Currently Architects and Architectural technologists are in the list of "Critical Skills" needed in Ireland (Republic of Ireland). You may want to check or consider Ireland. The latter occupation was just added this year, so the need is quite fresh pa.

I just got a job offer last late August. My Critical Skills Work Permit was approved just recently, this October, so they are not restricting to health care professionals only even this time.

Critical Skills Work Permit is a short path to Irish permanent residency (not exactly but equivalent) for only 2 years and is highly coveted but not quite popular. You may want to try your luck too if you like Ireland. Good luck!

Just curious, why do you want to move to Ireland though? I live in the UK and would not think of moving there at all.

I’ve got a number of Irish and British clients migrating to Australia. Irish and Brits would move in a heartbeat to Australia if they get the chance.

As I've said in my other post, Ireland is indeed behind AU, NZ and Canada. I acknowledge that.

Pero wala naman na po akong choice for now, but I still rather move there than stay in PH (sorry). Besides my offer is good. But yes right now my AU application is still waiting a mere invitation. And no one knows what will happen in the future.

But Ireland is still attractive to me in some points like its colder weather compared to AU and less population density in cities. But If I can also move in a heartbeat with a choice, I will still choose NZ or Canada. But if AU comes while I'm in Ireland, will still consider AU of course, but It's hopeless for now eh.

RheaMARN1171933 · October 2020

@Cerberus13 said:

@RheaMARN1171933 said:

@Cerberus13 said:
Hello. I just want to share. Currently Architects and Architectural technologists are in the list of "Critical Skills" needed in Ireland (Republic of Ireland). You may want to check or consider Ireland. The latter occupation was just added this year, so the need is quite fresh pa.

I just got a job offer last late August. My Critical Skills Work Permit was approved just recently, this October, so they are not restricting to health care professionals only even this time.

Critical Skills Work Permit is a short path to Irish permanent residency (not exactly but equivalent) for only 2 years and is highly coveted but not quite popular. You may want to try your luck too if you like Ireland. Good luck!

Just curious, why do you want to move to Ireland though? I live in the UK and would not think of moving there at all.

I’ve got a number of Irish and British clients migrating to Australia. Irish and Brits would move in a heartbeat to Australia if they get the chance.

As I've said in my other post, Ireland is indeed behind AU, NZ and Canada. I acknowledge that.

Pero wala naman na po akong choice for now, but I still rather move there than stay in PH (sorry). Besides my offer is good. But yes right now my AU application is still waiting a mere invitation. And no one knows what will happen in the future.

But Ireland is still attractive to me in some points like its colder weather compared to AU and less population density in cities. But If I can also move in a heartbeat with a choice, I will still choose NZ or Canada. But if AU comes while I'm in Ireland, will still consider AU of course, but It's hopeless for now eh.

Ah ok...I see Ireland kasi as cold, gloomy and always raining. Not the best weather. A lot of Irish people leave the country. I guess it makes sense why they try to attract migrants. I must say though, Irish people are one of the warmest I’ve met. I feel connected whenever I meet someone from Ireland. I think it has to do with them being catholics and also history of people being poor so they also resort to faith to guide them - similar to our culture because they have nothing else but faith. Try reading Angela’s ashes to give you a glimpse of who they are. You’ll find some similarities of their culture to ours

And yeah, I guess you might as well grab any opportunity that comes your way. All the best to your journey.

Cerberus13 · October 2020

@RheaMARN1171933 said:

@Cerberus13 said:

@RheaMARN1171933 said:

@Cerberus13 said:
Hello. I just want to share. Currently Architects and Architectural technologists are in the list of "Critical Skills" needed in Ireland (Republic of Ireland). You may want to check or consider Ireland. The latter occupation was just added this year, so the need is quite fresh pa.

I just got a job offer last late August. My Critical Skills Work Permit was approved just recently, this October, so they are not restricting to health care professionals only even this time.

Critical Skills Work Permit is a short path to Irish permanent residency (not exactly but equivalent) for only 2 years and is highly coveted but not quite popular. You may want to try your luck too if you like Ireland. Good luck!

Just curious, why do you want to move to Ireland though? I live in the UK and would not think of moving there at all.

I’ve got a number of Irish and British clients migrating to Australia. Irish and Brits would move in a heartbeat to Australia if they get the chance.

As I've said in my other post, Ireland is indeed behind AU, NZ and Canada. I acknowledge that.

Pero wala naman na po akong choice for now, but I still rather move there than stay in PH (sorry). Besides my offer is good. But yes right now my AU application is still waiting a mere invitation. And no one knows what will happen in the future.

But Ireland is still attractive to me in some points like its colder weather compared to AU and less population density in cities. But If I can also move in a heartbeat with a choice, I will still choose NZ or Canada. But if AU comes while I'm in Ireland, will still consider AU of course, but It's hopeless for now eh.

Ah ok...I see Ireland kasi as cold, gloomy and always raining. Not the best weather. A lot of Irish people leave the country. I guess it makes sense why they try to attract migrants. I must say though, Irish people are one of the warmest I’ve met. I feel connected whenever I meet someone from Ireland. I think it has to do with them being catholics and also history of people being poor so they also resort to faith to guide them - similar to our culture because they have nothing else but faith. Try reading Angela’s ashes to give you a glimpse of who they are. You’ll find some similarities of their culture to ours

And yeah, I guess you might as well grab any opportunity that comes your way. All the best to your journey.

Yes po. Actually your initial response is a pretty common sentiment coming from someone in the UK and also from Irish people themselves. so I'm not really surprised. I have read a lot about Ireland and yes it has its bad that had me in second-thoughts as well. But oh well, I know my priorities. lol

Thanks for the recommended reading, I will check it out. Thank you, all the best rin po sa inyo.

xiaoxue · November 2020

To architects here who might want to pursue Master of Architecture in Australi, check out this full scholarship from Bond University: https://bond.edu.au/scholarship/abedian-foundation-master-architecture-scholarship

dracaryth_ · December 2020

Hi, I am new here and would really appreciate some advice from this community

I am a fresh grad of BS-Architecture here in PH. I would like to work in AU. Sa mga nabasa ko sa discussion thread na ito, ang pagkakaintindi ko po ay ang 5 year degree dito sa PH ay hindi equivalent ng degree sa AU, kaya ginagawa nila po ay kumukuha ng 2-yr masters sa AU bago maka-trabaho doon.

Nabasa ko rin po na ang ginawa po ng iba ay nag apply as architectural draftsperson with 190 visa then once nakapunta na po sila sa AU, nag-apply na lang sila sa AACA to get their license. Although in their case, they had experience working in PH/Abroad - SG (and some even with PH license) before deciding to work in AU.

Given my case, is it possible for me to take the same path, without work experience or even a license from the PH, to work as an architectural draftsperson in AU - then save up for a masters while working in that position, and then get a license? or will working as an architectural draftsperson already give credit to licensure with the AACA? How many years should i be working in the position?

Or should I first be working towards getting my license here in the PH and only then applying for work in AU as an architectural draftsperson? I’m interested in the working path rather than getting a masters in AU right away dahil mahal rin po ito.

It will really help if i can get insight from my senpais that’ve who’ve successfully gone to AU, hehe. :-3 Just want to plan for the future ahead.
Salamat!!

athelene · December 2020

@dracaryth_
Didn't realize that you had a post here. I figured I might as well post my message to you on this thread so other people can read it too.

I would like to work in AU. Sa mga nabasa ko sa discussion thread na ito, ang pagkakaintindi ko po ay ang 5 year degree dito sa PH ay hindi equivalent ng degree sa AU, kaya ginagawa nila po ay kumukuha ng 2-yr masters sa AU bago maka-trabaho doon.

If you mean full-time work in Australia, you will have to get either a temporary work visa or a permanent resident visa. I don't know much about temp work visas, but I believe it can be a complicated process which is why most Aussie companies will focus on hiring locals (Aussie citizens or PR) rather than people from offshore. I know this because I've seen a lot of job postings specifying they only accept citizens/PRs (so depressing, I know). For PR visa, I've only looked into 189 and 190 because they're not provisional like 491, but you can look into that if you think you're ok with going regional (I'm not kasi hahaha).

It is AACA that determines the equivalency of overseas degrees. I've looked into the PH curriculum and compared it to AU curriculum, and there's tons of electives (English, Math, Statistics, Filipino, Rizal course) that are non-existent in AU degree. I feel like PH degree does cover about the same content as AU degree (BT, BU, ProfPrac, HOA, TOA, etc), so I'm also baffled by why they don't consider it to be equivalent. I forgot where I heard/read it, but someone said it was about the credit weightings/units of design studio. In UST kasi Design had the same units/credits as HOA, TOA, etc., whereas in Australia Design studio is worth double (regular subject is 6 credits, but studio is 12 credits). If you will study a Master's degree here, better do the accredited Master of Architecture (MArch) para mas mabilis ang process ng recognition ng degree (no need for Overseas Qualification Assessment), and it would make you eligible for APE (Architectural Practice Examination, equivalent ng board exam in PH).

Nabasa ko rin po na ang ginawa po ng iba ay nag apply as architectural draftsperson with 190 visa then once nakapunta na po sila sa AU, nag-apply na lang sila sa AACA to get their license. Although in their case, they had experience working in PH/Abroad - SG (and some even with PH license) before deciding to work in AU.

Not sure how many have successfully done this (getting registered in Australia), but it's actually optional to get registered here. There's a slight pay bump if you get registered, but it's not essential to have one if you plan to work in a company wherein registered ang boss mo. It's only essential if gusto mong magfreelance or magsign ng design documents (same like sa PH). The scenario wherein architects who have worked overseas apply to get registered in AU---they probably have done the Experienced Practitioner pathway. For that, you need at least 7 years of experience, and 3 years out of that 7 years, your role should be at an executive level (principal decision-maker). You would not qualify for this as a fresh grad, so you will probably have to consider studying or do the AACA OQA (although this is not recommended if you only have PH 5-year degree).

athelene · December 2020

Given my case, is it possible for me to take the same path, without work experience or even a license from the PH, to work as an architectural draftsperson in AU - then save up for a masters while working in that position, and then get a license? or will working as an architectural draftsperson already give credit to licensure with the AACA? How many years should i be working in the position?

As a fresh grad with no personal/professional contacts in Australia and no work rights (which you can only get as a temporary or permanent visa holder), it would be very difficult to get work as an architectural draftsperson. Job postings on Indeed, Seek, Jora, etc. will show that companies are looking for those with "local experience," which translates to Australian work experience. And, as I've mentioned, companies would prefer not to bother with sponsoring work visas for overseas applicants when there's a pool of local applicants. Or unless you have solid work experience and expertise that they need, or the company is located in regional areas (cities outside Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane). I'm not saying it's impossible to get visa, just that the odds would be low (but then you can still try hehehe). The issue is not about whether you've got the architectural draftsperson skills or knowledge of local regulations (kasi matututunan mo naman yun on the job), but it's about whether you can get a visa to get into Australia and be able to work.

I'm not sure what the salary range is for architectural draftsperson, but studying and living in Australia is very expensive. The tuition for MArch from top architecture schools (USYD, UniMelb, UNSW) is around AUD 40k per year, excluding materials/tools. Sadly, scholarships specific to architecture is very limited, especially in these universities. I know UniMelb has a lot more scholarships than USYD, but it's not a full scholarship, maybe between 10-25% scholarship lang, and it's competitive.

To get registered in Australia, you need to pass the three parts of APE. Part 1 is the logbook experience (similar to apprenticeship in PH). Part 2 is the National Examination Paper (equivalent to board exam in PH). Part 3 is Examination by Interview. But I think in order for your work experience to count for Part 1, you need to be eligible for APE. So it's either you get an MArch and have AACA verify it, or do OQA Stage 1 and 2 (Stage 1 lang ang required for migration purposes, but Stage 2 is required for registration). Part 1 requires a minimum of 3,300 hours of work experience over the 15 Performance Criteria specified by AACA (just check the AACA website about APE), so that's roughly 2 years of work experience required. It's not just about meeting the minimum hours, but really gaining the competency and experience over different aspects of architectural practice.

Or should I first be working towards getting my license here in the PH and only then applying for work in AU as an architectural draftsperson? I’m interested in the working path rather than getting a masters in AU right away dahil mahal rin po ito.

Having the architectural license in PH doesn't mean anything in Australia. You wouldn't be able to call yourself an architect or architectural designer here if you're not registered in Australia (architectural draftsperson or technician lang pwede hehe). If your endgame is migrating to Australia and not practicing in PH, there's no point of getting licensed in PH. I'm not a migration agent, so this is just my opinion based on what I know about AU migration: get as many points as you can while you're still young. The minimum points you need to get an invitation to migrate is 65 points, but the trends show that people with 85+ points are getting invited first than people with 65+ points.

Personally, I would recommend you first do the accredited MArch in Australia, preferably in regional area. For skilled migration, if you are less than 33 years old you get 30 points, studying in AU for at least 2 years gets you 5 points, study in regional area gets you 5 points, work 1 year in AU in nominated occupation is another 5 points, etc. The MArch will get you a positive skills assessment from AACA and make you eligible for registration down the line. Also, if you are onshore, you would be in a much better place than if you are offshore, because you can gain industry contacts while you're here. Tutors in design studio are practicing architects, the school organizes events where students can meet architects/professionals, and you can get 20 hours per fortnight of work rights as a a student (which you can use to work part-time in design firms, thus gaining experience). In Australia, people get jobs based on who is on their network, bale parang word-of-mouth. If a friend works at Company A and there's a job opening, your friend can recommend you to apply there, and HR is more likely to put your application at the top of the candidate pile kung may kakilala ka. There's a huge hidden job market in Australia, which you can't access while offshore because you personally don't know anyone here. Of course, this is just my opinion. It is entirely up to you on what pathway to choose. I'm simply telling you how things work in Australia (which I wish someone told me before coming here hahaha).

Oh I forgot to mention, after you study the MArch, you can get access to the 485 Graduate Visa, which allows you to work full-time in any field (doesn't have to be related to what you studied). If you can't secure a PR by the time you graduate, you at least get 2 years extra time to get more points for PR and gain work experience.

athelene · December 2020

@dracaryth_

If you are curious about what Design Studio is like in AU, you can have a look at my post in one of the Student Visa threads:
https://pinoyau.info/discussion/comment/368442/#Comment_368442

Capuccino_2017 · December 2020

Good day to all, i would like to ask lang po, nakita ko kase sa isang post naglabas na ang Nsw ng list pero wala ang 312111 architectural draftsperson.. meaning po ba wala na pag asa for 2020-2021? naka pag lodge na po ng eoi last november.. base sa unang report ng agent namin sabi open ang nsw for architectural draftsperson.. pero ngyon may bagong list. hindi din kase kami nakka kuha ng update sa agent namin... nakakalungkot at nawala sa list.. 😢