Skills assessment · School teachers
AITSL Skills Assessment: The Teacher Route, and the Split That Decides It
AITSL assesses seven school-teaching occupations. Which one your qualification supports decides the whole visa strategy.
Quick answer
The AITSL skills assessment is the migration check for school teachers on Australian skilled visas. It requires four years of university study including an initial teacher education qualification with supervised practice. The fee is $1,198, most assessment-ready files finish within four weeks, and English is IELTS Academic only.
Key facts
- Seven occupations: primary, middle, secondary, special needs, hearing, sight and special education teachers
- The rule: four years of study including initial teacher education, with supervised teaching practice evidenced
- Fee: $1,198, no GST charged, on the schedule effective 7 September 2026
- Timing: most assessment-ready applications finish in four weeks, some take up to six
- English: Academic IELTS only, or four full years of study in six listed countries
Which teachers AITSL assesses
AITSL runs the teacher skills assessment for seven school-teaching occupations. The skills assessment for teachers sits with AITSL alone. Early childhood teachers left this list in December 2024 and now go to ACECQA instead.
| Occupation | ANZSCO |
|---|---|
| Primary School Teacher | 241213 |
| Middle School Teacher | 241311 |
| Secondary School Teacher | 241411 |
| Special Needs Teacher | 241511 |
| Teacher of the Hearing Impaired | 241512 |
| Teacher of the Sight Impaired | 241513 |
| Special Education Teachers (nec) | 241599 |
The occupation follows your initial teacher education level, not your current classroom. A person teaching secondary today can still assess as primary if the qualification trained them for primary.
What are the requirements for AITSL?
Three pillars carry every aitsl application, and files fail on evidence rather than on merit.
- Four years of full-time university-level study, or the part-time equivalent, resulting in qualifications.
- Within that study, a relevant initial teacher education qualification. A bachelor degree plus a graduate teaching diploma satisfies it together.
- Supervised teaching practice inside the initial teacher education, evidenced by an official signed statement from the institution.
Work experience must sit after the qualifying study, in a registered school setting, and match the nominated occupation. Australian teacher registration is not needed to apply, though it is needed later to teach.
The AITSL English requirements
AITSL accepts one test, and only one. Its own page says it accepts an Academic IELTS report only, and does not accept PTE, TOEFL, Cambridge or ISLPR. Online and indicator IELTS versions are also out.
The study alternative is four full years in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA. That must include the initial teacher education with its supervised practice.
The component scores are set per occupation in the current Application Guide, so read the guide for yours. Holders of Australian teacher registration may be treated differently, under AITSL's own fact sheet.
Fees and timing
The aitsl fees changed on 7 September 2026, and no GST is charged on any of them.
| Service | Fee (AUD, no GST) |
|---|---|
| Application for skills assessment | $1,198 |
| Appeal of assessment outcome | $938 |
| Skilled Employment Statement | $265 |
| Partial refund before assessment starts | $982 returned |
Most assessment-ready applications finish within four weeks, and some take up to six. AITSL was assessing applications received in the week of 7 September 2026 when read late in the month. The Skilled Employment Statement dates your teaching experience for points claims.
How to apply for the AITSL skills assessment
- Settle the occupationPull the initial teacher education transcript. Its level decides primary, secondary or special education.
- Clear the English gateBook Academic IELTS at a test centre, or evidence the four-year study alternative.
- Lodge assessment-readyQualifications, the practicum statement, registration evidence if held, and experience records for the statement.
A migration skills assessment from AITSL then feeds the expression of interest. The aitsl application itself runs through AITSL's online applicant system.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an AITSL assessment take?
AITSL states that most assessment-ready applications are completed within four weeks, with some taking up to six. Assessment-ready is the operative word: an application missing the practicum statement or English evidence sits outside that window. When read on 26 September 2026, AITSL was assessing applications received in the week of 7 September. Build the file complete and the published window is realistic.
How much does the AITSL skills assessment cost?
The application fee is $1,198 on the schedule effective 7 September 2026, and AITSL charges no GST on migration fees. An appeal of an outcome costs $938, and the Skilled Employment Statement for points purposes costs $265. If you withdraw before assessment starts, $982 comes back. Confirm the live fees page before paying, because the schedule was updated this month.
How much does it cost for a skill assessment in Australia?
It depends on the authority your occupation answers to. Teachers pay AITSL $1,198. Other authorities range from a few hundred dollars for nurses to about $1,500 for ICT professionals. Each figure is only as current as the day someone read it. The skills assessment hub on this site keeps the per-authority table with checked dates beside every figure.
What are the requirements for AITSL?
Three things. Four years of full-time university-level study, or the equivalent, that results in qualifications. A relevant initial teacher education qualification inside that study, comparable to an Australian bachelor degree. And supervised teaching practice within the teaching qualification, evidenced by an official statement from the institution. English is proven by Academic IELTS or by four qualifying years of study in six listed countries.
How long is an AITSL skills assessment valid for?
Home Affairs accepts a skills assessment for the period the authority gives it, capped at three years from issue. Plan the expression of interest and the visa lodgement inside that window. Teacher registration timelines run separately and can be slower, so sequence both early. An expired assessment cannot support an invitation, whatever the rest of the file looks like.
How do you apply for an AITSL skills assessment?
Through AITSL's online applicant system. Settle the occupation first from your initial teacher education transcript, because it decides which application guide and evidence set apply. Then upload qualifications, the supervised practice statement, identity documents and your English evidence, and pay the $1,198 fee. A registered migration agent can prepare and manage the file, though self-lodging is permitted.
Where to go next
The occupation call decides the visas open to you. These pages carry both sides of it.
Secondary or primary — which occupation will AITSL assess you into?
The free check reads your initial teacher education and experience. It maps the occupation call and the visas it opens.
Visa Advisor is a MARA-registered visa agent in Sydney, NSW, working with school teachers across Australia and offshore.
Sources and last checked dates
- AITSL — Skilled migration fees (schedule effective 7 September 2026) read 26 Sep 2026 open ↗
- AITSL — Skills assessment application process (occupations, criteria, timing) read 26 Sep 2026 open ↗
- AITSL — English language proficiency for the skills assessment read 26 Sep 2026 open ↗
- Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Occupation List (assessing authorities) read 26 Sep 2026 open ↗
- Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth), Compilation No. 288 — skills assessment currency rules read 26 Sep 2026 open ↗
AITSL fees changed on 7 September 2026 and its component score requirements live in each occupation's Application Guide. Confirm the current guide before acting on anything here. Visa Advisor is a registered migration agency in Sydney · MARN 0852408.