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🎓 AITSL + state or territory teacher regulator · Rules checked 2026-08-23

Chinese teachers in Australia: migration assessment and registration

Australia has two separate gates: an AITSL teacher skills assessment when the visa requires one, and teacher registration in the state or territory where you intend to work. Passing AITSL does not by itself permit you to teach.

The order, from China to the classroom

  1. Choose the teaching occupation, intended state or territory, and likely visa route first.
  2. Obtain full academic records and the supervised-practicum statement from the university, then prepare Chinese notarisation and English translations.
  3. If the visa requires a teacher skills assessment, apply to AITSL and meet its qualification, practicum and English standards.
  4. Apply for teacher registration and the required background checks in the intended state or territory.
  5. After obtaining a suitable job offer, apply for the relevant work or skilled-migration visa.
  6. Once employed, maintain the local teacher registration and renewal requirements.

How the qualification counts

  • AITSL's standard route normally requires at least four years of full-time university study, including a relevant initial teacher education programme for the intended teaching age range.
  • The teacher-education programme must include at least 45 days of supervised teaching practice. Ordinary employment as a teacher does not replace this practicum.
  • The awarding university should issue the practicum statement, identifying its duration, student age range and school setting; placement reports signed only by supervising teachers are normally insufficient.

Registration requirements

  • For Chinese qualifications, expect colour notarial booklets from a Chinese Notary Public Office for the degree, graduation certificate and transcript, plus the university's official practicum statement.
  • Documents not in English must be supplied with both the original and an acceptable English translation.
  • Meet an English-language study route or test standard currently accepted by AITSL; recheck the accepted tests, scores and validity rules before applying.
  • After the skills assessment, apply separately to the regulator in the intended state or territory, including any character, police and working-with-children checks it requires.

Published costs

  • AITSL teacher skills assessment: AUD 1,154 through 6 September 2026
  • State or territory registration, police, translation, notarisation and English-test costs are additional
  • AITSL has announced fee changes from 7 September 2026; recheck before paying

Getting to Australia

Recognition and immigration are separate. Whether AITSL is needed depends on the visa. With an eligible job, possibilities may include an employer-sponsored Skills in Demand subclass 482 visa or, depending on the applicant, skilled routes such as subclasses 189, 190, 491 or 494.

The binding limitAn AITSL assessment is neither state teacher registration nor a visa. Do not treat the assessment as permission to teach without registration from the relevant state or territory regulator.

Official sources

Rules, fees and forms change. Reopen these official pages before you apply or pay. This page explains public information; it is not a regulator decision and not immigration advice.

This page does not cover case-by-case judgements beyond the qualification. For the qualification itself, see Qualification recognition tool.