Hi Guys, welcome po! Your decision to be a member of this forum is the wisest you did for your Au migration. This forum will save you a lot of money in exchange for the slight inconvenience of going through the relevant topics here.
As my way of paying forward the goodness of those people who lent and continue to lend their knowledge here, I would like to share the following for those who have just started or are thinking of starting their application.
First, based on the new protocol, candidates are required to take their English Assessment Tests (IELTS; IDP;etc) prior to submitting their respective skills assessments to either CPA Australia, ICAA, or IPA. Kindly note that candidates should take the Academic option instead of General and the required band level for Accountants/External Auditors is at least 7 for all competencies.
Second, after receiving your results on English Assessment, the candidates should apply for skills assessment with any of the authorised assessing bodies (CPAA, ICAA, and IPA). Based on my personal experience, I would suggest candidates to have their skills assessed by ICAA since CPA Australia is quite particular about Accounting Theory. However, if one can afford to have their skills assessed by both Institutes concurrently then I think this can also be done. Kindly note here that CPA Australia might require you to complete Accounting Theory which costs about A$350. Moreover, your work experiences prior to your completion of Accounting Theory may not be counted when you claim for your points on work experience (anyone can refute my belief here). The good thing here is you can request for a review of your assessment free of charge if you received a negative result in your initial assessment. If your review result is still negative you can request for an assessment based on a new nominated ANZSCO (e.g. External Auditor) also free of charge.
Lastly, when you finally receive a positive assessment, proceed to lodge your EOI in Skillselect. I had an aggregate point of 60 (as External Auditor) when I lodged my EOI in Skillselect three days before the 22nd April invitation round and still managed to get an invitation to apply for a 189 visa.
P.S. Candidates should also read up on other forums or related websites (CPAA, ICAA, DIAC, etc) for additional information relating to your application that you may share other information you encounter to other forum members. Most importantly, pray, pray, and pray!
God bless guys!