Australia PR for Accountants from the UK: 2026 Guide
If you are an accountant with a UK qualification considering the move to Australia – 2026 is a time where details count more than ever. Count when deciding whether to get an Australian permanent resident visa on time, and why accounting is both on the Australian skills list and one of the most competitive currently for the full amount of points in the points test, and how to get your skills assessment and ANZSCO code in order and avoid the paperwork mistakes which can delay your visa, GIEC Global UK works in exactly these types of cases. Here is the simple breakdown of what UK accountants need for Australia PR 2026.
Which Accountant Occupations Qualify for Australia PR?
Not every finance role is “accounting” when applying for Australian migration. They rely on ANZSCO codes, and your actual daily tasks need to really match an ANZSCO code before you can even make an application for a skills assessment.
The best news? The core accounting roles are on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) – this is the best list to be on, as it will lead to the Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent), Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated), Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional), and Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination) visas.
Choosing the right code really does matter – an assessing organisation will refuse an application where the role set out doesn’t correspond with the code being used, even though it’s actually accounting work underneath.
| ANZSCO Code | Occupation | Assessing Body | Visas Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| 221111 | Accountant (General) | CPA Australia / CA ANZ / IPA | 189, 190, 491, 186 |
| 221112 | Management Accountant | CPA Australia / CA ANZ / IPA | 189, 190, 491, 186 |
| 221113 | Taxation Accountant | CPA Australia / CA ANZ / IPA | 189, 190, 491, 186 |
| 221213 | External Auditor | CPA Australia / CA ANZ / IPA | 189, 190, 491, 186 |
How Many Points Do You Need for Accounting PR in Australia?
You need a minimum of 65 points to make an Expression of Interest, but very few accountant applications are invited on 65 points alone.
Accountants are a ‘pro-rata’ occupation, so the government quotas the number of invitations issued for accountants each year and issues invitations by score, rather than by date of application.
In recent draws, accountants who have secured an invitation tend to be scoring well into the 80s and 90s for a Subclass 189 visa.
Here’s Where You Really Get the Points
- Age (18-44): up to 30 points
- English language (Competent, Proficient or Superior): up to 20 points
- Skilled employment outside Australia: up to 15 points
- Skilled employment in Australia: up to 20 points
- Educational qualification (bachelor’s, master’s or PhD): up to 20 points
- Australian study requirement: 5 points
- Professional Year in accounting: 5 points
- Partner skills: up to 10 points
- State or territory nomination: 5 points (190) or 15 points (491)
Accounting Skills Assessment: CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA?
Before you can claim any points, your experience and qualifications will need to have a positive skills assessment from one of the following three approved assessing authorities: CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) or The Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).
Only one positive outcome is necessary, not all three. All three assess your degree against the same core areas of competency – including financial accounting, management accounting, auditing, business law, taxation and economics, meaning there is a standard academic level.
Their two key differences are speed, and the handling of edge cases such as a non-standard or partial qualification. For example, some UK entrants complete a Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) to help cover any competency gaps left open by their degree as it is also counted as a master’s degree on the points table.
| Assessing Body | Often Suits | What to Check Before Applying |
|---|---|---|
| CPA Australia | Applicants with a business or commerce degree | Current processing time and fee schedule |
| CA ANZ | ICAEW (ACA)-qualified UK accountants, audit-heavy roles | Overlap between your UK membership and CA ANZ's criteria |
| IPA | Applicants with a partial or non-standard qualification | Any bridging or supplementary subjects required |
Visa Pathways for UK Accountants: 189, 190, 491 and 186
After you’ve scored a positive skills assessment and a competitive points score, it’s time to choose which visa to submit an application for.
Different streams are better suited to different circumstances:
Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent
- No state or employer needed, but it carries the highest points cut-off of the four because it competes nationwide against every other accountant in the pool.
Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated
- A state or territory provides an extra five points in return for your promise to live there, and South Australia and Tasmania have each run a nomination stream open to accountants at various stages throughout the program year.
Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional
- This adds 15 points for state or eligible family sponsorship in regional Australia (and access to a path to permanent residency (subclass 191) after three years).
Subclass 186 — Employer Nomination Scheme
- If a specific employer directly sponsored you, you won’t have to compete on points at all.
Apply For Australia PR Visa
FAQs
Most general accountants would use 221111 (Accountant General). If you do more work with taxes 221113 (Taxation Accountant) will be more appropriate, and management accountants would typically fall under 221112. Auditors use 221213. Make sure what you actually do matches the ANZSCO definition before you decide, as being outside the ANZSCO definition is one of the main reasons for a negative skills assessment.
65 is the legal minimum for the accounting profession, however all recent invitation rounds have required points in the mid-80s to the mid-90s for the Subclass 189 visa, because accounting is a pro-rata profession. State nomination in the 190 or 491, however, effectively reduces the bar, because they provide 5 or 15 points in addition to your base score.
Yes. UK qualifications typically receive a positive outcome from CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA, but this depends on which core competency areas your qualification and the professional qualification practice covers. ICAEW-qualified (ACA) accountants are usually similar to those assessed under the CA ANZ criteria.
No. One positive assessment from any of the three is enough. Most applicants pick based on which body’s competency requirements their degree already covers, plus processing time and cost.
Not necessarily. An MPA is generally only necessary if you haven’t studied enough of the core competency areas in your initial degree to meet the criteria of the assessing bodies. It scores the same points as any other master’s degree, and is worth ticking if you are short of needed subjects rather than building your degree from the beginning.
Both states have delivered an accountant occupational stream in previous years of the program, but eligibility criteria change during the year as each state has its own occupation list and cap. It’s good to review how each state deals with their employee intake before planning your visa around a single location.
