IT Professionals

Information for IT and Computer Professionals who are looking for Australia visa and immigration advice.

If you are an Information Technology Professional and you want to move to Australia under the General Skilled Migration Program, you must complete a Skills Assessment with the Australian Computer Society (ACS).   The ACS is the designated Australian government approved body that determines whether a candidate meets the requirements, for the purposes of skilled immigration to Australia.   To qualify for an Australian permanent residency visa under the General Skilled Visa Program as an IT Professional, you must receive a ‘positive’ occupation assessment from the ACS.

The Australian Computer Society qualifies candidates for the following professions that are listed on the current Skilled Occupations List:

ANZSCO  Code

ANZSCO  Occupation

261111

ICT Business Analyst / Systems Designer

261112

Systems Analyst / Systems Designer

261311

Applications & Analyst Programmer

261312

Developer programmer / Applications and Analyst Programmer / Systems Programmer

261313

Software Engineer / Software Designer

261314

Software Tester

261399

Software and Applications Programmers (NEC)

262111

Database Administrator/ Systems Manager

262112

ICT Security Specialist / Computer systems Auditor

262113

Systems Administrator / Systems Manager

263111

Computer Network and Systems Engineer /
Systems Designer

263113

Network Analyst / Systems Designer

The assessment process examines your formal qualifications along with the length, breadth, depth and nature of your work experience in any one occupation.  For assessment purposes, all qualifications held by an applicant will be considered.  Applicants meeting the requirements for Group A or Group B will be assessed as suitable for the appropriate skilled occupation.   Applicants meeting the requirements through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathway will be assessed as suitable for the appropriate skilled occupation. 

Group A

This grade refers to full professional members of the Australian Computer Society.  ACS professional membership grades are Fellow (FACS) and Member (MACS).
Minimum requirements:

  • Applicants with an Australian Bachelor degree, or Graduate Diploma, or higher qualification, with a major in information technology (see examples below); or
  • An overseas qualification assessed as being comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree, or Graduate Diploma, or higher qualification, with a major in information technology (see examples below).
  • In addition to above, at least 4 years of relevant work experience.

Note: Graduate qualifications should contain at least a major in information technology, and a major objective should be to educate persons to be practitioners in information technology.

Group B

This is the associate grade of the Australian Computer Society (AACS).
Minimum requirements:

  • Applicants with an Australian AQF Diploma, or Australian AQF Advanced Diploma in information technology, or an Australian Bachelor degree or higher qualification with a minor (sub-major) in information technology (see examples below); or
  • An overseas qualification assessed as being comparable to an Australian AQF Diploma, or an Australian AQF Advanced Diploma in information technology, or an Australian Bachelor degree or higher qualification with a minor (sub-major) in information technology, such as:
    • Computing;
    • Computer Science;
    • Information Technology;
    • Business (Information Technology);
    • Applied Science (Computer Science);
    • Computing (Micro-computing);
    • Computing (Network Systems);
    • Experience Criteria for Group B;

Applicants in Group B are required to have at least 6 years of relevant IT work experience.   

Recognition for Prior Learning
An applicant who has limited or no qualifications, but who has extensive professional work experience, plus supporting professional development education, may apply to have their skills assessed under the Recognition for Prior Learning pathway.
Applicants applying under the RPL group must have no less than 7 (in many cases 8 years will be required) years work experience in the IT industry.

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