Accountant Skill Assessment

What is Accountant Skill Assessment?

For foreign accountants who seek to immigrate to Australia and practice accounting, the appropriate authorities there conduct an Accountant Skill Assessment procedure. A Department of Home Affairs-approved professional accounting organization, such as CPA Australia or Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, frequently conducts the exam. The goal of the skill evaluation is to ascertain whether the applicant’s credentials and work history meet the criteria and requirements for accountants in Australia. It ensures that those looking to immigrate to Australia have the skills and information required to work as accountants there.

The assessment procedure often entails the submission of pertinent paperwork, including transcripts, work experience records, and references. The assessing authority will analyze these records and, if necessary, may ask for more details or justification. In some circum stances, candidates would also need to take additional exams or interviews to prove their proficiency in the discipline of accounting.

English language requirement for skills assessment (Accountant Skill Assessment)

Requirement of English test
ACS reviews the applicant's academic transcripts, employment references, and relevant certifications to determine if the applicant has the necessary skills and experience to work in their nominated occupation.
The ACS skill assessment is an important step in the migration process for ICT professionals seeking to migrate to Australia. It helps ensure that individuals with the required qualifications and experience are eligible for skilled migration visas in the ICT field.

Accounting Skill Evaluation Criteria

The specific guidelines and criteria for the skill assessment process are:

Provisional skills assessment:

To apply for a provisional skills assessment (Accountant Skill Assessment) for the graduate work stream of the Subclass 485 visa, you must meet the following specifications:

Degree Comparability: You must have a 12-unit Australian master’s degree in accounting or a comparable field such as business, commerce, or economics.
Competency Areas: You have to complete sure competency areas relevant to the occupation you have nominated for your visa application.
English Language ability: For the provisional skills assessment, you have to provide evidence that you meet the English language ability criteria.

Permanent Skills Assessment (Accountant Skill Assessment)

Comparability of Degrees: You must hold either an Australian bachelor’s degree or a 12-unit Australian master’s degree. You can also have an international qualification or professional membership that is comparable to at least a bachelor’s degree in Australia.

Competency Areas: You must complete all mandatory competency areas related to the occupation you have chosen for your skills assessment.

English Language Competency: You must show proof that you meet the English language competency criterion. This entails demonstrating your English language skills through suitable language examinations or qualifications.

You may find a list of recognized degrees from Australia and New Zealand on the CA ANZ-recognized Tertiary Course (ATC) website.

CA ANZ assesses the educational level of abroad qualifications using the parameters established by the Country Education Profile (CEP), which is controlled by the Australian Government’s Department of Education.

CA ANZ may consider your studies comparable to an Australian Qualification Framework bachelor’s degree if you are an associate member in good standing of a professional accounting body listed on the CEP.

To apply for the skills test, you must have an Australian higher education award at Level 7 (which are equal to a bachelor’s degree) or its international equivalent if you are not a full member of one of the professional accounting populations mentioned on the CEP.

Competency Areas

In an accountant skill assessment, competency areas refer to the specific areas of knowledge, skills, and abilities required for practicing as an accountant in a specific profession or occupation. These competency areas are evaluated to identify a person’s skill and aptitude for a certain accounting function.

Depending on the accounting specialty or occupation being evaluated, the competency categories may differ. Some frequent competency areas in an accounting skill evaluation, however, may include

Accounting Systems and Software: The capability to use technology efficiently in the accounting process and knowledge of data management systems and accounting software.

Ethics and professionalism: When engaged in accounting operations, one should be aware of ethical norms and conduct themselves ethically. This includes maintaining information privacy and avoiding conflicts of interest. Accounting Systems and Software: The capability to use technology efficiently in the accounting process and knowledge of data management systems and accounting software.

Ethics and professionalism: When performing accounting-related tasks, operate ethically and professionally by keeping information private and avoiding conflicts of interest.

After it has been determined that the qualification is at least on par with an Australian bachelor’s degree, CA ANZ will look at each subject, in turn, to evaluate whether it covers the necessary competencies for each ANZSCO code. To verify that you’ve satisfied the necessary competency areas, you must show that you passed each of the authorized finished subject areas:

Areas of Competence	General Accountant 221111	Management Accountant 221112	Finance Manager 132211	Corporate Treasurer 221212	Tax Accountant 221113	External Auditor 221213
Accounting Systems & Processes	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory
Financial Accounting & Reporting*	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory
Management Accounting	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory
Finance	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory
Audit & Assurance	Optional	Optional	Mandatory	Optional	Optional	Optional
Business Law**	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory
Taxation Law	Optional	Mandatory***	Optional	Optional	Mandatory***	Optional
Economics	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory
Quantitative Methods	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory	Mandatory

It is advised that you consult the CA ANZ Accredited Tertiary Course (ATC) lists if you have earned a certification from Australia or New Zealand. To be sure you've covered all the necessary competency areas for your chosen vocation, check out the listings in the Related Downloads section.

Regarding particular skill areas:

The study of both financial accounting and accounting theory is covered in Financial Accounting & Reporting. Business law includes areas of corporate and commercial law. Only the position of a tax accountant is subject to Australian tax legislation. Other professions may not necessarily need to be familiar with local tax legislation. By reading the ATC listings and taking these competency areas into account, you can be sure that you have covered the relevant subjects and information for your chosen accounting vocation.

Requirement of English test

All applicants seeking a migration skills evaluation must have English language competency. There are no exceptions, and every application is assessed according to the same criteria. The English language requirement for the skills assessment may differ from other English proficiency standards you meet during your visa application procedure to guarantee fairness and consistency. You must submit proof of your English language proficiency from one of the recognized providers listed below:

IELTS
TOEFL iBT
Cambridge English C1 Advanced (formerly CAE)
Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic
Accounting Professional Year Program (PYP)

It’s crucial to remember that CA ANZ will only accept English test scores that were received within the past three years of your application for a skills assessment. This indicates that the test had to be completed within three years before your evaluation application.

IELTS (Accountant Skill Assessment)

You may choose to take the IELTS Academic or General Training test for a temporary skills evaluation. However, only the IELTS Academic test is acceptable for full (permanent) skills assessment. Please remember that only the IELTS Academic test qualifies for the whole skills assessment. IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR), a new option, will be accessible to some test takers beginning on December 14, 2022. You can only take one of the four test sections (reading, writing, speaking, or listening) again with OSR. CA ANZ accepts academic IELTS test results with OSR. For information on the visa subclasses where this applies, please visit the Department of Home Affairs website.

The following minimum scores must be obtained for each component in order to satisfy the English language requirement:

		Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
Provisional skills assessment	IELTS General or Academic	6	6	6	6
Full (permanent skills assessment)	IELTS Academic	7	7	7	7

Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic (Accountant Skill Assessment)

For PTE Academic results, CA ANZ mandates the use of a Score Report Code (SRC). On the test taker’s score report, at the top, is the SRC, a 10-digit code made up of letters and digits. It debuted in 2019 to take the place of the Registration ID. You can log into your PTE Academic account and obtain your score report again if your PTE Academic exam result does not include an SRC. On the report, the SRC will be visible beneath your name. The new Score Report Website eliminates the need to allocate your scores to CA ANZ after you obtain the SRC. Please be conscious that after authorization has been granted, getting hold of PTE results for verification may take up to 72 hours.

Minimum scores need to be achieved on each of the test components for one to meet the English language requirement:

		Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
Provisional skills assessment	PTE Academic	50	50	50	50
Full (permanent skills assessment)	PTE Academic	65	65	65	65

TOEFL IBT (Accountant Skill Assessment)

An English language competency test called the TOEFL iBT (Internet-Based Test) is given by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). For the aim of evaluating skills, it is widely used by universities, colleges, and organizations all over the world, including CA ANZ. The four sections of the TOEFL iBT test—Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing—are used to evaluate the English language proficiency of non-native speakers. The exam gauges how well you can comprehend and communicate in academic English. It is available at accredited testing facilities and is delivered online. The TOEFL iBT offers a score report that includes both an overall score and information about your degree of ability in each component. Two years after the test date, the test findings are still valid. For the purposes of evaluating skills, CA ANZ accepts TOEFL iBT results as proof of English language ability.

Minimum scores for English language requirements:

		Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
Provisional skills assessment	TOEFL IBT	12	13	21	18
Full (permanent skills assessment)	TOEFL IBT	24	24	27	23

CAE (Cambridge Assessment English) (Accountant Skill Assessment)

A test of English language competency administered by Cambridge Assessment English is called CAE, or Cambridge English: Advanced. Another name for it is the C1 Advanced exam. The CAE exam is meant to evaluate non-native speakers’ advanced English language proficiency. The four language skills—reading, writing, speaking, and listening—are all evaluated. Because it focuses on higher-level language abilities, the exam is ideal for persons who have a solid command of English and can talk well in a variety of circumstances. The CAE exam can be successfully completed to demonstrate a high level of English language proficiency, and it is accepted as such by universities, companies, and immigration agencies. All across the world, the CAE degree is highly recognized for its academic and professional objectives.

Along with tests like the IELTS and TOEFL, the CAE is regarded as one of the most reliable and respected English language competency assessments.

English language requirement scores:

		Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
Provisional skills assessment	CAMBRIDGE (CAE)	169	169	169	169
Full (permanent skills assessment)	CAMBRIDGE (CAE)	185	185	185	185

Accounting Professional Year Program (Accounting PYP) (Accountant Skill Assessment)

The Department of Home Affairs has authorized the Accounting Professional Year Program. It was created especially for foreign students who had spent at least two years studying and had earned an accounting degree from an Australian university.

In order to help international students improve their accounting knowledge and abilities in a workplace setting in Australia, the program offers additional training and hands-on experience. It intends to get them ready for a lucrative accounting job in Australia.

	Accounting PYP
Full (permanent) skills assessment	(completion certificate and academic transcript)

Skilled Employment Assessment (Accountant Skill Assessment)

Skilled employment requirement

CA ANZ will only take into account work experience that satisfies the following requirements:

Following completion of a qualification equating to at least an Australian Bachelor’s degree, the work experience should be started.
The duties of the job should be directly related to the one for which you earned a satisfactory full skills assessment result. The Australian Bureau of Statistics is a good resource for definitions of various occupations.
The job must have been completed no more than ten years prior to the application deadline for your skills evaluation. The employment should have been continuous, paid, and at least 20 hours per week with the same company. irregular work schedules, unpaid or partially compensated leaves of absence, volunteer work, or experience acquired as part of a qualification will not be considered.
There must have at least one year of work experience. A claim for employment may only be made once in a specific time frame, and Only once per 12 months may experience be claimed. Provide documentation for the role that most closely matches the ANZSCO code occupation you are seeking if you are employed concurrently.

Documents for Skilled Employment Assessment (Accountant Skill Assessment)

You have to show the documents that follow in order to be evaluated for the skilled employment evaluation:

An employment reference letter is a letter provided by your employer certifying your employment details, including the position you held, the amount that you worked there, and a breakdown of your duties and responsibilities.
The most recent pay stub, in addition to that from the start, the middle, and the end of your job duration, must be provided. Pay slips are documents describing your salary or reimbursement, including earnings, deductions, and the pay period.

Self-employment (Accountant Skill Assessment)

In accountant skill assessment, self-employment refers to evaluating an individual’s accounting skills and capabilities while working as a self-employed accountant or running their own accounting practice. It entails evaluating an individual’s knowledge of accounting, taxation, financial management, and business advisory services.

A variety of competencies may be tested during a self-employment accountant skill evaluation, including

You need to provide an affidavit or a declaration that explains the type of firm or business.

We will also need the original color-scanned documents shown below:

Company registration from the appropriate government practice certificate

Tax reports covering the entire period of the business operation reference from two or more clients on letterhead, describing the job done by your business and the time period your business was engaged by the referee.

You can choose whether or not to do a skilled employment assessment. CA ANZ doesn’t give detailed information about moving or visa requirements. If you have questions about visas, points, or migrating, contact the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs. Only apply for a skilled employment assessment if CA ANZ has already approved your qualification assessment for the same job you’re applying for. You can apply for a combination assessment if you don’t already have an approved qualification assessment from CA ANZ. This implies that a single application will be used to evaluate both your qualifications and skilled employment. CA ANZ will first evaluate your qualifications, and only if they find that they are appropriate, will they move on to evaluate your skilled employment.

CA ANZ will only take into account the data contained in your official employment documentation when evaluating your skilled employment. Before making a final decision about your application, they could require more supporting material. Your company may be contacted by CA ANZ to confirm the information supplied. That time period of employment won’t be considered if the standards for skilled employment aren’t met or are unclear. It’s crucial to understand that once you’ve completed your original application, CA ANZ will not accept any adjustments or alterations to your employment reference letter. CA ANZ will decline to evaluate an application if they believe the information or supporting documentation is incorrect or not authentic. The applicant will receive a letter from them explaining that the evaluation was unsuccessful because CA ANZ was unable to verify the legitimacy of the given paperwork. CA ANZ will alert the Department of Home Affairs and other accounting evaluating agencies if there are indications of falsification.

Skills Assessment Supporting Documentation (Accountant Skill Assessment)

Documents need to provide for the Skills Assessment:

(Photo pages) Current passport information.
evidence of a name change, if any

Evidence of the need for English language ability
CA If a third party is acting on the applicant’s behalf, fill out the ANZ Third-Party Authorization form.

Degree certificate that lists the degree’s name, the school that granted it, the year the study was finished, and the grade received; official academic transcripts that list all of the subjects studied and the grades received.

You must submit the academic transcript from the school where the coursework that qualified you for the exemptions was completed if exemptions were granted. Unofficial academic transcripts are not accepted here.

Professional membership requirements (Accountant Skill Assessment)

Membership certificate grades/mark sheets for the test

Letter from a professional accounting organization attesting to the applicant’s membership in good standing as a current member.

We accept a letter from a professional accounting body confirming membership status, regulatory information, and disciplinary information if you are unable to submit a letter of good standing.
Degree certificates and academic transcripts/mark sheets (if applicable) should be no older than three months.

A certified translator’s completed English translation must be submitted with any papers that are not in English. Both the document in its original language and the translated version must be submitted with your application.

Follow these instructions when putting together your documents:

Use actual papers and color scans of the highest caliber.
Make sure the scanned papers are less than 20MB in size and saved in PDF, JPEG, or PNG format.
For each area of the online application form, it is advised to merge all the supporting papers into a single PDF file.
Ensure that the scanned documents have adequate contrast, are readable, and are clear. Stay away from shadows, obstacles, cropping, and pixelation.
To ensure high-quality scanning, set your scanner’s resolution to 600 DPI (dots per inch).
Simply put, ensure that your documents are original, properly scanned, stored in the appropriate format, and legible without any problems like low contrast or blurriness.

Please keep the following in mind when uploading your documents to our online portal for the Migration Skills Assessment:

Ensure that your files are not password-protected or set to read-only because encrypted files cannot be accepted.

Before uploading your papers, make sure they adhere to CA ANZ specifications for size and format.

The document will be uploaded when you click the ‘UPLOAD’ button after ensuring that the scanned document meets the requirements.

The “SAVE AND CONTINUE” option will turn on once you click “UPLOAD,” enabling you to continue using the application.

Applying for a skills assessment in Australia (Accountant Skill Assessment)

The following are the steps for applying for a Migration Skills Assessment:

Check to see if your nominated occupation is listed as eligible on the Department of Home Affairs’ combined list.
Determine whether you require a skills assessment for your specific visa subclass and ensure you understand the Department of Home Affairs visa criteria.
Confirm that CA ANZ is the authorized body to assess your vocation based on the ANZSCO classification.
Understand the CA ANZ assessment criteria for your occupation.
Learn about the assessment fees and obtain an estimate of the processing timelines.
Collect all relevant supporting papers in the format indicated.
To submit your application online, please visit our Migration Skills Assessment portal.

Fees and Processing Times

With weekends, federal holidays, and the time when offices are closed at the end of the year excluded, the processing time is now projected to take about 50 business days. Please be aware that processing times are an estimate and may vary based on the number of applications submitted and office closures around year-end. The processing period begins on the day your application is received, your money is made, and all necessary paperwork has been turned in. The processing time will start once we get any additional papers you need to submit. Please wait patiently for your application’s results. Please contact us for an update if processing of your application is taking longer than anticipated. When contacting us, be sure to have your application reference number ready.

We might take your request into account if you have an urgent circumstance. You must be very specific about your urgency and offer proof to back up your request.

Type	Fees	Transaction Times
Only a qualification evaluation regular processing periods	823.20 AUD	50 business days
Processing timeframes for Qualification Assessment Only Express Exclusive to Migration Agents	972.87 AUD	30 business days
Combined Assessment (Skilled Employment AND Qualification)	898.04 AUD	50 business days
Only for Skilled Employment Assessment regular processing periods	374.18 AUD	50 business days
Processing timeframes for Skilled Employment Assessment Only Express Exclusive to Migration Agents	523.86 AUD	30 business days
Review/Appellation (Skilled Employment Assessment OR Qualification)	254.44 AUD	50 business days
Review/Appeal (Skilled Employment Assessment AND Combined Qualification)	508.89 AUD	50 business days

How do we process your application?

Email applications for the migration skills assessment are no longer accepted. The online application for the migration skills assessment must be used to submit all new applications.

To apply, go to the “My CA” site and log in. Then, do the following:

Click ‘My Applications’.

the ‘New Application’ option.

Select the “Migration Skills Assessment” option.

To examine, submit a new application, send payment, or add more information or documentation, go to the “Application Dashboard.”

You can engage a Migration Agent to file your skills assessment application on your behalf. It is entirely up to you whether or not to engage a migration agent. If you elect to use one, you must complete the CA ANZ Third-party Authorisation Form to authorize, amend, or remove the migration agent’s details.

It is critical to include all needed documentation with your application. Any missing or inaccurate documentation can create processing delays and result in a negative conclusion.

CA ANZ will initially assess your application and notify you if any additional documents or information are required. They will only consider your application after receiving all relevant documentation and information. The processing period begins when we receive your application, payment, and all necessary paperwork. The processing time will start once we get any extra documentation you might be required to submit.

If you request a combined evaluation of your qualifications and skilled employment, we will only evaluate your skilled employment if we determine that your qualifications are appropriate. The Department of Home Affairs will accept this letter as verification of your skill evaluation. The outcome letter is usable with the Department of Home Affairs for a period of three (3) years following the date it is issued. In addition, your application with CA ANZ is still valid three (3) years after the date of the results of your initial skills assessment. Your initial skills assessment result must still be valid in order to submit an application for a review/update or appeal. Your application’s legitimacy won’t be increased by adding more credentials, ANZSCO codes, or skilled work. A copy of your current English Language Proficiency exam results must be included with your application for a qualification evaluation. You can apply for a new skills evaluation by paying the appropriate assessment cost after the three-year validity period has passed. The new evaluation will take into account your updated credentials as well as the entry requirements in effect at that time.

Due to the intricacy of the assessment process, we cannot say whether your skills assessment will be appropriate until we have finished it.

In all circumstances, there is an administration cost of AUD$80 if you decide to withdraw your application. However, no refund will be given if we have already begun the preliminary work or finished the skills evaluation. If we believe the information or documents submitted is incorrect or not real, we will refuse applications. In these situations, we shall send out a letter with a negative outcome explaining that we are unable to verify the validity and that the assessment result is thus negative. Falsification that is suspected will be submitted to other accounting assessment bodies as well as the Department of Home Affairs. Reapplication is potentially prohibited, and the application cost is not refundable.

Review (update) and appeal

Following are some justifications for requesting a review application:

If you previously had a provisional skills assessment and now wish to apply for a complete (permanent) skills evaluation.
If you want to update your evaluation with a new ANZSCO code.

If you want to add new information to your current application.
If you think there was a mistake in the assessment result and you wish to challenge the judgment, you can seek an appeal application.

Email applications for the migration skills assessment are no longer accepted. The Migration Skills Assessment online platform must be used to submit all new applications, including review applications.

Please be sure you use the same email address you did for your first application if you’re submitting a review application.

Follow these steps to apply or submit a review application:

Enter the ‘MyCA’ site.

‘My Applications’ can be accessed by clicking.

‘New Application’ should be chosen.

‘Migration Skills Assessment’ should be selected.

To examine, submit a new application, send payment, or add more information or documentation, go to the “Application Dashboard.”

Please be aware that all review evaluations involve payment of a review fee.

Only applications for a review (update) will be accepted by CA ANZ if the results of your first skills assessment are still valid.

Your application will be valid for three (3) years after you get the results of your initial skills assessment from CA ANZ. It is crucial to remember that in order to submit an application for a review, update, or appeal, the results of your first skills assessment must still be valid.

The expiration date of your application will not be changed by any subsequent review or update, such as applying for a full (permanent) skills assessment after receiving a provisional skills assessment, updating the results of your English language test, or adding new qualifications, ANZSCO codes, or skilled employment periods.

Make sure to include a legitimate English Language Proficiency test report as necessary when submitting your qualification assessment application, including changes and further ANZSCO code reviews.

You have the choice to apply for a new skills assessment by paying the appropriate assessment fee once the three-year validity term of your current assessment has passed. The entry requirements for this new application will be based on those in place at that time, taking into account any extra tertiary or professional degrees you may have earned and any skilled employment you may have undertaken in the interim.

Your skills assessment outcome letter, including the letter for a review or update application, is good for three (3) years from the date it was issued with the Department of Home Affairs.

Make sure to include a legitimate English Language Proficiency test report as necessary when submitting your qualification assessment application, including changes and further ANZSCO code reviews. At any stage of the application process, after you have submitted your initial application and heard from CA ANZ regarding your application, they will not accept changed employment reference letters. This implies that you are unable to alter or add to the job descriptions or task lists for the same employment period in your reference letter from a prior job.

CA ANZ will not accept a skilled employment appeal for such modifications or additions. Ensure that your original application contains all necessary details and truthful job descriptions because changes made afterward will not be taken into account.

Accounting Professional Year Program

The Department of Home Affairs has approved the Accounting Professional Year Program (Accounting PYP). International students who have successfully finished at least two years of study toward an Australian accounting degree at an Australian university are eligible to apply.

The following elements make up the Accounting PYP:

A minimum of 44 weeks of training, including 12 weeks of an internship at a recognized Australian company and 32 weeks of classroom instruction. The internship involves performing pertinent accounting tasks and offers beneficial job experience. With a focus on preparing students for the job, including understanding the corporate culture, ethics, and expectations, professional development, and hands-on learning are combined. Recognition as a route for those on 485 visas who want to immigrate permanently under general skilled migration (GSM). CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia, and New Zealand, and the Institute of Public Accountants created the program. These professional accounting organizations’ registered providers who have been given their approval deliver it.

Additional points under the GSM points test may be awarded for successfully completing the Accounting PYP. The DHA Migration Regulations of 1994 mandate that the Professional Year must have been finished within 48 months (four years) of receiving an invitation to apply for the visa, even though the certificate and transcript do not include an expiration date. To earn five points, only one Professional Year may be used.

The DHA Migration Regulations of 1994 mandate that the Professional Year must have been finished within 48 months (four years) of receiving an invitation to apply for the visa, even though the certificate and transcript do not include an expiration date. To earn five points, only one Professional Year may be used.

The Accounting PYP and other DHA-approved pathways to permanent residency are independent of enrollment in the professional programs offered by the accounting organizations. The Accounting PYP is not provided by CA ANZ. The three professional accounting organizations jointly approve registered providers to deliver the program, which is under their joint supervision.

Providers of the Accounting PYP are authorized to

Melbourne and Sydney-based Australian Technical and Management College (ATMC) Brisbane, Toowoomba, Canberra, and Hobart-based Indus Institute
Melbourne-based Monash Professional Pathways
Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney are served by Navitas Professional.
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney offer performance education
Adelaide, Perth, and Stanley College
TOP University: Sydney