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

Will your UK qualification be accepted?

Australia looks at your academic award, not your licence to teach. AITSL, which does the visa skills assessment, says it doesn't consider QTS because it is accreditation rather than an academic qualification. The WA Department of Education says the same for its schools: QTS alone is not accepted. What matters is a Bachelor of Education, or an undergraduate degree plus a postgraduate teaching qualification such as a PGCE (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or PGDE (Scotland), with assessed practicum.

The documents UK teachers usually have to chase

Most UK teachers have their degree certificates and a QTS letter, and not much else. Australia wants more. Start these requests early, because universities and past schools can be slow, especially during the summer holiday.

Visa options UK teachers use

There's no special UK teacher visa. Most UK teachers use one of four routes. A skilled visa (189, 190 or 491) needs an AITSL assessment, a points score and, for the 190 and 491, state nomination. NSW currently lists primary, secondary and other school teacher groups on its 190 skills list. A 482 Skills in Demand visa needs an employer who will sponsor you, often leading to a permanent 186. A Working Holiday (417) suits teachers within the age limit, which for UK passport holders has been up to 35. Check the current limit and conditions on Home Affairs.

The WA Department of Education names UK citizens among those it recruits and has an international recruitment team you can contact about visas. Many UK teachers start on a working holiday doing relief teaching, then move to a sponsored or skilled visa once they've found a school. Our teacher visa guide compares the routes. Visa rules are personal and change often. A registered migration agent can check your case before you commit money.

Registration and English

Your English is usually covered by your UK study. AITSL, NESA, VIT, TRBWA and TRB NT all treat qualifications completed in the UK as meeting the requirement, as long as your study (and, for AITSL, all four years and your practicum) was done there. If you studied part of your degree elsewhere, check the rules in our IELTS guide.

Registration is with the state regulator: NESA in NSW, VIT in Victoria, QCT in Queensland, TRBWA in WA and so on. Victoria's VIT pre-assesses overseas qualifications before you can apply, and only accepts applications from overseas within 3 months of your arrival and with a job offer or visa need. Most UK teachers start with provisional registration and move to full after teaching here. Compare all eight in overseas teacher registration by state.

How your UK experience sets your Australian pay step

This is the part UK teachers most often get wrong, and it's worth more than anything else on this page. Australian state scales are step-based, like the UK main and upper ranges, but you don't automatically land on the step matching your years. The employer assesses your prior service, using statements of service, and the rules differ by state.

What UK teachers earn in Australia

Classroom pay in Australia, from the state agreements we track: NSW $92,882 to $133,422 from October 2026; the NT $96,180 to $136,997 from January 2026; Queensland $90,164 to $119,357, then Senior Teacher $124,601 and Experienced Senior Teacher $127,549 from September 2026; WA $88,178 to $127,737 from December 2025; SA $84,971 to $123,236 from May 2026; Tasmania $85,313 (usual start) to $122,393; and ACT $91,396 to $129,106. Victoria pays $79,589 to $118,063 now and is due to rise to $92,882 to $133,456 once its new agreement is approved, with back pay.

For UK figures, England's School Teachers' Review Body recommended a 3.5% rise from 1 September 2026, giving a main pay range of £34,069 (M1) to £46,940 (M6) and an upper range to £52,835 (U3) outside London. The government accepted it in full on 1 July 2026. Academies can set their own pay, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have separate scales. Our sister site TeacherPay UK has every UK scale, including London weightings. For the side-by-side comparison, read UK vs Australia teacher pay.

Money things to sort before you leave

• Pension: your Teachers' Pension Scheme benefits stay in the UK scheme. In Australia your employer pays at least 12% super into a fund (more in the ACT). Get advice before moving any UK pension.
• Student loan: moving abroad doesn't cancel a UK student loan. Tell the Student Loans Company you're leaving and check how overseas repayments work.
• Tax: Australian residents are taxed on worldwide income. Working holiday makers are taxed differently. See teacher salary after tax.
• Health cover: the UK has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia, but it doesn't cover everything. Check Medicare eligibility with Services Australia for your visa.

Your step-by-step plan