Teacher Registration in Australia: AITSL and State Authorities
How international teacher recognition works in Australia
To teach at a secondary school in Australia, a teacher trained overseas must complete two steps:
- AITSL assessment (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) — assesses your teaching qualification against the Australian national standard (APST — Australian Professional Standards for Teachers)
- Registration with the teacher regulatory authority of the state where you want to work
AITSL does not issue a licence to teach directly — it only assesses qualifications. The actual permission to teach rests with the state authority. Without valid state registration, you cannot teach at any school in the public system or at most private schools.
What AITSL requires to accept an assessment
AITSL only assesses teachers with formal Initial Teacher Education (ITE). An application needs:
Qualification: A Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) or a bachelor’s degree in a subject area combined with a teaching qualification (Graduate Diploma in Education/Teaching). A pure subject degree (for example, a Bachelor of Mathematics) without a teacher-education component will not be accepted by AITSL as a teaching qualification.
Teaching practicum: The teacher-education program must include supervised teaching practice in schools (at least 45–60 days by the Australian standard). AITSL examines this closely.
Subject specialisation: AITSL assesses which subjects you were trained to teach and at what level. In Australia, secondary teachers are generally recognised by subject area — for example: Maths, Science, English, and so on. Post-qualification teaching experience supports your case but does not replace a subject-specialist qualification.
Transcript and course description: AITSL reviews each unit of study to confirm you were trained in your subject specialisation at university level.
The AITSL application process
- Go to aitsl.edu.au → “International Teacher Assessment”
- Create an account and lodge the application online
- Upload: qualifications + transcript + course description + certified English translations (if the documents are not in English)
- Pay the fee — check the AITSL website for the current fee
- Receive the outcome: “Comparable” or “Not comparable” with reasons
Processing times vary with application volume — usually a few weeks to a few months. Check the AITSL website for current information.
State registration after AITSL
After receiving a “Comparable” outcome from AITSL, you register with the state authority. Each state has its own procedures and fees:
| State | Registration authority |
|---|---|
| NSW | NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) |
| VIC | VIT (Victorian Institute of Teaching) |
| QLD | QCT (Queensland College of Teachers) |
| SA | TRB SA (Teachers Registration Board of SA) |
| WA | TRBWA |
| TAS | TRB Tasmania |
| ACT | TQI (Teacher Quality Institute) |
| NT | TRB NT |
State registration does not transfer automatically: If you later move to teach in a different state, you must register again with that state’s authority. The AITSL outcome (comparable) can be reused, but a new registration requires a fresh application.
English
Both AITSL and the state authorities require evidence of English. Common standards:
- IELTS Academic: A total of 7.0–7.5, with no band below 7.0 (some authorities require 8.0 in certain bands)
- OET or PTE Academic are also accepted by many authorities
Requirements may differ between AITSL and each state authority — check the specifics on the website of the authority you intend to register with.
English teachers (EFL/ESL): a special note
Teachers who teach English overseas (IELTS, TOEFL, or conversational English) are not automatically recognised as teachers of the English subject under the Australian school curriculum. The two fields differ in qualification and competency. A candidate needs a qualification in English Language and Literature or equivalent, together with teacher training, before AITSL will assess them for the English subject.
Connection to migration visas
The AITSL outcome is the skills assessment used for migration visas under the corresponding ANZSCO code (for example, 241411 Secondary School Teacher). Common visas:
- 190/491 visas: If a state nominates teachers in the subject you teach
- 482 visa: If a school sponsors you (usually a private school)
For an overview of the secondary teacher migration pathway, see the related secondary school teacher migration article.