Applying For An Australian Permanent Resident Visa

I did my application in 2005 on my own and I know a lot has changed since then.

The visa that I applied for is equivalent to today’s Skilled – Independent (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 175). This is a permanent visa for people with skills in demand in the Australian labour market. Applicants are not sponsored and must pass a points test.

Sometimes the Accountant or External Auditor occupation will not be in the "in demand list" or the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) but most of the time it is there.

Eligibility

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To be eligible for the Subclass 175 visa, the following are the basic requirements:

• Age
• English Language Eligibility
• Nominated Skilled Occupation
• Skills Assessment
• Recent Australia Study Requirement or Recent Skilled Employment Experience
• Location
• Health
• Character
• Australian Values Statement

Points Test

The pass mark for the current points test is 65. You can earn points in the following criteria:

• Age
• English Language Ability
• Australian Study Requirement
• Overseas and Australian Skilled Employment
• Qualifications
• Credentialled Community Language
• Regional Australia Study
• Partner Skills
• Professional Year

Website

To learn more about the Skilled – Independent (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 175), go to the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship website:

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/175/

This website is quite comprehensive and it shows how you can earn points and what documentation is required.

My Application

When I was doing my application back then, I had a friend who was also doing the same thing and she was well advanced in her application than I was. This was good because I had someone to ask if I had questions.

I received my visa in 2006, which was a year from when I started putting together all the requirements.

If you are having difficulty and have the money, you can certainly hire an experienced migration agent. Ask for recommendations from friends or their friends as you would want someone who has a good track record. Some of my friends who used a migration agent spent twice as much as I did for the whole process.

There are also forums for Filipinos wanting to apply for a permanent resident visa in Australia. Most of them are really helpful so you could try them as well.

Now be the best that you can be,

Xiela Marie Dacyon

10 Reasons Why You Should Become an Auditor

Of course I am a biased as I definitely went with the public accounting route. If you need more convincing, below are 10 reasons why you should become an auditor:

1. Better exposure 

Becoming an auditor gives you more perspective about the different industries and about how a business operates.

2. Camaraderie

As you will be with people your age, you will definitely enjoy the companionship of your workmates and you will have plenty of BFF opportunities. 

3. Networking 

You will meet more people as you will be working with various types of people from different clients and different industries.

4. Travel

More travel opportunities whether for an audit engagement, stocktake, training or team building activities.

5. Accelerated learning 

You will learn in 3 months what you can learn in a year in a private company. Leadership, communication, presentation, time management, negotiation, people management, marketing, creativity and technical knowledge. Growth happens when you are pushed beyond your comfort zone.

6. Accelerated work experience

It is no surprise that countless ex-auditors in their twenties (20’s) have become senior managers, vice presidents and CFOs of companies because people recognise that their work experience is worth more than it is in years.

7. Career path

The career path is more well-defined in public practice specially in the first 4 years.

8. Stepping stone 

It is usually easier to transfer from public practice to commerce than the other way around.

9. Best mentors 

You will have the opportunity to be mentored by the best in the profession.

10. More doors open 

I cannot emphasize enough the doors that open to you locally and overseas after a few years in public practice.

Part of the message is… you do not have to stay for very long. Being an auditor is definitely not for everybody but it certainly pays to try.

Let me know if you agree or not below.

Now be the best that you can be,

Xiela Marie Dacyon

Why I Pursued Australia

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After a few years working as an auditor in public practice I thought I’d try something less stressful. I ended up working for the government, with the Central Bank of the Philippines, auditing banks. During that time, I was also able to complete and pass the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) Program.

I had always wanted to work overseas, as everyone else did, for the experience and, of course, for the money. After my dad’s company closed down when I was around 7, my family had struggled financially. So I vowed to myself that I’ll do everything I can to help my parents financially.

Most external auditors at that time were all finding jobs in the United States so I thought I would try my luck. I had interviews but somehow never got a job offer. I got a bit depressed but I promised myself that if opportunity doesn’t come to me I will create my own. I will be working overseas, I will be earning more and I will get my family out of debt.

I decided to apply for a permanent resident visa in Australia on my own.

Why Australia?

When you seek information, you’ll find it.

I learned that one of my friends was applying for a permanent resident visa in Australia so I asked her about it. She did it on her own without an agent. She was still in the process of lodging her application but based on her background we knew that it was just a matter of time before she gets approved. Fortunately we have a similar background so I know that if I just replicate what she did, I could be on my way. And I did just that.

So when doing something new or out of your comfort zone, find someone else who has done it before – a friend of a friend, your boss or even a bestselling author – and ask them your questions.  Sometimes the thing that they have done may not be the same thing as what you wanted to do but something similar should be a good start.

Australia is not America but it’s good enough for me. If it’s not for you then it just isn’t. I was thankful for all that has happened in the end because something more wonderful, I believe, came my way.

Now be the best that you can be,

Xiela Marie Dacyon

Only as high as I reach can I grow
Only as far as I seek can I go
Only as deep as I look can I see
Only as much as I dream can I be

-Unknown

4 Things to Consider if You Want to Become an Auditor

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Working as an auditor for a public accounting firm strait from university or after becoming a CPA has always been the popular path for us accountants but it doesn’t always have to be. The following are some considerations:

• Pay – the starting salary for public accounting firms are usually lower than in commerce or private companies.

• Time – you are not for public practice if you want work-life balance as there is no such thing, especially in the Philippines and most parts of Asia. The first 2-3 years of your working life in public practice are definitely the most gruesome and dynamic years of your life, where your office is your home.

•  Life plans – if you plan to have a family soon then spare your partner and children and work in commerce, however if part of your plan is to work and live overseas then I suggest that becoming an auditor should be your priority. This is not to say that you can’t go abroad any other way, of course you can, but becoming an auditor is just the fastest and surest way of doing it, believe me.

• Health – there will always be some form of stress in the workplace but being in public practice is the just the mother of them all. For every busy season in public practice, you lose at least one month of your life.

I was blessed to have had a job offer from Punongbayan & Araullo (P&A) even before I passed the CPA board exam. P&A was a member firm of Ernst & Young at that time and became a member of Grant Thornton after the crash of Arthur Andersen. If you are still at university doing your accounting degree and haven’t heard of the story of Arthur Andersen and Enron, you should research it. It will tell you why financial auditors are doing so much nowadays and how the scrutiny of the accounting profession, specially of auditors, started.

Thanks for reading.

Now be the best that you can be,

Xiela Marie Dacyon

Achieving Goals

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I can still clearly recall that early morning in the plane on my way home to the southern part of the Philippines, Davao City. This was a few days after my last Certified Public Accountant (CPA) board exam in Manila. I was travelling alone.

One of the flight attendants handed me a newspaper and my heart skipped a beat when I saw that the CPA board exam results are out and is printed out in that issue. I almost fell off my seat when learned that I passed the exam. I was so ecstatic and didn’t realise that tears were running down my cheeks. I wanted to shout and hug the person beside me. I must have looked really silly as I caught one of the passengers staring at me. I didn’t care… I made it, I am now a Certified Public Accountant, I have achieved my goal and I knew that this is going to be an exciting life!

Here are 5 things I have learned about achieving my goals that I want to share with you:

• Goals should be written down. I find it most effective for me to write down my goals or dreams in a notebook. I want to be able to revisit them regularly so I could internalise them. You can have 10-year and 5-year goals as I do and it would be better to have a list things that you want to achieve or do in the next 12 months.

• Your goals should be specific and have a detailed plan of action to achieve it. It is better to write “I want to lose 6 kilos in 12 weeks” than just “I want to lose weight”. Break down the task to smaller portions or detail the plan of action so it does not get too overwhelming (e.g. play badminton every Wednesday, replace nightly ice cream with yoghurt, no eating after 6pm).

• Have mentors to encourage and guide you. Ask the help of people who have been “there” before. Books, audio books, seminars or webinars are also a powerful source of wisdom. Leverage on the experience of other people.

• Be healthy and well-rested every day. I can get very irritable and unproductive if I have not had enough sleep the night before, making it hard to motivate myself and think about my goals. So make sure you always have enough water, sleep and exercise. You will be amazed by how much energy you have during the day.

• Always think of the “why”. Thinking of why I want to achieve something or the loved ones I am doing it for always motivate me to carry on. With every major goal in life, we must always have a compelling reason to achieve it.

Now be the best that you can be,

Xiela Marie Dacyon

What's This?

My name is Xiela Marie Dacyon.

I have to say that I fit the traditional accountant’s profile… quiet and happy to sit in the corner and crunch the numbers away. I called it “traditional” as this has now changed. Accountants nowadays need to be part IT specialist, journalist, lawyer, marketer, information analyst, manager, teacher, student and more all rolled into one.

I have evolved through the years and with the profession and I would like to share through this blog my stories, tips, pictures, interviews, notes, struggles and learnings in my journey as a Filipino accountant working as an external auditor in the Philippines, Guernsey (Channel Islands) and Australia.

I hope these will help you in your own journey as an Accountant. If you have questions or if you’re stuck in a similar situation, please feel free to comment or ask any questions along the way.

Now be the best that you can be,
Xiela

“The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” 
- B.B. King