Who this may suit
Finance managers, financial controllers, finance directors and CFOs planning an Australian migration assessment or employment move.
Key considerations
- The specified authorities are CPA Australia, CA ANZ or the Institute of Public Accountants.
- Qualification assessment and skilled employment assessment are distinct services.
- 132211 is on the STSOL and CSOL, rather than the points-tested MLTSSL.
Explain responsibility for the finance function
The ABS occupation covers leadership of financial and accounting activities within an organisation. Financial Controller, Finance Director and Chief Financial Officer are alternative titles, but the actual work remains the starting point.
Prepare a clear account of the function you lead: planning and budgets, financial reporting, controls, funding analysis or accounting systems. Explain your authority, who you report to and what the wider finance team does.
A senior accountant or bookkeeper may have a broad workload without directing the finance function. Conversely, a small organisation may give one person substantial responsibility. Describe the real structure rather than selecting a code from the most senior-sounding title.
Choose the relevant accounting assessment service
LIN 19/051 specifies CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, or the Institute of Public Accountants as the assessing authority options for 132211. It is not assessed through a generic VETASSESS management pathway.
CPA Australia’s qualification assessment considers bachelor-degree comparability, the required educational competencies and English proficiency. CA ANZ also publishes separate requirements for qualification comparability, competency coverage and English.
Use the current requirements of the authority you select. Professional membership, an MBA or a long finance career should not be assumed to establish that the migration assessment’s subject requirements have been met.
Read CPA Australia migration criteria →
Review CA ANZ assessment requirements →
Review the study content before relying on a degree title
Gather transcripts and, where required, subject outlines. The assessment concerns what you studied as well as the qualification’s level. A finance-focused course may not cover every required accounting competency.
For preparation, map the subjects you completed to the chosen authority’s published competency areas. Identify gaps or uncertain subject names for review rather than asserting equivalence yourself.
Check English evidence against the current assessor policy, including test dates and any exemption criteria. A visa English requirement and an assessing authority’s English requirement should not be treated as interchangeable.
Distinguish a suitable qualification from recognised work
CPA Australia assesses skilled employment after a suitable qualification outcome for the nominated occupation. Its employment criteria include paid, closely related work after the relevant qualification and specific duration and evidence requirements.
For your timeline, separate accounting roles from later finance-management positions. Ask employers to describe the responsibilities for each period accurately; copied occupation descriptions or a CV alone are not sufficient employment evidence.
If you wish to claim points, review the actual assessment outcome and visa rules before counting years. Neither seniority nor membership automatically awards employment points.
Connect the correct role to a visa pathway
132211 is an STSOL occupation. It can support state-nominated 190 or 491 consideration, subject to selection and other requirements, but not the MLTSSL requirement for a new 189 Points-tested or family-sponsored 491 application.
It also appears on the CSOL for 482 Core Skills and 186 Direct Entry. The nominated Australian position must genuinely fit the occupation and the relevant stream. Home Affairs uses ANZSCO 2022 for 482/186 and ANZSCO 2013 for other skilled subclasses.
Keep internal finance management separate from providing investment advice or managing client funds. Those activities may involve different occupations and regulatory requirements; an accounting migration assessment does not confer financial-services authorisation.
Compare Accountant (General) →
Compare Financial Investment Manager →
How we can help
Ausdirect can help compare finance-management and accounting duties, identify the appropriate assessment service and connect the outcome with the visa route and employer role.
Questions to consider
Does the word “manager” mean I should apply to IML?
No. The specified assessment options for Finance Manager 132211 are the three accounting bodies. Always check the exact occupation and authority.
Will a finance degree cover every mandatory competency?
Not necessarily. The authority assesses qualification level and subject content. Provide transcripts and any required syllabus information for the nominated occupation.
Is Finance Manager on the 189 occupation list?
It is currently on the STSOL, not the MLTSSL required for a new 189 Points-tested application. Assess other eligible pathways without changing the occupation merely for a preferred list.
Your next step
Prepare your qualifications, finance-team reporting structure and employment chronology, without sharing confidential company accounts in a general enquiry. General information checked on 17 October 2026.