How Much Does It Cost for a Nigerian Accountant to Relocate to Australia? 🇦🇺
Accountants from Nigeria seeking to migrate to Australia are assessed by CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants ANZ, or the IPA — not VETASSESS. The pathway is a migration skills assessment plus a points-tested skilled visa (subclass 189, 190 or 491). This guide breaks down the real, web-verified fees, English requirements, timelines and salary ranges so you can budget before you start.
Quick Numbers
Total Cost
₦0.5M – ₦0.6M
Starting Salary
A$55,000/yr
Accountant — national range (2026)
Nigerians Who Moved
Not published
Not published
Source Rank
CPA Australia / Department of Home Affairs / SEEK
Step-by-Step: Registration & Costs
1Migration skills assessment (CPA Australia)Offshore standard fee (onshore AUD 565; fast-track offshore AUD 614, onshore AUD 675)
Submit your degree and transcripts to CPA Australia for a migration (qualification) skills assessment against ANZSCO. Offshore applicants pay the lower standard fee.
2English language proficiencyTest fees paid to the test provider (not CPA Australia)
Demonstrate English proficiency. For a CPA Australia qualification assessment, IELTS must be the Academic test with at least 7.0 in each band (One Skill Retake accepted). CPA Australia also accepts PTE Academic (Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 69, Speaking 76 for tests from 7 August 2025), TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced, Michigan English Test, LANGUAGECERT Academic, CELPIP General or the Accounting Professional Year. At-home/online tests are not accepted. Results are valid 3 years from the test date.
3Skilled visa application (subclass 189 / 190 / 491)Base application charge, primary applicant (189; AUD 6,140 for 190/491). +AUD 3,070 per adult; +AUD 1,540 per child (AUD 1,535 for 190/491)
Lodge an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect, receive an invitation, then apply for the points-tested skilled visa. The base application charge is the same across 189, 190 and 491; partners and children add further charges.
Other Costs to Budget For
Same base charge for subclass 189, 190 and 491. Verify on the official page before relying on it (page blocks automated fetch).
Official source ↗Good News: Employer Sponsorship
Australian employers can sponsor accountants through employer-nominated and skilled-employer-sponsored streams, though the GSM points-tested route (189/190/491) is the most common path for accountants.
What employers typically cover:
- Nomination and visa application charges (employer-sponsored streams)
- Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy where applicable
- Relocation support in some cases
What You'll Earn: Accountant — national range (2026)
Entry
A$55,000
per year
After 2 Years
A$83,812
per year
Top of Band
A$119,862
per year
SEEK accounting-segment figure AUD 83,812; typical range AUD 80,000–95,000; graduate starts ~AUD 55,000–70,000; mining/resources tops ~AUD 119,862. Add 11.5% compulsory superannuation on top of base. Source ↗
Important Things to Know
- Accountants are assessed by CPA Australia, CA ANZ or IPA — VETASSESS does NOT assess accountants.
- Offshore applicants pay CPA Australia's lower offshore fee (AUD 514) versus the onshore fee (AUD 565).
- The skills assessment outcome is valid for 3 years with both CPA Australia and the Department of Home Affairs.
- The high English bar (IELTS 7.0 each band for the general assessment) is the most common stumbling block.
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Start Free CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
Does VETASSESS assess Nigerian accountants for Australia?
No. Accountants are assessed by CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants ANZ, or the Institute of Public Accountants. VETASSESS handles many other occupations but not accounting.
How much does the accountant skills assessment cost?
CPA Australia charges AUD 514 for an offshore standard migration skills assessment (AUD 565 onshore). Fast-track offshore is AUD 614. These are the published fees as checked on 8 October 2026.
What IELTS score do I need?
For a CPA Australia qualification assessment, IELTS must be the Academic test with at least 7.0 in each band. CPA Australia also accepts PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, Cambridge C1 Advanced, Michigan English Test, LANGUAGECERT Academic, CELPIP General or the Accounting Professional Year, each with its own minimum scores. Results are valid three years from the test date.
Related guides
Same profession, other countries
See cost breakdowns for this profession in other countries
Compare what it costs Nigerian accountants to relocate to each top destination.
Sources & Verification
We reviewed this page against official sources on 8 Oct 2026; each figure links to its source where an official one exists. We do not use AI training data for any costs, fees, or policy claims.
Verification Notes
Skilled visa base charge (AUD 6,135 for subclass 189; AUD 6,140 for 190 and 491) read on 6 October 2026 from the Home Affairs price service that fills the official visa pages.
CA ANZ exact fee (~AUD 550–560 standard / AUD 650 fast-track) is from search summaries; CPA Australia's AUD 514 offshore figure was read directly and is used here.
SEEK does not expose a single clean median; the AUD 83,812 accounting-segment figure and AUD 80k–95k range are the firm on-page values. Entry and top figures are indicative.
Migration count for ANZSCO 2211 Accountants was not found and is omitted.
Written by Max Ayobami
Founder of Japa Calculator, Nigeria's first data-driven relocation decision tool. Every cost figure and expert tip on this page is independently researched and verified against official government and regulatory body sources.