How long does AITSL take? Processing times and the full timeline to teaching in Australia

The current AITSL processing time

AITSL publishes the week of applications it's currently working on, which is the most useful number on its site. If you submit today and that week is about two weeks behind, you can expect your file to be picked up in roughly two weeks, then decided soon after, assuming nothing is missing. AITSL warns that its timeframes may be extended if application numbers rise significantly, so check the page again on the day you submit.

What 'assessment-ready' really means

AITSL's 4-week figure applies to assessment-ready applications. It doesn't define the term on its process page, but it says plainly that an incomplete application or incorrect documents will delay processing. In practice an application is ready when an assessor can make a decision from what's in front of them without asking you for anything.

The rules behind each item are explained in our AITSL skills assessment guide, including the 4-year study requirement and the six-country English exemption.

What slows applications down

Refunds, appeals and the Skilled Employment Statement

If you need points for skilled employment on a points-tested visa, request the SES as soon as your assessment comes back, because Home Affairs and state nomination programs may need it before you can lodge. Only paid teaching after your qualifying qualification, at 20 or more hours a week, in a registered school, within the past 10 years, in the same occupation group counts.

If the outcome isn't what you wanted

An unsuitable outcome costs you more time than any queue. AITSL says a not-suitable outcome has already been checked by three assessment officers, including senior assessors. You can appeal for $938, but an appeal only helps if AITSL made an error or you can supply evidence of something you already had at the time, such as a better practicum letter. It won't fix a qualification that's genuinely too short; for that you'd need further study or a different visa pathway.

• Early childhood teachers: AITSL no longer assesses Early Childhood (Pre-primary) Teacher (241111). Migration agents report that it moved to ACECQA from December 2024, so an AITSL application in that occupation will waste time and money.
• Wrong occupation: if your practicum was in secondary schools only, don't apply as a primary teacher. Pick the occupation your evidence supports.
• Reapplying: a fresh application is a new fee and a new place in the queue, so fix every gap first.

The whole timeline: AITSL is the short part

AITSL's 4 to 6 weeks is usually the most predictable step. Gathering documents, the visa and registration take longer and vary more. These are planning ranges, not official processing times.

Ways to get a faster outcome

1. Get the practicum letter first. It's the document most likely to be missing or vague, and the one that takes longest to get from overseas.
2. Check your IELTS date. The test must be within 24 months of applying. Don't submit with a result that's about to expire.
3. Match names across documents. Include every name-change document upfront.
4. Submit everything at once. Partial uploads don't hold your place in a useful way; the assessor needs the full file.
5. Check the queue week before you submit. If it has slipped, plan the rest of your timeline around that.
6. Don't pay until you're ready. The refund is $982 of $1,198, and only before assessment starts.