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ACS Skill Assessment Cost in 2026: Fee Structure and Details

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The ACS skill assessment cost has changed as of November 2025. Presently, the cost for skills assessment starts from $625.

The Australia ACS skill assessment is a crucial aspect of the migration process for ICT professionals willing to migrate to the country. The Australian Computer Society ensures a candidate’s competency for general skilled migration in Australia. 

If you are one of the candidates preparing for the ACS skill assessment, it is crucial to understand the cost, payment process, and validity period. Here, we will take you through all these elements to help you prepare well for the process. 

What Is the ACS Skills Assessment?

The ACS skills assessment is an evaluation process designed to assess qualifications and work experience relevant to Australian standards. For ICT professionals looking to migrate to Australia, the ACS skills assessment is a crucial step. 

You need to complete this assessment if you are applying under: 

➤ Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
➤ Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)
➤ Skilled Work Regional Visa (Subclass 491)
➤ Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)

The ACS is the organisation looking for looking at ICT skills and qualifications. They review whether your qualifications and work experience match the Australian standards.

ACS Skill Assessment Fees in 2026 (Updated Costs and Categories)

Before taking you through all the other details, let’s talk about what you have to pay for the ACS skill assessment. While the CDR report is equally essential, do not confuse it with ACS. The fee structure for ACS is completely different from CDR. Here’s a look at the ACS fees with effect from November 1, 2025:

Assessment Pathway Assessed on Application Fee
Temporary Graduate 485 Qualification - Australian Diploma or associate degree Optional - Vendor certificates are also assessed, subject to ANZSCO selection $625
Post Australian Study Qualification - Australian bachelor’s degree or higher Experience - at least 365 days (1 year) or ACS Professional Year or both. Optional - Vendor certificates are also assessed, subject to ANZSCO selection $1136
General Skills Qualification - Overseas and Australian qualifications Experience - at least 2 years Optional - Vendor certificates are also assessed, subject to ANZSCO selection $1498
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Professional currency evidence, completed RPL form with 2 projects Experience - at least 6 years Optional - Vendor certificates are also assessed, subject to ANZSCO selection $625
Level 1 Appeal Appeal Reason
*Appeal fees may be refunded if overturned 		$516
Level 2 Appeal Appeal Reason
*Appeal fees may be refunded if overturned 		$620

The fees are from the official Australian Computer Society website. You can avail of RPL report writing services to ensure the document has all the points necessary for a positive outcome. 

The next question that will come to your mind is, after paying, how long is the assessment valid? Let’s take you through it in the next section. 

What Is the ACS Skill Assessment Validity?

First, you need to understand that the approval of the ACS skill assessment is not guaranteed as soon as you make the payment. The approval depends on the documents and your qualifications. However, if ACS approves your assessment, the assessment is valid for visa applications for the next 24 months. 

The 24-month validity is a fact recognised by the Department of Home Affairs. Furthermore, your assessment must fit into the timelines of your Expression of Interest and visa application. The ACS skill assessment Australia requires some important documents along with the EOI. 

In addition to this, here are a few points you must also remember: 

➜ 24-month validity – 

The assessment will be valid for 24 months from the date of issue. You must ensure that the date recorded in your assessment letter is within the processing time required for visa application. 

➜ Assessment must be current – 

When you submit EOI on SkillSelect or lodge your visa, the ACS assessment must be done within the 24-month duration. Your visa application will be refused, and expired assessments will be rejected if you don’t apply within the said period. 

➜ Re-application required upon expiry – 

In case your assessment has expired when you are applying for a skilled migration visa application, you must reapply for a fresh ACS skill assessment, following the same process and paying the full ACS ICT assessment fees again. Also, resubmit your documents related to educational qualifications and work experience, along with additional documents, with the ACS reassessment fees.

➜ Early visa planning is necessary – 

In order to avoid missing out on the validity of the ACS assessment, it is recommended that you start your visa process soon after you get a positive assessment report. 

➜ Keep the issue date recorded – 

It is highly recommended that you mark the issue date on your calendar and set a reminder for 12 months before expiry to ensure you don’t miss out on anything. 

➜ Validity does not guarantee a visa – 

Your visa is subject to approval from the Department of Home Affairs. A valid ACS migration skill assessment is a part of the process. 

These will help you manage the validity dates and be strategic about migration to Australia. You can avail of RPL review services to ensure you are on the right track with the assessment if you do not have formal ICT qualifications.

How to Renew ACS Skill Assessment?

The ACS Skill Assessment is valid for 2 years. If your skill assessment from ACS has expired, here’s what you can do to renew it: 

➤ Re-evaluation – The organisation will check your original assessment, consider any professional growth or extra work experience while renewing. The evaluation might include meeting point test requirements. 

➤ Application process – To renew the application, log in to your account on the official website and fill out the form. 

➤Visa requirements – Talk with the immigration department to understand if you need a renewed assessment for visa.

Australian Computer Society Skill Assessment Priority Processing

Two professionals reviewing documents and a tablet, related to the ACS skill assessment cost and fee structure.

The ACS Priority Processing for Skills Assessment is a faster service, usually for Australian visa holders with visas expiring in 12 weeks. The aim is to complete the process within 10 business days. The documents need to be perfect, and you will have to pay extra charges to avail this service. 

The priority processing applies specifically to general skills assessment for professional ICT occupations. 

Key Points to Remember: 

➤ Priority processing is an add-on – This is separate, ACS additional fees or extra fees to expedite your assessment. 

➤ Additional charges – The priority processing fee will be an added amount over your basic ACS application cost. 

➤ Check the official website – It is recommended that you check the official ACS website to learn about the fees before applying. 

Before bringing the discussion to an end, let’s take you through the ACS MSA refund policy.

Australian Computer Society MSA Refund Policy

The ACS skill assessment charges can be refunded at the ACS’s discretion. This can only happen under a few circumstances. Generally, the ACS skill assessment fees, once paid, cannot be refunded. 

Here are a few points to note related to the refund policy: 

➜ No refund after commencement – 

The ACS skill assessment fees are not refundable in case the preliminary work or formal assessment has started or has been completed. 

➜ Document fraud/misrepresentation – 

If the ACS terminates an application on grounds of breaches, such as document fraud, plagiarism, or misrepresentation, the outcome will be considered unsuitable, and there will be no refund. Further, there will be a 12-month ban on the candidate. 

➜ Appeal process – 

For appeals (Levels 1 and 2), the appeal fees can be refunded, subject to the original decision being overturned in the applicant’s favour. 

➜ Application cancellation (90 days) – 

Applications are typically cancelled if there is no progress within 90 days. Candidates have reported facing difficulties obtaining a refund since the ACS generally requires an extension request before the 90-day mark, or the application is considered to have commenced initial processing. 

The ACS skill assessment is crucial step in your migration journey. Therefore, knowing about the ACS fee structure is important to plan things properly. The ones we provided are the updated ACS skill assessment fees. We highly recommend that you check the official ACS website before applying for a skills assessment with ACS.

TheCDRWriter: The Best Place to Get Help with ACS Skill Assessment

Need to know the correct ANZSCO code or the skilled occupation list? We are here to help you with everything. For engineers willing to migrate to Australia to work in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), we can offer the best assistance from start to end with the ACS skill assessment. 

Our experts will help you know about the different pathways, what subclass 189 means, and ensure that you fill out the application form correctly when you want to move to Australia. Further, we will also help you write a perfect RPL with relevant work experience as per the Australian ICT standards. 

Give us a call to hire an expert to ease through the ACS skills assessment process and expect a positive assessment outcome. 

Hire an Expert

Frequently Asked Questions

The ACS generally reviews an applicant’s professional experience, segmented into assessment episodes. The episodes represent distinct periods or projects in your ICT career, demonstrating your skills and qualifications. For a positive ACS skills assessment, it is crucial to provide comprehensive documentation for each assessment episode, since ACS allows up to eight episodes per application.

Completing the ACS Professional Year Programme can strengthen your application by providing an additional pathway under the Post-Australian Study assessment. It can sometimes reduce the required work experience duration and show professional recognition within the Australian ICT sector. 

The ACS skill assessment fee covers the review of up to eight assessment episodes per application. This can include a mix of qualifications and employment documents for the applicant in the ICT sector. The standard fee structure for skills assessment ensures evaluation against Australian standards for the nominated occupation without additional assessment processing costs unless extras apply. 

Yes, additional charges apply beyond the standard fees. You might have to pay an extra $50 for each episode exceeding eight per application. Priority processing will incur a separate add-on fee to expedite the initial assessment, and appeals involve their own costs. 

ACS fees differ for RPL applicants compared to those with formal ICT qualifications. RPL requires a dedicated pathway fee due to the unique RPL report assessment of qualifications and experience without degrees. Applicants with formal ICT qualifications typically fall under General Skills or other pathways with distinct pricing based on the type of assessment. 

No fee waivers exist for the ACS Skill assessment, as fees are mandatory for all applicants regardless of qualifications and skills. Check the ACS website for the latest fees and payment details, since ACS has recently updated its structures without provisions of exemptions. 

Juhi Pillai
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