How to work in Australia as a teacher: Visa, qualifications and English requirements

Qualified teachers may be able to move to Australia through skilled migration or employer sponsorship, but the right option depends on more than teaching experience.

Before paying for tests or assessments, check whether your occupation, qualifications and circumstances suggest a viable route.

Can overseas-qualified teachers move to Australia?

Yes. Eligible teachers with an overseas qualification may migrate through points-tested skilled visas or employer sponsorship. There is no single visa officially called an “Australian teaching visa”, and qualifying as a teacher does not mean you qualify for every route.

Start by checking your nominated teaching occupation, professional requirements and likely visa route.

Which qualifications and skills assessment do you need?

Your nominated occupation determines which authority assesses your skills for migration, where a skills assessment is required.

School teachers: AITSL

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) assesses occupations such as primary, secondary and special education teaching. Its standard qualification requirements generally include:

• At least four years of full-time equivalent higher education, including a relevant initial teacher education qualification.
• At least one year of university-level initial teacher education appropriate to the nominated occupation.
• At least 45 days of supervised teaching practice as part of that teacher education.

A three-year degree plus a one-year postgraduate teaching qualification may qualify, but AITSL also checks the content and relevance of the study.

Early childhood teachers: ACECQA

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is the migration skills assessing authority for Early Childhood (Pre-Primary School) Teachers. It applies its own qualification, English and, where relevant, employment assessment standards. Do not assume that AITSL’s four-year study and 45-day placement rules apply unchanged to an ACECQA application.

Check your nominated occupation before paying for an assessment; the wrong assessment may not support your visa route.

What counts as 45 days of supervised teaching practice?

For the relevant AITSL school teaching occupations, supervised teaching practice means formally assessed classroom placements completed during initial teacher education, with students in the required age range and school setting. It is not the same as teaching work undertaken before or after qualifying.

AITSL normally expects a university statement confirming placement days, student ages and setting. Ask your university for this evidence early.

There is an important nuance for teachers who already hold full or provisional Australian teacher registration. AITSL may consider that registration, and in some cases relevant Australian teaching employment, as part of its assessment process. This is not an automatic exemption, so these cases need individual review.

What are the English-language requirements?

For an AITSL skills assessment, applicants usually demonstrate English proficiency through qualifying higher education study or an accepted Academic IELTS result. 

The usual minimum IELTS scores are:

AITSL generally requires eligible results from a single Academic IELTS Test Report Form for a test taken within the previous three years. An eligible IELTS One Skill Retake may be accepted; PTE is not an alternative for AITSL’s IELTS route.

Some teachers can instead qualify through at least four years of eligible higher education completed in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US, including the required initial teacher education. The detailed study conditions matter.

Visa and teacher registration English rules differ, so check them before booking a test.

Which Australian visas could teachers consider?

There are two broad approaches. Points-tested visas generally do not require an Australian employer to sponsor you; employer-sponsored visas depend on a suitable employer and nomination.

Points-tested skilled migration

• Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189):

  Permanent residence for eligible applicants invited without state or employer nomination.

• Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190):

  Permanent residence for eligible applicants nominated by a state or territory.

• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491):

  A five-year regional visa requiring eligible state or territory nomination, or eligible family sponsorship, with a potential later permanent residency pathway.

These visas use a points test with a minimum threshold of 65 points. Reaching 65 is a baseline, not a promise of an invitation. Occupation eligibility, available places, state nomination criteria and invitation competition also matter.

Employer-sponsored migration

• Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482):

  A temporary employer-sponsored route for a suitably skilled teacher with an eligible nominated role. Relevant work experience, occupation and salary requirements apply.

• Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186):

  An employer-nominated permanent residence route. The Direct Entry and Temporary Residence Transition streams have different criteria, including skills assessment requirements.

• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494):

  A five-year visa for eligible workers sponsored for designated regional positions, with a potential later permanent residency pathway.

Sponsorship may be worth exploring if you could secure a suitable teaching role, but the employer, position and visa-specific requirements must also qualify.

Not sure which route is worth pursuing? Sable International can help you compare your Australian skilled migration options before you commit to an application.

How should you approach the application process?

1. Check your occupation and compare visa options first. Establish which routes could realistically fit your profile, including whether you would need employer sponsorship.
2. Review your qualifications and supporting evidence. Check supervised practice, English options and likely teacher registration requirements before paying assessment fees.
3. Obtain any required skills assessment and English evidence. AITSL or ACECQA may be relevant, but not every employer-sponsored pathway requires the same assessment.
4. Apply when eligible. For points-tested routes, this follows an invitation; for employer-sponsored routes, the necessary sponsorship and nomination steps must be in place. All applicants must still meet the relevant visa requirements. Do you need teacher registration in Australia?

To work as a school teacher, you will be required to hold the relevant Australian state or territory authority. This is separate from a migration skills assessment, which is designed for immigration purposes. Investigating registration early can reveal extra evidence or checks you may need before accepting a teaching role.

Frequently asked questions about Australian teaching visas

1. Can I move to Australia without a teaching job offer?

   Potentially. Points-tested subclasses 189, 190 and 491 do not necessarily require a job offer, although eligibility, nomination and invitation rules still apply. Employer-sponsored visas require a suitable sponsoring employer.

2. Does a positive skills assessment guarantee a visa?

   No. It confirms an assessment outcome for the nominated occupation; visa eligibility and selection are separate decisions.

3. Can teachers obtain permanent residency in Australia?

   Yes, where eligible. Subclasses 189, 190 and 186 are permanent visas, while subclasses 491, 494 and some 482 pathways may offer a later route to permanent residence subject to further requirements.

Ready to explore your teaching career in Australia?

Your first step need not be a visa application. It can be an informed review of your options and likely obstacles.

Sable International’s migration specialists can help you compare visa options, identify assessment requirements and plan your next steps before committing to an application.

Whether you're a primary, secondary or early childhood teacher, getting the right guidance can make your migration journey easier to navigate. Get in touch with our MARA-registered agents on [email protected] or give them a call on +27 (0) 21 657 1526, +61 (0) 3 8651 4500 or +44 (0) 20 7759 5307.