Skip to content
AI coach · first answer free 2026–27 rates

Moving to Australia to teach: your personal planner

Tell us where you teach now and your experience. Get the registration route, skills assessment steps, likely pay step and an honest checklist for each Australian state.

Your draft

0 words

Your text is used only to generate this feedback and to improve the tool. Don't include students' names or other people's personal details.

What you'll get

  • 1Your step-by-step route
  • 2Registration notes for each state you're considering
  • 3How your experience may map to pay
  • 4Risks and next actions

Reviewed by an AI coach briefed on Australian merit selection, the AITSL Standards and each state's processes. It never invents experience you don't have.

In short

To teach in Australia from overseas you need state teacher registration and usually a visa. For most skilled visas that means an AITSL skills assessment ($1,198 from 7 September 2026, decided in about 4 to 6 weeks) with IELTS Academic scores of 7, 7, 8 and 8. The planner builds your route, likely pay step and checklist for each state.

How to use the move to australia planner

  1. 1

    Tell it where you teach now

    Choose your current country and the qualification you hold, such as a UK PGCE with QTS, an Irish PME or a New Zealand teaching degree.

  2. 2

    Add your experience and subject

    Enter your years of full-time teaching, phase (primary or secondary) and subjects. These shape your likely pay step and demand for your skills.

  3. 3

    Pick the states you're considering

    Choose one or several states. The planner compares the registration route, pay and incentives in each.

  4. 4

    Get your plan

    You'll get the registration steps, skills assessment and English requirements, a likely starting salary and an honest checklist, in order.

The two things you need: registration and a visa

Teaching in an Australian school needs registration with the regulator in the state you'll work in: NESA (NSW), VIT (Victoria), QCT (Queensland), TRBWA (WA), TRB SA, TRB Tasmania, TQI (ACT) or TRB NT. An AITSL skills assessment is not registration; it's a migration step that tells the Department of Home Affairs your qualifications meet the Australian standard. Most overseas teachers need both.

AITSL skills assessment key facts (October 2026)
ItemDetail
Fee$1,198 from 7 September 2026 (appeal $938; skilled employment statement $265)
ProcessingMost assessment-ready applications within 4 weeks, some up to 6
QualificationAt least 4 years' full-time (or equivalent) university study, including initial teacher education with supervised teaching practice
EnglishIELTS Academic only: Reading 7, Writing 7, Speaking 8, Listening 8, on one test within 24 months, unless exempt through study
OccupationsPrimary (241213), middle (241311), secondary (241411) and special needs teachers; early childhood is no longer assessed by AITSL

Source: AITSL migration pages, read 16 October 2026.

Visa routes in outline

Common routes for teachers include the skilled independent (189), state-nominated (190) and regional (491) visas, the employer-sponsored Skills in Demand (482) visa and the permanent employer nomination (186) visa. Which suits you depends on your occupation, age, points and whether you have a job offer. Primary, middle and secondary teachers have been reported as listed on the Core Skills Occupation List, but check current lists. For advice on your own case, use a registered migration agent. See our teacher visa guide.

What you'd earn, and where your experience lands

Government-school graduates start on $79,589 (Victoria, until its new agreement is approved) to $96,180 (NT), and the top classroom step is $118,063 to $136,997, as at October 2026. Experienced overseas teachers are placed on the scale by each employer, after registration.

Worked example

Likely starting point with 1 year's experience in the NT

NT placement rule
Completed years of service; 1 year = CT2
CT2 salary (from Jan 2026)
$100,777
Next scheduled rise
4.3% from Jan 2027 (CT2 to $105,110)
Employer super (12%, paid on top)
about $12,093
Graduate rate for comparison (CT1) $96,180

From the NT Public Sector Educators' Enterprise Agreement 2024–2027. Other states recognise experience differently: Victoria adds one subdivision per approved year, the ACT recognises full years and NSW places Proficient teachers at Step 3.

Country-specific notes

  • New Zealand: NZ-registered teachers with a current practising certificate can usually get equivalent registration under Trans-Tasman mutual recognition. See New Zealand teachers moving to Australia.
  • UK and Ireland: you register as an overseas-qualified teacher; your degree and initial teacher education are assessed by the regulator. See UK teachers and Irish teachers.
  • South Africa, Canada, the US and India: check that your qualification meets the four-year rule and plan for IELTS. See our guides for South African, Canadian, American and Indian teachers.

What the planner can and can't do

The planner turns published rules into a personal checklist and pay estimate. It can't assess your qualification, decide your visa or guarantee a pay step: AITSL, the state regulator, the Department of Home Affairs and your employer decide those. Your first plan is free; full access adds unlimited questions and every state.

Compare pay first with the UK to Australia pay converter, then read overseas teacher registration by state and the best state to teach in Australia.

Frequently asked questions

How do I become a teacher in Australia from overseas?
Get registered with the teacher regulator in the state you'll work in, and get a visa. For most skilled visas you also need an AITSL skills assessment, which costs $1,198 from 7 September 2026 and needs IELTS Academic scores of 7, 7, 8 and 8.
How long does an AITSL skills assessment take?
Most assessment-ready applications are decided within 4 weeks, and some take up to 6. In mid-October 2026 AITSL said it was assessing applications received in the week of 5 October.
What IELTS score do teachers need for Australia?
For the AITSL skills assessment: IELTS Academic with at least 7 in reading, 7 in writing, 8 in speaking and 8 in listening, all on one test taken within 24 months. Other tests aren't accepted.
Is the AITSL skills assessment the same as teacher registration?
No. The skills assessment is for migration only. To teach, you also need registration with the state or territory regulator, such as NESA in NSW or VIT in Victoria.
Can New Zealand teachers work in Australia?
Yes. NZ-registered teachers with a current practising certificate can usually get equivalent Australian registration under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act, and NZ citizens can generally live and work in Australia.
Which Australian state pays overseas teachers the most?
The NT pays the most in October 2026: $96,180 for a graduate and $136,997 at the top classroom step. NSW is next at $92,882 and $133,422. Your step depends on how each employer recognises your experience.
Is the teacher move planner free?
Your first plan is free. A one-off payment gives you 12 months' access to the full Move to Australia Teacher Pack, or you can get it with TeacherPay AU Pro.

Guides that go with this tool

Skills assessment

AITSL skills assessment for teachers: fee, English scores, documents and timing (2026)

What AITSL checks, what it costs from 7 September 2026, the English scores you need and the documents that trip people up.

Visas

Teacher visas for Australia: which visa fits you in 2026

The visa routes overseas teachers actually use, what each one needs, and the checks to make before you pay a cent.

UK teachers

Moving to Australia as a UK teacher: qualifications, visas, registration and pay

How a PGCE, BEd or PGDE is assessed, which visa UK teachers use, how your years of service set your salary step, and what you'll earn.