In what has been a buoyant year for Australian skilled migration, we have heard a great deal about “score cuts”, “floodgates opening”, “fast invitations” and “lucky landings”.

Yet at the very top of the highly competitive pile, accounting — the competitionremainsfierce.

Mid-to-lower score accounting applicants

seem to glimpse hope

yet it always feels just out of reach…

NSW and Victoria— even with two invitation rounds per month — still require accountants to hold arounda base score of roughly 95 points(although there have been isolated lower-score invitations, these are extremely rare and tend to involve exceptional work experience).

That said, 35,000 Subclass 189 invitationshave pushed the cut-off for accounting down to 85 points — bringing it back withina realistic range, and giving many applicants onshore and offshore who could not hit the higher benchmarks renewed hope.renewed hope。

Of course you can try your luck with Subclass 189 and wait — but with no clarity on when the next round will be, whether scores will keep falling, or whether they could drop to 85 or below,

in this environment, beyond hoping that popular state-nominated streams also ease their thresholds for accountants, it is worth consideringone or two additional pathways — either an extra chance at an invitation, or a faster route to one, all without giving up your place in the 189 queue.

Today we look at the alternatives available if you’re an accountant who doesn’t have a perfect score.

The Obvious Answer: Add an Auditor Skills Assessment

Auditor — the occupation most closely related to accounting — is considerably less competitive.In the same Subclass 189 invitation round, auditors were invited at just 65 points. For state nomination, NSW sits at around 85 base points and Victoria around 90.

An additional skills assessment means an additional invitation pathway — not just through NSW, Victoria and Subclass 189, but through other streams as well.

Accountants are welcome to contact us to assess whether adding an auditor skills assessment is viable for them.

Lower-Score Invitation Option

WA State Nomination — Invitations Now at 75 Points

Western Australia’s policy and quota this financial year are genuinely generous.Accountants who graduated outside WA are also eligibleto apply for WA state nomination via the General Stream Schedule 2 pathway.

Subclass 190 minimum lodgement requirements:No requirement for accounting work experience; no requirement to be residing in WA; minimum English of IELTS 6 in each band.The core Subclass 190 requirement is a six-month job offer in an accounting role based in Western Australia. For Subclass 491, there is no work-related requirement.

The November round required a minimum score of 85 for accounting; the December round dropped to just 75 EOI points (i.e. 70 base points for Subclass 190, or 60 base points for Subclass 491).

General Stream Schedule 2 does not require applicants to live in WA,however past experience strongly suggests that relocating to WA can translate into an invitation very quickly(we have had clients receive an invitation within the same week of moving).

For a deeper analysis of WA, see:Lower invitation scores, massive quotas — WA has already issued 11,000+ invitations and the floodgates are still open. Where are all these places coming from?

By end of December — halfway through the financial year — WA had used only 15% of its Subclass 190 quota, leaving more than 4,500 places. We understand from the WA State Government that they have brought in additional staff to speed up processing,and with so many places remaining they intend to keep issuing invitations at volume to avoid wasting allocation.So could accounting applicants ultimately be invited at even less than 75 points?

Lower-Score Invitation Option

ACT Canberra Small Business Matrix Score 75 — Claim Your Subclass 190

The nation’s capital, Canberra,uses its own matrix scoring system rather than competing on EOI points,and in theory an EOI of just 65 points is sufficient(i.e. 60 base points for Subclass 190, or 50 base points for Subclass 491).

Since the pathway was established,the Small Business stream has consistently required a lower matrix score for invitation than the standard onshore stream.For example, when competition was at its most intense for accounting through the standard stream, it took 110 or even 120+ points; the Small Business stream stayed below 100 throughout.

Canberra received a top-up of 1,225 Subclass 190 places towards the end of last year,giving it the capacity to issue a large volume of matrix invitations,and since early this year the matrix score needed for invitation across most occupations and streams has fallen sharply.In the latest round, only a matrix score of 75 is needed to receive a Subclass 190 invitation through the ACT Small Business stream — and this is very accessible even for applicants who did not graduate in Canberra.

Accountants who are not competitive on NSW scores, or who do not have relevant work experience, are encouraged to consider this — get in touch for an assessment!

Auditor skills assessment

WA state nomination — out-of-state graduate stream

ACT Canberra Small Business stream

Points-Free Pathway Option

If You Have Substantial Accounting Work Experience

With sufficient accounting work experience, you can achieve direct permanent residency — no relocation required, no points battle!

Basic eligibility requirements for Subclass 186:

– The nominated occupation must be on the MLTSSL (accounting qualifies)

– Under 45 years of age

–At least 3 years of full-time work experience in the nominated occupation(with different employers is acceptable)

– A valid skills assessment

– English of at least IELTS 6 in each band or equivalent (valid for 3 years)

Accountant — Subclass 186 PR Visa

No requests for further information throughout; approved within one year

Accountant — Subclass 186 Nomination

No requests for further information throughout; approved within six months

Accountant — Subclass 186 Nomination

Not working at an accounting firm — still approved

The two key criteria for employer-sponsored migration are the employer’s eligibility and the employee’s work experience.

If you already have more than two years of accounting work experience, this is well worth exploring — Subclass 186 has its highest-ever grant quota this financial year!

Points-Free Pathway Option

If You Have Some Investment Budget

The Northern Territory’s MINT programme has opened a new onshore business applicant stream this financial year.

If you are about to receive a Subclass 485 Graduate Work visa, or currently hold one with more than 13 months remaining, and you have some migration budget available,this represents another door of opportunity for Australian international graduates.

This financial year MINT is open to all Australian migration occupations — any occupation on any migration occupation list is eligible, including accounting — making it one of the better points-free pathways for accounting graduates who studied in Australia.

The NT MINT programme does require a financial investment, but it is fundamentally a skilled migration programme,and the skilled migration requirements are at the minimum threshold only:Specifically:

1. Under 45 years of age

2. A valid skills assessment

3. IELTS 6 in each band, or PTE 50 in each component

4. An EOI score of 65 (60 base points for Subclass 190; 50 base points for Subclass 491)

MINT Onshore Business Applicant — Investment Requirements

As shown in the diagram above, the total budget for the programme is approximatelyAUD 600,000, of which the largest single investment amount —AUD 515,000— is allocated as follows:

80% Purchase of AAA-rated Northern Territory government bonds, with principal and interest returned after 5 years; current interest rates are shown in the diagram below

20% Investment in a state-government-backed VC fund; returned with returns after 5 years

In summary, while the MINT programme does tie up a portion of funds in the short term, looking at the longer picture,these funds will be returned with interest, effectively serving as an early investment and financial foothold for your future life in Australia.

The Northern Territory Government requires that MINT applications be lodged through an approved Panel Agent.Simon WU, head of the Newstars Brisbane and Beijing offices, was among the very firstPanel Agents.The onshore business applicant stream has already produced success stories — including an accountant:An accountant with 65 points who had been away from Australia for over 2 years secured a Subclass 190 invitation in just 3 months — the world’s first MINT success story for an offshore Australian graduate!

The MINT application process is not complicated — our experienced team will guide you through every step!

Subclass 186 DE — Direct PR, No Points Required

NT MINT Programme — Consistent Invitations

to see whether any of these options is right for you.

Whichever pathway you choose, we wish every accounting applicant on this journey a swift and successful landing in Australia!

Previously Featured — Click Image to Read

Invited at 65–75 Points: Common Everyday Occupations That Rarely Make the Migration Headlines!

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Professional Year validity extended to four years from completion!

Labour market data may make the government cautious about further increasing migration

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2023 Recommendations

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Accounting and Not a Perfect Score? There Are Still Plenty of Migration Options — Direct PR, or Perhaps an Even Faster Path!

Invited at 65–75 Points: Common Everyday Occupations That Rarely Make the Migration Headlines!

Professional Year validity extended to four years from completion!

Labour market data may make the government cautious about further increasing migration

Labour market data may make the government cautious about further increasing migration

Labour market data may make the government cautious about further increasing migration

Labour market data may make the government cautious about further increasing migration

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