Filipino Accountants Moving to Australia: 2026 Visa Guide

Three assessing bodies, one migration outcome

CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), and the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) are the three bodies Home Affairs approves to run the migration skills assessment for accounting occupations. All three are recognised equally for migration purposes — the visa-relevant outcome doesn't differ depending on which one you choose.

The assessment checks whether your degree provides adequate coverage of the competency areas each body requires (specific accounting, finance and quantitative-methods units) and, depending on the ANZSCO code, relevant work experience. Nominate the code matching your actual intended role — commonly 221111 Accountant (General), 221213 Management Accountant, or 221214 Taxation Accountant.

CPA Australia's PICPA Member Pathway Agreement

CPA Australia holds a Member Pathway Agreement with the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) and the Professional Regulation Commission's Board of Accountancy. Under it, licensed Philippine CPAs may be exempted from some of CPA Australia's own membership examinations, and PICPA members meeting specific criteria — a degree the Australian Government recognises as bachelor-level equivalent, plus at least 10 years' relevant work experience with a minimum of five cumulative years in a senior role — may be eligible for Associate CPA Australia membership.

This is a professional-membership benefit, separate from the migration skills assessment your visa needs. It doesn't substitute for that assessment — confirm directly with CPA Australia how your specific PRC licence and experience interact with both processes before assuming one covers the other.

Fees and processing time

As at 2026, indicative fees: CPA Australia around AUD $514 (offshore) to $565, CA ANZ around AUD $560 (CA ANZ full members are exempt from the assessment fee), and IPA around AUD $545–600, with a faster processing option typically priced higher around AUD $795. Check each body's own current fee schedule before applying, since figures are periodically revised.

All three bodies require English test results from an approved in-person test centre — home or online tests aren't accepted for the qualification assessment.

Visa options for accountants

Accounting occupations sit on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), giving access to the points-tested 189, 190 and 491 visas, and the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), governing the employer-sponsored 482 and the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme. Subclass 190 and 491 with state or regional nomination are commonly used alongside the 189 — check the current occupation-ceiling status on the live SkillSelect and occupation-list pages rather than relying on a past year's figures.

On the employer-sponsored side, Australian audit and advisory firms, corporate finance teams and financial-services businesses regularly sponsor overseas-trained accountants where a specific vacancy exists. A sponsoring employer must pay at or above the Core Skills Income Threshold — $79,423 per year as at 1 July 2026 — or the genuine market salary rate, whichever is higher.

No licensing board, but membership still matters

There's no government licensing board to register with to work as an accountant in Australia — once your skills assessment is positive and your visa is granted, you can begin work. Professional-body membership (CPA, CA or IPA designation) remains commercially significant afterwards, though — many employers and clients expect it — and it runs on its own separate study and examination track distinct from the migration assessment.

One thing worth knowing early: giving personal financial advice, as opposed to accounting, tax or audit work, is separately regulated under an Australian Financial Services Licence framework — a distinct regime, relevant if your Philippine background leans toward wealth management rather than core accounting.

English language requirements

There's no separate professional-body English standard for accountants — the requirement is set by the visa subclass. For the points-tested visas, Competent English is the baseline: IELTS 6.0 in each band, or the equivalent PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT or Cambridge score. Many Filipino applicants find this manageable given English's role throughout Philippine tertiary education, but the assessing body itself also requires an approved in-person English test result as part of the qualification assessment — a documentation requirement, not an additional pass mark on top of the visa's own threshold.

Verifying your Philippine documents

Expect to submit academic transcripts, degree certificates, PRC licence records and, depending on the ANZSCO code, detailed employment references, regardless of which assessing body you use. The Philippines has been a Hague Apostille Convention member since 2019, so a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) apostille is generally sufficient authentication rather than a longer consular-legalisation chain.

If you're relying on PICPA membership or your Board Exam Certificate alongside a university degree, submit the complete professional-registration history — assessing bodies generally want the full picture rather than the base degree alone.

Next steps

Decide which ANZSCO code genuinely matches your intended role, since this determines which competency checklist applies. Start Philippine document apostille authentication early. If you're a licensed Philippine CPA, confirm the current PICPA Member Pathway Agreement terms with CPA Australia before assuming it replaces the migration skills assessment.

A MARA-registered migration agent can help confirm which assessing body and which visa pathway genuinely fits your qualification and plans. On Migratio you describe your situation once and compare consultation fees from MARA-registered agents (comparing is free; consults are typically $150–$300 and you pay only if you book).

Which body should Filipino accountants use for the migration skills assessment?

Any of CPA Australia, CA ANZ, or the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) — all three are equally approved for migration purposes. CPA Australia's separate PICPA Member Pathway Agreement may make it a natural choice for licensed Philippine CPAs pursuing CPA Australia membership afterwards.

Does PICPA membership replace the migration skills assessment?

No. CPA Australia's Member Pathway Agreement with PICPA and the PRC Board of Accountancy is a professional-membership benefit, separate from the migration skills assessment your visa application needs. Confirm directly with CPA Australia how the two interact for your specific circumstances.

Do accountants need a licence to work in Australia?

No. Unlike nursing or medicine, there's no government licensing board for accountants. Once your skills assessment is positive and your visa is granted, you can start work.

Is Accountant on Australia's skilled occupation list?

Yes. Accounting occupations sit on the MLTSSL (governing 189, 190 and 491) and the CSOL (governing 482 and 186).

How are Philippine documents authenticated for the accounting assessment?

The Philippines has been a Hague Apostille Convention member since 2019, so a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) apostille is generally sufficient to authenticate degree and transcript documents.

What salary must an employer pay to sponsor an accountant on a 482 visa?

At or above the Core Skills Income Threshold, which is $79,423 per year as at 1 July 2026, or the genuine market salary rate for the role, whichever is higher. This figure is indexed annually.