A clean ACS Migration Skills Assessment is the gate to all three open visas for ANZSCO 135111. This guide walks through what ACS reviews, the evidence pack that passes, and the patterns we see in rejections.
For visa-by-visa context, see the Chief Information Officer pathway guide.
What ACS reviews
ACS — Australian Computer Society — is the named assessor for all ICT occupations. The Migration Skills Assessment (MSA) evaluates:
- Qualification — at the level expected (AQF Bachelor or higher) with a major in computing
- Employment — at the right ICT skill level for the chosen ANZSCO code
- ICT major content — what proportion of your degree was ICT vs other subjects
ACS offers multiple pathways:
- Post-Australian-Qualification: for candidates with an Australian ICT degree
- Skills (general): for overseas-trained candidates with an ICT-major degree
- RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning): for candidates without an ICT-major degree but with substantial work experience
- Temporary Graduate (485): for international students completing in Australia
For 135111, the most common pathway is the Skills assessment (overseas-trained ICT degree) or RPL (overseas-trained but unrelated degree, with deep ICT experience).
Qualifications that work
Closely related fields include:
- Bachelor of Computer Science / Information Technology / Information Systems
- Bachelor of Software Engineering / Computer Engineering
- Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical / Telecommunications / Mechatronics — with substantial ICT content)
- Master of Information Technology / Computing
- MBA with technology / digital management focus
Postgraduate qualifications that strengthen the case:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Master of Information Systems Management
- Executive certifications (e.g. AICD Company Directors Course, Harvard / INSEAD executive programs)
ACS publishes detailed closely related ICT field lists for each ANZSCO code.
The evidence pack
Reference letters
Each employer reference letter should be:
- On official letterhead of the company / public-sector employer
- Signed by a senior person (CEO, COO, Board Chair, Group HR Director) with their position
- Dated within 3 months of lodgement
- Specific about your dates of employment (DD/MM/YYYY format)
- Specific about your title — CIO / CTO / CDO / IT Director / Group Head of IT
- Specific about reporting line, scope (FTE, ICT budget, geographic / business unit coverage)
- Specific about hours per week (full-time)
- Detailed about the duties — mapped to the ANZSCO task profile
Duties to evidence
Map your reference letters to all of these where they apply:
- ICT strategy — strategic plan ownership, board reporting on technology, digital transformation programs
- Architecture and platforms — enterprise architecture decisions, major platform standardisation (cloud, ERP, CRM, data platform)
- Cybersecurity governance — security framework alignment (ASD Essential Eight, ISO 27001, NIST), incident response, board-level cyber risk reporting
- Data and analytics governance — data strategy, master data management, privacy (OAIC Privacy Act), AI / ML governance
- Vendor management — major contract negotiation (Microsoft, AWS, Google, SAP, Oracle, Salesforce), service-provider relationships
- ICT workforce — direct reports (typically 6-15 senior managers), succession planning, talent strategy
- Financial management — annual budget ownership (often AUD 20M-500M+), capex prioritisation, value tracking
- Risk and compliance — APRA CPS 234 (financial services), regulatory technology programs, audit committee reporting
Supporting evidence
Beyond the reference letters, attach:
- Tax records confirming employment
- Salary slips for the period
- Employment contract showing your appointment terms (named CIO / CTO designation)
- Org charts showing your reporting line and team
- Strategic plans / digital roadmaps you authored
- Board / executive papers you presented (anonymised if needed)
- Performance reviews
- Continuing professional development records (industry certifications: CISM, CISSP, TOGAF, ITIL, AICD)
Common rejection patterns
"ICT major content insufficient"
If your degree is general engineering / business / mathematics with limited ICT content, ACS may downgrade the assessment or require additional years of work experience. Address proactively: include syllabus details and unit-by-unit breakdowns showing computing content.
"Senior management without ICT seniority"
If your management track record is general business with ICT as one function among many (e.g. you ran a business unit and ICT reported to you), ACS may push you to a generalist code. ANZSCO 135111 needs evidence of dominant ICT-leadership scope.
"Title without substance"
Titles like "CIO" alone are not enough. ACS reads the duties. Specific FTE, budget figures, platform decisions, and governance structures strengthen the case.
"RPL without depth"
RPL submissions need to demonstrate ICT knowledge equivalent to an ACS-recognised degree. Superficial RPL submissions get returned.
"Less than 20 hours per week effective"
Part-time consulting work or non-executive board roles alone may be discounted. ACS counts substantive employment.
Fees and timeline
Per the ACS fees page:
- Skills assessment (general / post-Australian-qualification): AUD 530-575
- RPL assessment: additional fee (verify on ACS site)
- Reassessment / appeal: additional fee
Standard processing time: 8-12 weeks. ACS has fast-track options for some pathways.
Which visa needs this assessment
- Subclass 186 Direct Entry — required ✅
- Subclass 494 (Regional Employer) — required ✅
- Subclass 482 (Core Skills) — not required initially, but needed for 186 TRT transition
- Subclass 189, 190, 491 — closed for 135111
Tools
- Document checklist — what to attach for ACS lodgement
- Visa fee calculator — model 186, 494, or 482 fees with dependants
- Eligibility wizard — quick screen on whether 135111 is realistic
- ANZSCO search — confirm 135111 vs 135112 / 135199
- Invitation rounds tracker — context only
Where to verify
- ACS official site
- ACS Migration Skills Assessment
- ABS ANZSCO 135111 task profile
- Department of Home Affairs skill occupation list
- Office of MARA register
Next step
C-suite ICT leadership track record and an Australian employer in mind? Book a 30-minute free strategy call. We will pressure-test your ACS evidence and map it to 186 Direct Entry, 494, or 482.