South African teachers moving to Australia: AITSL, IELTS and which visa fits
Why South African-qualified teachers must sit IELTS Academic for AITSL assessment, the exact bands required, which teaching occupations can use the subclass 189, and a realistic cost and timeline picture for the subclass 190 pathway. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 Fluent in English?
- 0:15 AITSL's 6 exempt countries — not South Africa
- 0:29 One Test Report Form
- 0:46 $1,198, most within 4–6 weeks, valid 2 years
- 0:59 Not every teaching occupation sits on the same list
- 1:19 Subclass 189 — no sponsorship needed
- 1:33 Open to all three occupations
- 1:55 Roughly $8,300 to $8,800, all up
- 2:16 Subclass 190 processing, as at 30 June 2026
- 2:31 AITSL clears the visa.
- 2:43 Two separate processes, two separate bodies
- 2:56 Where to read more
Transcript
If you're a South African teacher moving to Australia, AITSL will make you sit IELTS Academic before it assesses you — even though English is a teaching language throughout South African schooling.
AITSL only waives that test for teachers educated in six countries: Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. South Africa isn't on that list.
The bands are steep, and all on one Test Report Form: 7.0 in Reading, 7.0 in Writing, 8.0 in Speaking, 8.0 in Listening. AITSL doesn't accept PTE, TOEFL, OET or Cambridge instead.
The AITSL assessment itself costs 1,198 dollars. Most complete applications are assessed within 4 to 6 weeks, and the outcome stays valid for 2 years.
Which visa you can use depends on your exact occupation. Secondary School Teacher, ANZSCO two four one four one one, and Special Education Teacher, two four one five one one, sit on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List. Primary School Teacher, two four one two one three, doesn't.
That list membership decides who can use the Skilled Independent visa, subclass 189, with no sponsorship needed. Secondary and Special Education teachers can. Primary School Teacher can't.
All three occupations can still use the other pathways. Skilled Nominated, subclass 190, adds 5 points for state nomination. Skilled Work Regional, subclass 491, adds 15 points. Skills in Demand, subclass 482, is direct employer sponsorship, with a pathway to permanent residence through the 186.
A realistic total for the subclass 190 pathway: 1,198 for AITSL, 490 for IELTS, 6,140 for the visa itself, plus a health exam, state registration and a Working with Children check. Altogether, roughly 8,300 to 8,800 dollars.
Home Affairs' own published figures for the 190, as at 30 June 2026: 25 percent of applications finalised within 5 months, half within 12 months, and 90 percent within 17 months.
A positive AITSL assessment supports the visa. It doesn't let you teach. You separately register with the authority in the state you'll work in — there's no single national teacher register.
The mistake to avoid: treating AITSL and state registration as one step. They're two separate processes, run by two separate bodies, and both take real time to plan around.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description.
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