Government-owned company·Tier 1

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited

The assessor for migrating teachers in Australia. The highest English bar (IELTS 7.5 / 8.0) of any skills authority, and a hard 45-day practicum requirement.

Fee from

AUD $255

Processing

4–6 weeks

Validity

3 years

English at assessment

Required

About this authority

AITSL is the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, a government-owned company that runs national teaching standards and assesses migrating teachers. Five of its ANZSCO occupations sit on the MLTSSL: secondary school teacher (241411), Special Needs Teacher (241511), Teacher of the Hearing Impaired (241512), Teacher of the Sight Impaired (241513), and Special Education Teachers nec (241599). Primary (241213) and middle school teachers (241311) are on the STSOL through AITSL. If you teach early childhood (241111), your assessor is ACECQA, not AITSL.

What to watch for

The stuff that trips people up, said plainly.

The 45-day practicum is non-negotiable.

If your teaching qualification didn't include at least 45 days of documented supervised practicum, AITSL can't assess you. People who finished teaching degrees online, or as top-up qualifications without classroom practicum, get stuck here.

AITSL's English bar is the highest in Australian skills assessment.

IELTS Academic 7.5 in reading and writing, 8.0 in listening and speaking, or equivalent OET, PTE Academic, or TOEFL iBT. The 8.0 in listening trips up more people than the 7.5 in writing.

AITSL doesn't assess every teacher.

Early childhood teachers (241111) route through ACECQA. ESL teachers, university lecturers, teacher aides, and TAFE instructors route through different authorities or have no skilled-migration pathway at all. Check your ANZSCO before starting.

The Primary Teacher Checklist drives the document list, not generic claims.

AITSL publishes per-occupation checklists (Primary Teacher, Secondary Teacher, Special Needs Teacher, and the sensory specialisations) that name every accepted document for that ANZSCO. The required pack is the testamur (final award certificate), full academic transcript per year of study, identity documents, and supervised teaching practice evidence. Australian teacher registration is explicitly not required to apply; teacher registration certificates are not accepted as evidence of supervised practice.

Fees

What it costs, line by line.

Product	Applicant	Ex-GST	Incl-GST	Effective
Appeal of assessment outcome	Standard	$904	$904	1 July 2025
Application for skills assessment	Standard	$1,154	$1,154	1 July 2025
Partial refund	Standard	$946	$946	1 July 2025
Skilled Employment Statement (SES)	Standard	$255	$255	1 July 2025

What you need to submit

The document checklist, grouped by what it proves.

Identity

Passport identity page.

Qualifications

Initial Teacher Education qualification certificate (degree or higher).
Academic transcripts for the initial teacher education qualification.
Program syllabi / subject outlines covering the teacher education program.

English proficiency

English proficiency, accepted tests include IELTS Academic with 7.5 in reading and writing plus 8.0 in listening and speaking. OET, PTE, TOEFL accepted with equivalent scores.

Occupations AITSL assesses

Every ANZSCO routed here, linked back to its 189 cutoff trend.

MLTSSL · 5 occupations

The Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List. Eligible for the skilled visas (189, 190, 491, etc.).

241411

Secondary School TeacherOpen 189 cutoff →

241599

Special Education Teachers necOpen 189 cutoff →

241511

Special Needs TeacherOpen 189 cutoff →

241512

Teacher of the Hearing ImpairedOpen 189 cutoff →

241513

Teacher of the Sight ImpairedOpen 189 cutoff →

STSOL or ROL · 2 occupations

Short-Term Skilled Occupation List or Regional Occupation List. Visa eligibility differs from MLTSSL.

241311

Middle School TeacherOpen 189 cutoff →

241213

Primary School TeacherOpen 189 cutoff →

Frequently asked

Questions worth answering first.

Yes, and AITSL is strict about it. You need at least 45 days of supervised teaching practicum embedded in your initial teacher education qualification. The practicum has to be documented in your transcripts or academic records, not just on a CV. Teaching experience after graduation doesn't replace the practicum requirement, and online-only teaching degrees almost always fall short on this point.

AITSL accepts IELTS Academic, OET, PTE Academic, and TOEFL iBT. The IELTS thresholds are 7.5 in reading and writing plus 8.0 in listening and speaking. OET is B or above in each component. PTE Academic and TOEFL have published equivalent thresholds. This is the highest English bar among Australian skills-assessment authorities, and exemptions are narrow.

If your ANZSCO is 241111 Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher, your designated migration assessor is ACECQA, not AITSL. AITSL covers secondary, special-needs, and special-education teachers on the MLTSSL, plus primary and middle school teachers on the STSOL. The split is by ANZSCO code, so check yours before starting your application. If you're teaching in a pre-primary classroom and your nomination is 241111, ACECQA is where you go.

AITSL outcome letters don't expire from AITSL's side, but Home Affairs treats them as valid for 3 years from the issue date when you lodge a visa or Expression of Interest. If your assessment is older than 3 years at the lodgement date, you re-apply at the full fee. Time your application so the outcome stays current through your visa lodgement window.

Yes, but each occupation requires its own application. AITSL assesses against one ANZSCO code per application. If secondary and special-needs teaching pathways are both possible from your qualification and you want both options open, that's two applications and two fees. Most candidates pick one, the closer match to their qualification and practicum focus.

Last checked · 22 MAY 2026

This page is general information about Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited and its publicly listed fees, processing times, and document requirements. It isn't immigration advice for your situation. Only a registered migration agent (MARA) or Australian legal practitioner can advise on whether you meet this authority's criteria or which visa pathway fits your circumstances. Find a registered agent at mara.gov.au.