Career·Australia & New Zealand· 9 min read

AITSL Skills Assessment for Overseas-Qualified Teachers (Australia)

How AITSL assesses overseas-qualified teachers for Australian skilled migration: the four-year initial teacher education requirement, supervised teaching practice, Academic IELTS bands, covered occupations, and why it is separate from state teacher registration.

Last updated 3 July 2026

Key facts

Assessing authority: Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) — aitsl.edu.au
Registration to teach: Each state/territory teacher regulatory authority (separate; not Ahpra)
Qualification: 4+ years higher education incl. an ITE qualification with supervised teaching practice
English (test route): Academic IELTS: 7.0 Reading, 7.0 Writing, 8.0 Speaking, 8.0 Listening (single TRF, within 24 months)
English (study route): 4+ years higher education in AU/CA/IE/NZ/UK/US at bachelor level or above (incl. ITE)
Occupations: Primary, Middle, Secondary and several special-education teacher roles (own ANZSCO codes)
Fees, checklists, bands: Change over time — verify on aitsl.edu.au

What AITSL assesses — and what it does not

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) is the assessing authority for teacher occupations in Australia's skilled-migration program. If an overseas-qualified teacher wants a skilled visa in a school-teaching occupation, AITSL is the body that assesses whether their qualifications and English meet the required standard.

AITSL's assessment is a migration document. The Department of Home Affairs uses the outcome to decide whether you meet the skills requirement for the visa you are applying for. Before applying, AITSL advises you to first check with the Department of Home Affairs that your visa actually requires a skills assessment.

What AITSL does not do is give you permission to teach in a classroom. Teaching in Australian schools is regulated separately by each state and territory (see below), and — unlike medicine or nursing — school teaching is not an Ahpra-regulated profession.

AITSL = migration skills assessment for teacher occupations.
Its outcome is used by the Department of Home Affairs for skilled-visa eligibility.
It is not registration to teach; teaching is regulated by each state/territory (not Ahpra).

The occupations AITSL covers

AITSL assesses a defined set of school-teacher occupations, each with its own ANZSCO code. These currently include Primary School Teacher, Middle School Teacher, Secondary School Teacher, Special Needs Teacher, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, Teacher of the Sight Impaired, and Special Education Teachers (not elsewhere classified).

Your nominated occupation matters, because AITSL checks that your initial teacher education is specific to the stage of schooling for that occupation — for example, a primary qualification is assessed against the primary occupation.

Each occupation has its own applicant checklist and guide on the AITSL website, and these are updated over time. Always work from the current checklist for the exact occupation you intend to nominate.

Covered occupations include primary, middle, secondary, and several special-education teaching roles.
Your teacher education must match the stage of schooling of your nominated occupation.
Use the current AITSL checklist for your specific occupation.

The qualification requirement: four years and an ITE program

The core of the AITSL assessment is your education. You must have completed a minimum of four years of full-time (or part-time equivalent) study at university level that results in your qualification(s) and includes a relevant initial teacher education (ITE) qualification.

The ITE component must be specific to the stage of schooling of your nominated occupation and cover a program of professional studies in education — discipline-specific curriculum, pedagogy, general education studies, and, importantly, supervised teaching practice (practicum) relevant to the age range of the students you would teach.

Many overseas teaching qualifications differ in length or structure from the Australian model, so this four-year-plus-ITE-plus-practicum requirement is the point where applicants most often need to check their eligibility carefully against the current AITSL guide.

Minimum four years of higher-education study, including a relevant ITE qualification.
The ITE must include supervised teaching practice (practicum).
It must match the stage of schooling of your nominated occupation.

The English language requirement

AITSL sets a specific English requirement, which you can meet in one of two ways.

The test route uses the Academic IELTS: AITSL currently requires a Test Report Form showing at least 7.0 in Reading and 7.0 in Writing, and at least 8.0 in Speaking and 8.0 in Listening, on a single report form from a test taken within the 24 months before you apply. AITSL accepts only the Academic IELTS for this purpose — it does not accept PTE, TOEFL or Cambridge English for the skills assessment.

The study route is an exemption: you may meet the English requirement by completing at least four full years of higher-education study (or part-time equivalent) in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States, resulting in a qualification comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree (AQF Level 7) or higher and including a recognised initial teacher education qualification. Because these rules are periodically updated, confirm the current bands, accepted variants (such as any one-skill-retake allowance) and the study exemption on the AITSL website before booking any test.

Test route: Academic IELTS — 7.0 Reading, 7.0 Writing, 8.0 Speaking, 8.0 Listening (single TRF).
AITSL accepts ONLY the Academic IELTS — not PTE, TOEFL or Cambridge English.
Study route: 4+ years of higher education in AU, CA, IE, NZ, UK or USA at bachelor level or above, including an ITE qualification.
Verify current bands and exemptions on aitsl.edu.au.

AITSL assessment vs state teacher registration — and next steps

Keep two separate steps clear. The AITSL skills assessment is for migration — it helps you get a visa. Registration to teach is granted by the teacher regulatory authority in the state or territory where you want to work (for example, in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and each other jurisdiction). Those authorities set their own requirements — including, typically, their own qualification checks and background/working-with-children clearances — and their decision is separate from AITSL's.

So the realistic sequence for a migrating teacher is usually: confirm your visa needs a skills assessment → obtain a positive AITSL assessment → apply for the visa (meeting all its points, health, character and English requirements) → apply for teacher registration in your destination state/territory before you can work in a classroom.

This guide is general information, not migration advice, and no assessment guarantees a visa or a teaching job. Immigration and registration rules change frequently — always verify current requirements on the official Department of Home Affairs website and the relevant state/territory teacher regulatory authority, and consider a registered migration agent for your individual case.

AITSL → migration skills assessment (for the visa).
State/territory teacher regulatory authority → registration to teach in a classroom (separate).
You still need the visa's points/health/character/English criteria; verify on the Department of Home Affairs site.

Frequently asked questions

Does an AITSL skills assessment let me teach in an Australian school?

No. AITSL's assessment is for migration — it supports your visa application. To teach in a classroom you must separately register with the teacher regulatory authority in the state or territory where you will work, which has its own requirements. School teaching is not regulated by Ahpra.

What English scores does AITSL require?

On the test route, AITSL requires an Academic IELTS Test Report Form showing at least 7.0 in Reading, 7.0 in Writing, 8.0 in Speaking and 8.0 in Listening, on a single report from a test taken within the previous 24 months. AITSL accepts only the Academic IELTS. Verify the current requirement on aitsl.edu.au.

Can I avoid the IELTS if I studied in English?

Possibly. AITSL offers a study-based exemption: completing at least four full years of higher-education study (or part-time equivalent) in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA, at a level comparable to an Australian Bachelor degree (AQF 7) or higher and including a recognised initial teacher education qualification, can meet the English requirement. Confirm the exact conditions on the AITSL website.

What qualification do I need for the AITSL assessment?

A minimum of four years of full-time (or part-time equivalent) higher-education study that includes a relevant initial teacher education (ITE) qualification. The ITE must include supervised teaching practice and be specific to the stage of schooling of your nominated occupation.

Which teaching occupations does AITSL assess?

AITSL assesses defined school-teacher occupations, including Primary, Middle and Secondary School Teacher and several special-education roles (Special Needs Teacher, Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, Teacher of the Sight Impaired, and Special Education Teachers nec), each with its own ANZSCO code and checklist.

Does a positive AITSL assessment guarantee a visa or a job?

No. It satisfies the skills requirement, but a skilled visa also depends on points, health, character and English requirements and occupation-list rules decided by the Department of Home Affairs — and getting a teaching job also requires state/territory registration. No assessment guarantees a visa or employment. Verify current rules on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Official sources

This guide explains the process and is for guidance only. Eligibility, dates, fees and rules change every year — always confirm the current details on the official site before you act.

Verified against: AITSL — Migrate to Australia (skills assessment); AITSL — Applying for a skills assessment; AITSL — Skills assessment: English language proficiency; AITSL — Migration FAQs.

Last verified: 3 July 2026.