UK Accountants: The Pathway to Migrating to Australia

Three assessing bodies, equally recognised

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 and, depending on the ANZSCO code, relevant work experience. Nominate the accounting ANZSCO code that matches your actual intended role — commonly 221111 Accountant (General), 221213 Management Accountant, or 221214 Taxation Accountant.

UK professional-body recognition: a separate membership route

If you hold a UK professional accounting qualification, it's worth understanding this is distinct from the migration skills assessment your visa needs. CPA Australia holds mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), giving members of those bodies a streamlined route into CPA Australia membership. Separately, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) holds a Reciprocal Membership Agreement with CA ANZ, allowing members of each organisation to work toward membership of the other.

These are professional-membership benefits — they don't automatically substitute for the migration skills assessment itself. Confirm directly with the relevant Australian body how your specific UK qualification and membership 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 for the qualification assessment specifically — separate from any passport-based exemption available for the visa application itself.

Visa options for accountants

Accounting occupations sit on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), giving access to the points-tested subclass 189, 190 and 491 visas. They also sit on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL), governing the employer-sponsored subclass 482 and the subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme.

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 — the large international accounting networks all maintain a UK-to-Australia transfer pipeline given their common structure across both markets. 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, and giving personal financial advice — as opposed to accounting, tax or audit work — is separately regulated under an Australian Financial Services Licence framework, relevant if your UK background leans toward wealth management.

English language requirements

For most visa purposes, a UK passport is accepted as evidence of Functional and Competent English without sitting a test, subject to the specific criteria in the relevant legislative instrument. If you're pursuing points for a higher English band (Proficient or Superior) on a points-tested visa, you'll still generally need to sit an approved test, since the exemption is pegged to the Competent standard.

Separately, the assessing body itself (CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA) requires an approved in-person English test result as part of the qualification assessment, regardless of your passport.

Verifying your UK documents

Expect to submit academic transcripts, degree certificates and, depending on the ANZSCO code, employment references, regardless of which assessing body you use. UK-issued academic documents are generally straightforward to verify, though some assessing bodies may request direct confirmation from the issuing university or professional body for older qualifications.

If you're relying on ICAEW, ICAS, ACCA or CIMA credentials alongside a university degree, submit the complete professional-body 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 to your degree. If you hold ICAEW, ICAS or ACCA membership, confirm the current CPA Australia MRA or CA ANZ reciprocal terms 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. Migratio matches you with one free.

Which body should UK 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. Your existing UK membership (ICAEW, ICAS or ACCA) may make one a more natural choice for professional membership afterwards.

Does ICAEW or ACCA membership replace the migration skills assessment?

Not automatically. CPA Australia's mutual recognition agreements with ICAEW and ICAS, and ACCA's Reciprocal Membership Agreement with CA ANZ, are professional-membership benefits separate from the migration skills assessment your visa needs. Confirm directly with the relevant body how the two interact.

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.

Do UK accountants need to sit an English test?

For the visa itself, a UK passport is generally accepted as evidence of Functional and Competent English without a test, subject to specific criteria. The assessing body (CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA) still requires an approved in-person English test as part of the qualification assessment itself, and a test is needed to claim points for a higher band.

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).

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.