UK Teacher Moving to Australia? Skip the English Test (2026 Guide)

How UK-qualified teachers move to Australia to teach: the AITSL skills assessment, the four visa pathways, state-based registration, and what it actually costs. Covers shortage subjects, sponsorship routes and the salary difference versus the UK. Figures as at September 2026.

Read the full guide, with official sources →

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Chapters

  1. 0:00 UK teachers skip
  2. 0:12 Others need IELTS 7.5.
  3. 0:27 Four pathways into
  4. 0:42 AITSL checks training,
  5. 0:56 Three systems sponsor
  6. 1:18 A 190 pathway:
  7. 1:37 Agent fees: $3,000–$7,000
  8. 1:51 AU: $100,000–$115,000
  9. 2:05 The most common AITSL query:
  10. 2:19 Where to read more

Transcript

If you're a UK-qualified teacher, one thing changes the whole process: you skip the English test that catches almost everyone else.

Teachers from non-English-speaking countries need IELTS 7.5 overall — 7.0 in reading, 8.0 in speaking and listening, 7.0 in writing. UK passport holders skip it completely.

Four visa pathways lead here: a subclass 189 skilled independent, a subclass 190 with state nomination adding 5 points, a subclass 491 regional visa adding 15 points, and a subclass 482 employer-sponsored visa.

AITSL checks three things: at least 4 years of tertiary education including 1 year of teacher training, at least 1 year of study in your subject, and at least 45 days of supervised teaching practice.

Three systems sponsor overseas teachers: government schools, Catholic education, and independent schools — each runs its own recruitment.

Schools sponsor shortage subjects far more readily: mathematics, physics, chemistry, technology and special education. A humanities or PE teacher has a narrower path.

A subclass 190 pathway costs about $6,140 for the visa, plus $3,070 if a partner's included. AITSL assessment costs $1,198. All up, expect $7,800 to $8,300 without an agent.

If you use a migration agent, budget $3,000 to $7,000 on top. Either way, plan on 6 to 12 months from AITSL application to your first day in an Australian classroom.

After 8 years, an Australian teacher earns roughly $100,000 to $115,000. A UK teacher at the same experience level earns about £38,000 to £44,000 outside London.

The most common AITSL query: a general degree paired with a PGCE in a different subject — for example, a history degree with a maths PGCE — may need extra evidence of subject-specific study.

The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.

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