IT Migration Document Checklist for Australia

Why do you need a checklist?

The IT migration process has many parallel steps: preparing ACS, studying for IELTS, updating your CV, obtaining confirmation letters, lodging an EOI — each step has its own timeline and requirements. A single missing document can delay the whole pathway by 6–12 months. This checklist helps you track each item and prepare in parallel rather than one step at a time.

Stage 1 — Basic preparation (any time)

These tasks do not depend on a specific visa or pathway decision — you can do them right away:

Personal documents:

A passport valid for at least 12 months
National ID photo / ID card (needed for some verification steps)

Qualifications:

University graduation certificate (certified copy)
Full academic transcript (certified copy)
Certified English translation (if the qualification is in another language)
Letter confirming the language of instruction from the institution (if you studied in English)

Work experience:

An employment confirmation letter from each company — with a detailed technical job description
Employment contracts (keep them all, including old ones)
Payslips — at least the most recent 3 months, ideally enough to cover each period
A list of projects you have worked on (project name, role, technology, outcome)

English:

A valid IELTS or PTE result (IELTS: 2 years from the test date)
If you do not have one yet: schedule your test early — sitting IELTS until you reach the required score often takes 3–12 months

Stage 2 — ACS application

Needed once you have decided on your ANZSCO code and are ready to lodge:

Finalised your ANZSCO code (read the ANZSCO 2021 definition from the ABS)
Determined your pathway: General Skills / RPL / Post Australian Study / Qualification Only
Completed all employment confirmation letters from your companies
Written a work summary for each position — in English, technical, specific
Checked that your English score meets the ACS requirement
Prepared the ACS lodgement fee — the ACS assessment fee varies by assessment type; check the current fee schedule on acs.org.au
Created an account and lodged online through the ACS Migration Skills Assessment portal
Saved your reference number after lodging so you can track the status

Estimated time: 8–12 weeks from lodgement to result

Stage 3 — SkillSelect EOI (if you take the points pathway)

After you receive a positive ACS result:

Create a SkillSelect account (ImmiAccount)
Calculate your SkillSelect points — use the calculator on the Department of Home Affairs site
Lodge your EOI with complete information: occupation, qualifications, experience, English
Enter your ACS result (reference number + expiry date)
Select your visa type (189, 190, 491) — you can select more than one
If considering a subclass 190/491 visa: check each state’s nomination list and lodge a separate nomination
Update your EOI when anything changes (a new IELTS score, additional experience, a change of occupation)

Note: An EOI has no expiry date — it is held in the pool and receives an ITA when there is a round. Do not lodge a visa application until you receive an ITA.

Stage 4 — Subclass 482 visa (if you take the employer-sponsored pathway)

After you have a job and an employer who agrees to sponsor you:

The applicant prepares:

A valid ACS result (3 years from the date of issue)
An IELTS Vocational result (overall 5.0, each band 5.0) or equivalent
Evidence of a number of years of relevant work experience (varies by pathway and visa — check the official source) in the ICT field
Health examination and police clearance (prepared in advance or done after the nomination is approved)

The employer prepares (not the applicant’s task, but worth tracking):

Approved Sponsor status
Labour Market Testing (evidence of unsuccessful recruitment advertising)
Nomination lodgement

After the nomination is approved:

Lodge the subclass 482 visa application through ImmiAccount
Submit the additional health examination (Medical) and police clearance (PCC)

Stage 5 — Subclass 186 TRT (permanent residence)

After completing 2 years full-time with the same employer:

Confirm with your employer about a subclass 186 sponsorship
Prepare evidence of 2 years’ work: contract, payslips, tax returns
An IELTS Competent result (overall 6.0, each band 6.0)
An updated health examination (if the old result has expired)
Police clearances from every country you have lived in for more than 12 months since the age of 16

Storing your documents

Keep all documents both as originals and digitally:

Scan at high quality (300 DPI or above) and store in the cloud
Organise into folders: /qualifications/, /experience/{company}/, /english/, /acs/, /visa/
Back up in at least two places (cloud + local)

Migration documents are typically used over 5–7 years from the start to the end of the pathway — do not lose anything.