ACS Migration Skills Assessment Service Agreement 

This service agreement defines how ACS uses and stores the information collected for a migration skills assessment, or ‘MSA’. 

The agreement defines ACS’s terms and expectations of ‘you’, the applicant and authorised migration agent. ACS permits agents to agree to ACS’s terms of services on behalf of an applicant who has authorised their representation. 

ACS is the leading professional association for Australia’s technology professionals, with over 47,000 members across industry, government, and education. 

The Australian Department of Home Affairs authorises ACS to undertake skills assessments for students and professionals considering migration to Australia to work in data science or information technology professions. 

3.1. PURPOSE OF ACS MIGRATION SKILLS ASSESSMENT 

The purpose of ACS MSA is to review and verify that migrants seeking to work in Australia meet the minimum requirements for skilled migration and employment in the IT industry (e.g., qualifications, experience, currency of professional skills, etc.). It fulfills the Department of Home Affair’s requirements to demonstrate that an applicant’s skills, experience, and qualifications meet the Australian standards for skilled migration. 

3.2. APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS FOR MIGRATION SKILLS ASSESSMENT 

 
General Application Requirements 

ACS MSA Info Hub provides detailed instructions for the application process, evidence requirements, and engagement procedures. 

As part of this Service Agreement, you shall comply with: 

• application timelines, evidence requirements, and ACS assessment requests as outlined in the ACS MSA Info Hub, 

• ACS’s MSA policies including Appeals, Complaints, Privacy, and Codes of Conduct, 

• Australian Administrative Appeal Tribunal Public Interest Criterion 4020, which states a visa may be refused if you have provided false or misleading documents or information to the ACS, and 

• both the Australian Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) and the Migration Act 1958 (Cth), which states that it is a serious criminal offence to provide false or misleading documents or information about your visa permit application, including as part of MSA. 

General Evidence Requirements

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations requires ACS to verify your identity, employment history, and education qualifications. The evidence you provide, and ACS’s validation of the evidence, forms the basis for the assessment and determines the outcome. 

As part of this process: 

• you shall provide all evidence required for MSA before ACS begins the skills assessment 

• you are responsible for providing accurate information and authentic records. Violations of these obligations (including providing false or misleading information, counterfeit documents or records obtained fraudulently) may result in an unsuitable outcome, application termination, and/or a potential reapplication ban

• you shall provide authentic records that demonstrate your qualifications and professional experience, as detailed by the rules included in the ACS MSA Info Hub

• you shall verify your identity, as part of the application process. Verifying your identity ensures your documents and records (including evidence of qualifications and professional experience) are linked to the right person and application. Your verified identity is also required by the Department of Home Affairs to link you to a unique government identifier

• you shall provide qualification evidence, such as academic transcripts and diplomas, as complete and unaltered records produced by your learning institution(s)

• you shall submit professional experience records, such as employment letters, as produced by your employer. Corroborating employment evidence, such as tax documents, pay slips, and bank statements, must be authentic, complete, and genuine records from the employer or bank

• if you provide statutory declarations by co-workers, they must be produced and completed by the co-worker without your influence on the content (including through persuasion or coercion)

• you are aware that ACS uses publicly available information, services from risk and financial analysis providers, local databases, and government data to validate provided information

• you may provide additional information, new records or correct the application per instructions located on the ACS MSA Info Hub

Expectation of Ethics

• You shall comply with ethical standards described in the ACS Code of Professional Ethics. ACS employs several methods to authenticate your claims and only proceeds after identity verification is complete

• You shall attest that all information and documentation provided in your MSA application is true and correct

• You shall declare any perceived, potential, or actual conflict of interest prior to application submission using the Contact Us function

• You shall attest that you have not provided information or documentation that is false or misleading, which is a breach of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) and PIC 4020

• You and your agent must preserve the integrity of Australia’s migration pathways and report unethical conduct via prevent.fraud@acs.org.au 

• If ACS credibly suspects misrepresentation or fraud, ACS reserves the right to: 
  • deem you and your nominated ANZSCO occupations unsuitable, 
  • invalidate or revoke the result letter, 
  • ban you from future MSA or ACS membership, 
  • deauthorise an agent from an application, 
  • revoke access to the ACS Agent Portal, 
  • officially report to Department of Home Affairs for further action, and 
  • inform other relevant government authorities to maintain assessment and migration process integrity

3.3. HOW ACS USES YOUR DATA FOR MIGRATION SKILLS ASSESSMENT 

ACS uses the information provided in the MSA application to determine whether skilled workers seeking to migrate to Australia meet the qualifications and professional experience expected for employment in Australian data science and information technology professions. 

Your Identity and Identification Data

ACS partners with an external service provider for identification authentication. The data collected from identity verification includes: 

• your biometrics and facial recognition to verify identity, 

• identification images and security tags to validate identification authenticity, and 

• data from identity documents, such as passport numbers, to verify against external databases. 

Identity data is used to link qualification and professional experience to your government immigration records. 

ACS will not begin the assessment process if you cannot be verified. 

Qualification Records

ACS uses education records such as transcripts and awards to compare applicant qualifications, including courses, against the Australian Qualification Framework and other professional standards for IT degrees. 

You shall upload authentic, complete, unaltered records produced by your education institution. Documentation downloaded from the education institution’s student portal are not suitable for your MSA application. Your uploads may include: 

• Degree or Award Certificate and/or Completion Letter, and 

• Degree or Award Transcript, and 

• Abstracts for research degrees

Professional Experience or Employment Records

ACS uses evidence of professional experience or employment records to assess whether an applicant’s demonstrated skills and professional experience (including career progression) meet the professional level required for migration and employment in Australia. 

All employment records shall be authentic, complete, unaltered, and produced by the employer or the institution that is responsible for issuing the records. As part of the assessment, you shall provide: 

• employment references created by your employer, specifying your role, responsibilities, skills, and the dates employed, and 

• evidence of payment by your employer, which may include tax returns, bank statements, and pay slips

4.1. RIGHT TO ASSESSMENT OUTCOME EXPLANATION 

ACS commits to explaining unsuitable outcomes. ACS will provide reasons for the unsuitable outcomes but will not include details regarding internal assessment processes. 

4.2. RIGHT TO APPEAL OUTCOME 

If you are not satisfied with the Assessment Outcome, you may lodge an appeal at your cost under ACS’s Migration Skills Assessment Appeal Policy. 

4.3. RIGHT TO ACCESSIBLE SERVICE 

If you are unable to complete a skills assessment due to accessibility, ACS may provide reasonable adjustments or pre-approved flexibility for the applicant to submit an application, unless this adjustment will cause unjustifiable financial hardship to ACS. Please contact ACS should you require such adjustments. 

4.4. RIGHTS OF MIGRANT WORKERS 

Migrant workers in Australia are entitled to the same protections at Australian workers under the Fair Work Act (2009) ensuring: 

• fair pay and suitable working conditions, 

• participation in lawful industrial activities and 

• freedom from unlawful discrimination, undue influence, or pressure in negotiating individual work arrangements. 

In addition, employers are not permitted to: 

• coerce workers into breaching visa conditions, or 

• take actions to adversely affect immigration status if a worker refuses to accept conditions that violate Australian regulations. 

4.5. RIGHTS OF WHISTLEBLOWERS 

Temporary visa holders benefit from Australian whistleblower protections, enabling anonymous reports without fear of jeopardising visa status. 

ACS Migration Skills Assessment Outcomes are valid for 2 years. ACS’s assessment procedures are regularly updated to comply with regulatory changes and requirements, as well as feedback from industry partners that inform employer expectations of IT and data science professionals in Australia. These activities may impact the relevance of an assessment beyond 2 years. 

ACS reserves the right to revise the MSA service agreement, assessment criteria, and policies, reflecting: 

• upgraded systems that improve assessment services, innovative tools for better quality records, or access to new information to inform the assessment, review, or validation, 

• assessment procedure changes informed by application statistics, feedback from Australian employers and professionals, or changes to Department of Home Affairs or Department of Employment and Workplace Relations assessment or reporting requirements, and 

• legislative changes that impact ACS’s policies or procedures 

ACS is not liable for any loss or claims resulting from migration skills assessment, including but not limited to: 

• the use of MSA services, 

• any delays in the process or application of MSA, 

• the outcomes of MSA, and 

• any action or claim by any third party, including Government or regulatory authority. 

ACS requires upfront payment for MSA services. 

7.1. MIGRATION SKILLS ASSESSMENT 

• You must pay for the migration skills assessment before accessing the application

• You have 90 days to complete and submit your MSA application. ACS reserves the right to cancel your application without refund if there has been no activity or communication from you, which may require you to submit a new application

• If you elect to cancel your application, ACS reserves the right to review, decline, or provide a partial refund at its discretion

• Refunds may be provided after submission, only if ACS cannot complete the service required within a reasonable timeframe (e.g. 90 days from decision-ready submission).

7.2. MIGRATION SKILLS ASSESSMENT APPEALS 

• Appeals must be paid for before initiating review and lodged within prescribed time 

• Per the MSA Appeal Policy published on the ACS website, ACS may refund the cost of an Appeal if the assessment decision is overturned