ACS Australia Skill Assessment Fees 2026: ICT Professionals Guide

ACS Australia Skill Assessment
Fees: Every Cost ICT
Professionals Must Know in 2026
Before any ICT professional can lodge a skilled migration visa application in
Australia, they need a positive ACS skills assessment. What most applicants do not
realise until they start the process is that the ACS Australia skill assessment fees
vary significantly depending on which pathway they qualify for, and paying the wrong
fee for the wrong pathway is one of the most common and most avoidable mistakes
in the entire migration process.

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) is the sole assessing authority for ICT
occupations under Australia's General Skilled Migration framework. For 2026, the
charges vary between $625 ex GST for the RPL route, to $1,498 ex GST for the
General Skills pathway with additional surcharges for urgent processing, appeal, and
additional episodes.
What Are the ACS Australia Skill Assessment
Fees in 2026?
ACS Australia skill assessment fees are set by the Australian Computer Society and
published in its InfoHub. The fee you pay depends entirely on the assessment
pathway you select, determined by your qualifications and work experience profile,
not by preference.
Assessment
Pathway
Fee (Excl. GST)
Who It Applies To
General Skills
Assessment
AUD $1,498
Applicants with formal ICT
qualifications and 2+ years
experience
RPL Assessment
AUD $625
Applicants without formal ICT
qualifications, 6+ years
experience required
Post Australian Study
(PAS)
AUD $550
Graduates of Australian ICT
institutions applying under certain
conditions
Temporary Graduate
(Subclass 485)
AUD $550
Applicants applying under the
temporary graduate visa student
stream
Priority Processing
(add-on)
AUD $150
Available for all pathways, results
in 10–15 business days
Extra Episode (beyond
8)
AUD $50 per episode
Charged per additional
assessment episode above the 8
included
Appeal Fee
Varies
Payable when requesting review
of a not-suitable outcome
Source: ACS InfoHub (updated November 2025, current as of 2026). Always verify
the current fee on the ACS InfoHub before submitting, fees are updated periodically.

ACS Australia Skill Assessment Fees by
Pathway: What Each Covers
Each ACS assessment pathway carries a different fee because the assessment
work involved differs significantly. Understanding what each fee actually covers helps
you budget correctly and avoid unexpected charges.
1. General Skills Assessment - AUD $1,498 (Excl. GST)
This process is the default entry route for ICT professionals who have a
relevant tertiary qualification plus 2+ years post qualification ICT work
experience. The assessment of your qualifications (benchmarked to ACS
accreditation or Seoul Accord mutual recognition), work experience and
nominated ANZSCO code is covered by this fee. Up to 8 assessment
episodes (qualifications and employment documents combined) are included
in the base fee.
2. RPL Assessment - AUD $625 (Excl. GST)
You can use the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) pathway if you’re an ICT
professional with: No ICT qualifications Minimum 6 years ICT related work
experience Latest ICT activity no more than 2 years from the date of your
application At least two RPL project reports that show your practical
experience of using technology Vendor certifications required for some
ANZSCO codes (DevOps, Cybersecurity, etc).
3. Post Australian Study and Temporary Graduate - AUD
$550
Both pathways are priced at AUD $550. The Post Australian Study (PAS)
pathway is for graduates of Australian ICT institutions who completed a
diploma, associate degree, or higher with an ICT major. The Temporary
Graduate pathway is specifically for applicants on a Subclass 485 visa
applying under the Australian study stream.
ACS Skill Assessment Additional Costs to
Budget For
The ACS fee is only one part of your total migration cost. ICT professionals who
budget only for the assessment fee often find themselves caught short when
additional mandatory and optional expenses arrive.

Cost Item
Approx. Cost (AUD)
Mandatory?
ACS Skill Assessment Fee
(General Skills)
$1,498 excl. GST
Yes
ACS Skill Assessment Fee (RPL)
$625 excl. GST
Yes
English Language Test (IELTS /
PTE Academic)
$300 – $400
Yes (most
applicants)
Document Translation (per
document)
$100 – $300
If non-English
documents
RPL Report Writing Service
$500 – $1,500
Optional but
recommended
Registered Migration Agent
$3,000 – $8,000+
Optional but
recommended
Subclass 189 Visa Application
Charge
$4,640 (primary
applicant)
At visa stage
Subclass 190 Visa Application
Charge
$4,640 (primary
applicant)
At visa stage
When you add up the mandatory costs alone, ACS fee, English test, and document
translation, most ICT professionals are looking at AUD $2,000 to $2,400 before
reaching the visa application stage. Planning for the full cost from the outset avoids
the common trap of completing the skills assessment and then discovering the
remaining migration budget is insufficient to lodge a visa application.
ACS Priority Processing: Is the Extra AUD $150
Worth It?
Priority processing is an optional add-on available across all ACS Australia skill
assessment pathways. The AUD $150 fee moves your application to the front of the
queue with results in 10 to 15 business days rather than the standard 8 to 10 weeks.
Priority processing is worth considering in three specific situations:
● Your visa or bridging visa is nearing expiry: delayed assessment means
delayed EOI submission, which can affect your visa status
● You have a specific SkillSelect invitation round or state nomination deadline:
state rounds often have tight windows with no buffer
● Your employer requires skills assessment confirmation before confirming
sponsorship: common for Subclass 482 employer-sponsored applications
Priority processing does not guarantee a positive outcome. If your documents are
incomplete or your ANZSCO code is mismatched, priority processing will not prevent

a not-suitable result. Getting the application right before paying for priority is always
the better investment.
ACS Refund Policy and What Happens If You
Pay the Wrong Fee
ACS Australia skill assessment fees are non-refundable in most circumstances. This
is the most important fact for first-time applicants to understand before submitting.
● No Refund After Processing Begins: Once your application is assigned to a
case officer, the fee is fully forfeited regardless of outcome
● Withdrawal Before Case Officer Assignment: A partial refund may be
available, an administrative deduction applies
● ACS Cancels The Service: A full refund is issued only if ACS cancels an
assessment service on its end
● Wrong Pathway Selection: No refund is issued for applying under the wrong
pathway or with incorrect documents
● Appeal Fees: May be refunded if the appeal is successful and the original
not-suitable outcome is overturned
The single most effective way to protect your investment is to confirm your correct
ANZSCO code and assessment pathway before paying. The AUD $873 difference
between General Skills and RPL makes pathway selection a consequential decision.
How to Pay Your ICT Skills Assessment Fee in
Australia
Payment of ACS Australia skill assessment fees is made at the start of the
application process through the ACS Migration Skills Assessment portal. Payment
unlocks the full portal, you cannot upload documents or proceed until payment is
confirmed.
● Accepted Payment Methods: Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American
Express) and PayPal
● When to Pay: After selecting your assessment pathway in the portal, the
portal generates the correct fee amount based on your pathway selection
● GST: Onshore Australian applicants pay GST on top of the base fee. Offshore
applicants pay the ex-GST rate only
● Currency: All fees are in Australian dollars (AUD) regardless of your home
currency
Have your documents organised and ready before entering the portal. Once you pay,
the portal opens and a processing clock starts. Uploading incomplete documents
after payment does not pause your timeline, it results in a hold that delays your
outcome without refunding any of the fee.