How to Immigrate to Australia from Pakistan in 2026

Pakistani engineering degrees from PEC-recognised institutions are assessed by Engineers Australia through the Washington Accord (for full membership) or CDR (Competency Demonstration Report) pathway. Assessment fee: AUD 600-1,200 (PKR 110,000-220,000). Processing time: 3-6 months. Most 4-year BE/BSc Engineering degrees from top universities (NUST, GIKI, UET Lahore, NED) receive positive assessments — NUST and GIKI have approximately 85-90% positive assessment rates. If your degree is not Washington Accord-accredited, you submit a CDR with three career episodes — this has a 70-80% success rate for well-prepared applications. IT qualifications: ACS assessment costs AUD 500-530, processing 6-12 weeks, requires a degree plus 2-4 years of post-graduation relevant experience (depending on ICT content of degree). Engineers Australia and ACS are the two most common assessing authorities for Pakistani applicants.

Subclass 189: skills assessment PKR 100,000-150,000, IELTS/PTE PKR 40,000, visa AUD 4,640 (PKR 850,000), medical PKR 25,000, police PKR 10,000. Total: approximately PKR 1,100,000-1,200,000. Student pathway: tuition AUD 25,000-40,000/year (PKR 4,600,000-7,300,000/year), living costs AUD 21,000/year (PKR 3,800,000). The Subclass 189 is dramatically cheaper than the student route. For professionals who already have the points (degree + experience + English), direct skilled migration is the better financial decision. The student pathway makes sense primarily for those who need Australian qualifications or who cannot yet meet the points threshold.