Can Accounting Still Lead to PR? A Side-by-Side Look at Skill Assessment, Quotas, and Employer Sponsorship in 2024

Can Accounting Still Lead to PR? A Side-by-Side Look at Skill Assessment, Quotas, and Employer Sponsorship in 2024 is an assessment of whether the Accountant (General) occupation (ANZSCO 221111) remains a practical channel to Australian permanent residency under the current migration framework. In the 2023–24 program year, the Department of Home Affairs set an occupation ceiling of 4,435 for accountants in the points-tested stream, while employer-sponsored visa grants for the same occupation reached 1,615 in 2022–23. Three pathways dominate: the points-tested General Skilled Migration (subclass 189 and 190), state nomination, and employer sponsorship through the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) or Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186). Each hinges on a positive skills assessment from one of three designated bodies—CPA Australia, CA ANZ, or IPA—and each operates under distinct numeric thresholds and procedural timelines.

The Accounting Migration Decision Tree

An applicant approaching the system can follow a structured decision tree that begins with qualification equivalency and English proficiency, then branches into points competition or job-offer reliance. The core logic is:

Does the applicant hold a degree deemed equivalent to an Australian bachelor’s in accounting by an assessing authority?
If yes, can they score 65 points on the Department of Home Affairs’ points test?
a. With 85 points or more, a state-nominated 190 visa may be accessible.
b. With 95–100+ points, a direct 189 invitation becomes possible.
If an employer is willing to sponsor and the applicant meets work-experience thresholds, the employer-sponsored stream bypasses the need for high points.

The Department of Education’s 2022 data show over 120,000 international students enrolled in management and commerce fields—accounting constituting a significant portion—yet only a fraction transition to permanent residency through skilled visas. The occupation ceiling acts as a cap, not a guarantee; in 2023–24, invitations under subclass 189 for accountants were highly competitive. The same ceiling applied to family-sponsored 491 visas, but state and territory governments issue their own nomination allocations, amplifying the decision-tree complexity.

Skill Assessment: The Gateway

Before any visa application, a skills assessment must be obtained from CPA Australia, CA ANZ, or the Institute of Public Accountants. The assessment confirms that the applicant’s qualifications are equivalent to an Australian bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting, and that the requisite competency areas—financial accounting, management accounting, taxation, auditing, commercial law, economics, and finance—are covered.

Processing volumes: In the 2022–23 financial year, the three assessing bodies collectively issued over 7,000 positive skills assessments for accounting occupations. Publicly available reports suggest CPA Australia alone handled around 4,500 migration assessments, CA ANZ approximately 1,500, and IPA the balance. This volume significantly exceeds the number of permanent residency spots available through points-tested and employer-sponsored visas combined, illustrating the bottleneck.

English requirements: The skills-assessment bodies require an IELTS Academic score of at least 7.0 in each band, or an equivalent PTE/TOEFL/CAE result. The same English threshold feeds into the visa points test; superior English (IELTS 8.0 in all bands) adds 10 points, while proficient English (IELTS 7.0) adds 0 points under current scoring.

Professional Year: International graduates of Australian accounting degrees can complete a Professional Year (PY) program, a 44-week structured course comprising coursework and a 12-week internship. The PY adds 5 points to the visa points test and can also satisfy the skilled employment requirement for a skills assessment if the applicant lacks supervised work experience. Completion typically takes 10 months, including reporting and administrative milestones. According to the Department of Education, approximately 8,000 international students enrolled in professional year programs across all disciplines in 2022, with accounting absorbing a large share.

Points-Tested Routes: 189 and 190

Skilled Independent (subclass 189)

The 189 visa requires an invitation from SkillSelect and does not need a state nomination or employer sponsor. Invitations are issued in rounds, and the occupation ceiling for Accountants (General) in 2023–24 stood at 4,435.

December 2023 round: The Department of Home Affairs issued 8,300 invitations across all occupations. Accountants required a minimum of 95 points, with an effect date of November 2022 for the lowest-scoring invitees. Only applicants with an expression of interest (EOI) lodged before that cut-off and with sufficient points received an invitation.
June 2024 round: The Department issued a further 5,292 invitations, with the accountant minimum points score rising to 100.
Over the full program year, only a small fraction of the 4,435 ceiling was consumed for 189 invitations because most state-nominated invitations were counted separately. Still, the practical points hurdle has not dropped below 95 in any round since early 2023.

📖 - Three Post-Study Work Pathways Compared: 485, Employer Sponsorship and State Nomination

Profile of a competitive 189 applicant: A candidate aged 25–32 (30 points), holding a recognised bachelor’s degree (15 points), with superior English (10 points), two years of Australian skilled employment (5 points) or a Professional Year (5 points), and a partner with skills and English (10 points) can reach 75–80 points without regional study or state nomination. To hit 95–100 points, additional components are necessary: study in a regional area (5 points), specialist education qualification (5 points for a master’s by research), or state nomination under 190 (5 points) could push the tally, but the 189 itself offers no direct boost.

Skilled Nominated (subclass 190)

The 190 visa is a state/territory-nominated permanent visa that adds 5 points to the EOI total. Each state publishes its own occupation list and criteria. During 2023–24, the accountancy occupation appeared on the skilled lists of several states, though with high thresholds:

Victoria: Candidates needed a minimum of 85 points for accountant nominations and often onshore work experience in Victoria. The Victorian Government’s allocation for 190 was 2,700 places.
New South Wales: Accountants were considered under the “priority sectors” framework, but nomination invites were rare for offshore applicants and required points above 95, as well as specialised experience in high-demand sub-sectors.
South Australia: Accountants with 12 months of South Australian skilled experience could access a 190 nomination under the “graduates” or “working in SA” streams, but the state reserved the right to close the stream when quotas were exhausted.

The 190 pathway remains viable for accountants who can satisfy a state’s onshore residency or employment requirements, but no state guarantees nomination. According to TEQSA-registered education providers, many international accounting graduates add a Professional Year and a year of local work to meet state expectations, effectively extending their graduate visa period.

Employer Sponsorship: 482, 186, and 494

Accountant (General) appears on the Medium and Long‑Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), making the occupation eligible for the subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa (medium‑term stream), the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (subclass 494) visa. This opens a pathway that relies less on points and more on the ability to secure an employer that meets sponsorship obligations.

482 requirements: As of 2024, the applicant must have at least two years of relevant work experience (exemptions apply to certain nationalities via international trade obligations, but this is rare for accounting). The sponsoring employer must demonstrate a genuine need for the role, pay market salary rates, and satisfy the Skilling Australians Fund levy. A formal skills assessment is not required for the 482 visa itself, though the employer may request it for nomination purposes. Standard processing time for the 482 medium‑term stream ranges from 38 to 55 days, according to Department of Home Affairs service-level data published in mid‑2024.

Permanent residency via 186: The Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream of the ENS 186 allows 482‑holders in the same occupation to apply for permanent residency after three years of full‑time work with the sponsoring employer (reduced from three to two years from November 2023 for occupations still on the MLTSSL). The Direct Entry (DE) stream requires a positive skills assessment and three years of post‑qualification work experience. Employer sponsorship grants for accountants numbered 1,615 in 2022–23, as recorded in the Department of Home Affairs’ Migration Program Report.

Regional pathway: The subclass 494 visa is available to employers in designated regional areas; it requires a skills assessment and three years’ experience, but leads to permanent residency through the 191 visa after three years. In the 2022–23 programme, around 230 primary 494 visas were granted for accounting professionals, indicating a modest but ongoing channel.

Cost and risk: Employer-sponsored visas involve no points test and offer a direct route for those already working in the field. The main friction is finding a willing employer. A 2023 survey by Universities Australia indicated that 71% of international graduates who secured employer sponsorship had completed an internship or work placement with the same employer, underscoring the importance of early local engagement.

Side-by-Side Pathway Comparison: Points vs. Sponsorship

Criterion	Subclass 189 / 190 (Points)	Employer Sponsorship (482 / 186)
Points requirement	95–100 for 189; 85+ for 190 (state nominee)	Not applicable
Occupation ceiling	4,435 (2023–24) for accountants	No numeric cap
Skill assessment needed	Yes, before EOI	Only for 186 DE; optional for 482
Minimum work experience	Not required, but points are awarded for skilled work	2 years for 482; 3 years for 186 DE
Job offer	Not needed	Mandatory
English ability	IELTS 6.0 minimum; superior English adds 10 points	IELTS 5.0 for 482 (overall), but 6.0 in each for 186
Processing time	6–12 months after invitation	38–55 days for 482; 8–15 months for 186
PR timeline	Direct permanent residency on grant	2–3 years to PR via 186 TRT, or direct DE
Cost (indicative)	Application charge from AUD 4,640 + skill assessment fees	AUD 2,770 for 482, plus employer levies
Uncertainty	Invitation rounds, state quotas, competitive points	Employer viability and labour market testing

Key insight: The points‑tested route can yield immediate permanent residency but demands an exceptional points profile; the employer‑sponsored route trades immediacy for practical entry, provided a job relationship exists. The Department of Home Affairs’ statistics for 2023–24 show that the total number of primary skilled visas granted to accountants (all streams) was just over 3,200, less than half the positive skills assessments issued annually.

Strategic Decision Points: Who Should Pursue Which Route?

An accountant with a completed Australian qualification and a positive skills assessment will typically sit on a points‑test tally between 60 and 75 before any employment or PY, making a direct 189 invitation out of reach without substantial boosters. The following scenarios illustrate when a shift to employer sponsorship becomes logical:

Offshore applicants without Australian experience: The absence of Australian study and work points limits total score. Even with 8 years of offshore skilled experience (15 points), a bachelor’s degree (15 points), age 25–32 (30 points), and superior English (10 points), the total is 70 points. To reach 95‑100, an additional 25–30 points are needed, impossible without Australian study (5 points), professional year (5 points), or state nomination (5 points). In this configuration, employer sponsorship via 482 (or 186 DE with three years’ experience) is a more feasible avenue.
Onshore graduates with low English scores: A candidate with IELTS 7.0 (0 points) and no professional year may sit at 65–70 points. Undertaking the 44‑week Professional Year adds 5 points and extends the Temporary Graduate visa, while a repeat IELTS test for superior English can add another 10 points. Even so, the combined 80 points often falls short of the 95‑point 189 threshold. State nomination for 190 at 85 points remains a narrow window, which is why many migrate toward employer sponsorship after one or two years of local skilled work.
Accountants in regional Australia: The Regional Study (5 points) and state nomination (5 points) can boost a profile to 85–90 points. South Australia and Tasmania historically have lower points cut‑offs for accountants in their nomination programmes. Meanwhile, employer‑sponsored regional visas (494) are under‑utilised but offer a clear permanent pathway without points‑testing, provided a regional employer exists.

The QS World University Rankings 2024 placed five Australian universities in the global top 50 for accounting and finance, yet the visa system does not preference graduates by institution; assessment is based on qualification content, not prestige. TEQSA ensures that these accounting programmes meet the Australian Qualifications Framework, satisfying the core knowledge areas required by the assessing bodies. The result is a level playing field for applicants from any registered provider, but the stiff numeric thresholds remain.

FAQ

Q: What is the minimum IELTS score for an accounting skill assessment?
A: All three assessing authorities require an Academic IELTS score of 7.0 in each band, or an equivalent PTE Academic score of 65 in each communicative skill. A lower score prevents a positive assessment and precludes migration points for English ability.

Q: Can I obtain permanent residency as an accountant without a job offer?
A: Yes. The Skilled Independent (subclass 189) and state‑nominated (subclass 190) visas do not require a job offer. However, applicants need an invitation based on a competitive points score—typically 95 or higher for the 189—and must accept the uncertainty of invitation rounds.

Q: How long does the Professional Year take to complete?
A: The accounting Professional Year is a 44‑week program that includes coursework and a mandatory 12‑week internship. On a full‑time schedule, completion takes about 10 months from the start date. A new intake starts every month at approved providers, and participants must hold or have applied for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) with adequate time remaining.

Q: Is Accountant (General) still on the skilled occupation list?
A: Yes. As of July 2024, the occupation remains on the Medium and Long‑term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), maintaining eligibility for the 189, 190, 482 (medium‑term stream), 186, and 494 visas. The Department of Home Affairs has announced reviews of the occupation lists for the 2024–25 programme, but no changes have been implemented for accounting.

Q: Can I apply for state nomination if my state does not list Accountant on its 190 list?
A: No. Applicants must select a state or territory that includes Accountant (General) in its skilled occupation list for the 190 or 491 stream. As lists are updated annually, an applicant whose state excludes accounting may wait for the next update or seek nomination from another state, provided they meet that state’s residency or employment criteria.

Policy Movements to Watch

The migration system for accounting is poised for further recalibration. The Department of Home Affairs’ migration review flagged potential shifts in the points test, with a final report expected to be released before the 2025–26 programme year. Separately, the introduction of the Skills in Demand visa—intended to replace the 482—may adjust work‑experience requirements downward to one year for some occupations; whether accounting qualifies will depend on the Core Skills Occupation List currently under development. The Department of Education continues to monitor international graduate employment outcomes, with accounting flagged as a field where Professional Year programs improve short‑term job placement but do not guarantee permanent residency.

Without relying on forecasts, the data tell a consistent story: accounting maintains a place in the skilled migration architecture, but the arithmetic of points-tested streams demands a near-maximum effort, while employer sponsorship shifts the friction from points accumulation to building an employer relationship. The contrast between over 7,000 positive skill assessments annually and roughly 3,200 primary visa grants underscores a structural imbalance that candidates must navigate with precision, not optimism.