Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher

Originally written back in 2016 we’ve updated this resource page for those looking to Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher for the 2023 season.

Can I move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher?

Unlike Primary School teachers who have been relegated to the Short Term Skilled Occupations List, if you’re looking to move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher then you’re still in luck. Secondary School Teacher is still on the main Medium Long Term Strategic Skills List for Australia.

Can Lets Go Help Me Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher

If you’re serious about moving to Australia and are a qualified Secondary School Teacher then you’re in the right place. Let’s Go! Global has a dedicated Teaching Australia team ideally placed to assist you with visas, registration, recruitment and all the little extras that make this big, bold and sometimes frightening move flow with ease.

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Making the move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher

Making the move may seem daunting, and given the complexities of Australian Immigration is certainly the case. It is a complicated process but a well-trodden path of thousands before you. We’ve now assisted over 1,000 Secondary School Teachers with their Immigration plans and we look forward to being of assistance to you wherever possible.

Learn More About The Emigration Process

Why not take our free visa assessment for an honest and concise review of your Australian Immigration chances and a full breakdown of your unique Australian Migration Pathway.

Free Teaching Australia Online Visa Assessment

If you’re a Primary School Teacher Immigrating to Australia then unfortunately unless you are qualified to teach some some specific language skills then we’re unable to assist you at this time as your chances of moving to Australia are currently limited.

This means we are unable to use your skills as ‘lead applicant’ although it could be that your Partner (if applicable) may have an occupation on one of the in demand lists.

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher: Am I Wanted Down Under?

The first thing when looking at how to Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher is to consider just how highly sought after teachers are ‘Down Under’.

Your skills are very much wanted in Australia right across the Country and this is represented by the inclusion of the Occupation code on both the Medium Long Term Strategic Skills List and the Short Term Skilled Occupation List.

The ANZSCO Code for Secondary School Teachers Emigrating to Australia is 241411

Anzsco Codes are produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and provides the classification and minimum requirements to Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher.

According to Anzsco Secondary School Teachers in Australia teach one or more subjects within a prescribed curriculum to secondary school students and promote students’ social, emotional, intellectual and physical development.

Indicative Skill Level to Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher
Occupations in this group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification.

Do I Need a Degree to Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher

Yes, you will need either a four year Bachelor of Education or a Degree + Post Graduate Certificate of Education.

Can I Teach in Australia with a QTS Qualification

No, QTS Qualifications are not recognized in Australia and we are unable to assist those with three year degrees + QTS and similar qualification routes such as GTP.

Anzsco defines a Secondary School Teacher as:

-presenting prescribed curriculum using a range of teaching techniques and materials
developing students’ interests, abilities and coordination by way of creative activities
-guiding discussions and supervising work in class
-preparing, administering and marking tests, projects and assignments to evaluate students
-discussing individual progress and problems with students and parents
-maintaining discipline in classrooms and other school areas
-participating in staff meetings, educational conferences and workshops
-liaising with parent, community and business groups
-maintaining class and scholastic records
-performing extra-curricular tasks such as assisting with sport, school concerts, excursions
-supervising student teachers on placement

Occupation: 241411 Secondary School Teacher
Teaches one or more subjects within a prescribed curriculum to secondary school students and promotes students’ social, emotional, intellectual and physical development. Registration or licensing is required.

Free Teaching Australia Online Visa Assessment

Can I Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher 241411

Being on the Medium Long Term Strategic Skills List means provided you’re aged under 45 and can gain the required 65 Australian Immigration Points then you nay have prime facie eligibility to emigrate to Australia with Permanent Residency on a 189 or 190 Visa Class.

The main skilled visa classes of 189 and 190 allow what’s called Permanent residency Status from day one. Permanent Residency for a Secondary School Teacher means you’ll be able to

-Live and work in Australia as a Secondary School Teacher
-Enter and leave without the need for further visas
-Access Medicare
-Access education for children without contribution
-Access financial services
-Own property
-Sponsor other eligible family members after two years
-Apply for full citizenship and dual nationality after four years

Keep reading to work out your Australian Immigration Points or simply take our free Teaching Australia Visa Assessment For The Facts:

Free Teaching Australia Online Visa Assessment

Our expert Teaching Australia team will do everything possible to secure maximum immigration points because whilst making the move to Australia as a Secondary Teacher is a ‘hot’ occupation we still want our clients to stand head and shoulders above other applicants.

We always recommend clients sit their IELTS test for the chance to gain up to twenty extra points.

If you have four years or more of tertiary study in a course with English as the Primary Course Language then your IELTS English test won’t be mandatory for your Skills Assessment and you’ll be taking it from a pure points perspective. In this case you can do the easier ‘General’ version.

Emigrate to Australia with Lets Go Global from Let’s Go! Global on Vimeo.

There’s no immediate rush to sit the English test for Australian Immigration as a Secondary School teacher and you may even have the required points without it.

Calculate Immigration Points to Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher

Age Points to move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher

Age 18 – 24 = 25 points
Age 25 – 32 = 30 points
Age 33 – 39 = 25 points
Age 40 – 44 = 15 points
Age 45 = Not eligible for skilled migration

English Language Points to move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher

Good = 20 points
Medium = 10 points
Basic = 0 points

Work Experience Points to move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher

3 to 5 years = 5 points
5 to 8 years = 10 points
8 years + = 15 points

Qualification Points to move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher
PHD = 20 points
Degree = 15 points
Trade Qualification = 10 points

Masters Teaching qualifications don’t add any further points to the tally as qualification points are only awarded for a Degree or PHD. Should you hold both a Degree and PHD the maximum immigration points claimed will still be 20.

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher with State Nomination

If you’re still coming up short on the all-important points by 5 or 10 then other options still present themselves. If you’re score is 60 then we’ll be looking at the 190 Permanent residency Visa class. This visa still leads to full Australian Citizenship and simply requires that you are ‘morally’ required to live and work in a particular State for the first two years of your time in Australia.

The following States are currently gifting their 5 extra 190 Visa points to applicants who only score 60 in the points test.

New South Wales
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia

If you’re only scoring 60 points for the 190 visa then we need to examine whether a 489 Visa will be more appropriate.

The 489 Visa doesn’t carry Permanent residency Status in the first instance but can certainly lead to it and lasts for an initial four year period. The same states above also gift 10 points for clients looking to move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher that only score 60 points instead of the 65 required for a 190 Visa.

Free Teaching Australia Online Visa Assessment

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher Stage One:

The Teaching Australia team at Let’s Go! Global have a 100% success rate migrating Secondary Teachers to Australia and work to tight operational deadlines. They view each unique case as an individual project and as with all projects, it’s made up of lots of mini milestones, all interdependent on each other.

The first milestone is Skills Assessment. Every Profession, Trade and General Occupation in demand in Australia have their own Skills Assessment Authority licensed by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. In the case of Secondary School Teachers emigrating to Australia the assessment body is the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership, or simply AITSL for short.

AITSL Australia
Level 8
440 Collins Street
Melbourne
VIC 3000
Australia

Phone: +61 2 6239 9500
Email: info@aitsl.edu.au
Email: overseasquals@aitsl.edu.au

How much does a Skills Assessment Cost to Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher?
A Secondary School Teacher Skills Assessment with the AITSL will cost $830 AUD

The Secondary School Teacher Assessment with the AITSL isn’t a practical assessment or test as your pupils will be used to! It’s best to think of this as a paper based exercise where we need to gather together an extensive bundle of paperwork to satisfy a legal framework.

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher: Secondary School Teacher Skills Assessment Form

In order to successfully move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher we need to be able to demonstrate to the AITSL that you are who you say you are, that you have the right skills, experience and qualifications.

Never underestimate the detail and level of documentation required for a Secondary Teacher Skills Assessment for Australia, it’s a legal process and must be completed with a 100% compliant approach before submission.

Upon case activation your Teaching Australia Account Manager will draft and send you an individually tailored document request list unique to your individual qualification route, main subject and secondary teaching experience.

The AITSL will be looking for evidence you’ve completed the requisite study which unfortunately does not include anything other than the routes below

Bachelor of Education (Secondary) and over four years + a minimum of 45 days supervised teacher training in a Secondary School environment.

Undergraduate degree + PGCE + a minimum of 45 days supervised teacher training in a Secondary School environment

Degree + Secondary School Centred Initial Teacher Training which leads to the award of a formal Post Graduate Certificate in Education

The following UK routes into Secondary School Teaching are currently not recognized by the AITSL or Dept. of Immigration:

Graduate Teacher Programme
School Direct Training Programme
Teach First Leadership Development Programme

I qualified as a Primary Teacher but teach Secondary, can I emigrate to Australia?
Regardless of whether you have taught at Secondary level you are still a Primary Teacher in the eyes of the AITSL (because this is age you would have taught during your supervised teaching practice leading to your teaching award).

This means any experience teaching at Secondary level may not qualify as experience for immigration purposes as it could be ‘out of scope’ of the Primary School Teacher Code. In this circumstance we recommend you speak with one of our Teaching Australia specialists.

I qualified as a Secondary School Teacher but have taught Primary, can I emigrate to Australia?
The answer is similar to the above as whilst there’s nothing technically stopping you from emigrating to Australia your teaching experience may not be classed as ‘relevant’ when calculating your immigration points. Again, in this instance we would be delighted to assist.

Free Teaching Australia Online Visa Assessment

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher: Stage Two

After we’re 100% certain we have the right documentation we’ll move onto document certification.

Certified copies of all original documents are required for the assessment process and only documents certified by one of the following authorized persons will be accepted for this assessment.

-Solicitor
-Accountant
-Justice of the Peace
-Notary Public
-Magistrate
-Judge
-Medical Doctor
-Headteacher

The person certifying the documents must clearly indicate on each page of each document that it’s a certified true copy of the original document, sign and date each page of each document and ensure the full name, occupation, address and phone number of the certifier is included.

AITSL will not accept certified electronic, a certified copy of a copy or a copy with previous certification stamps. Do bear in mind also that documentation submitted as part of an application will not be returned so please never send originals.

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher: Stage Three

The Skills Assessment fee levied by the AITSL is currently $830 AUD and it can take up to twelve weeks to receive an outcome. During this time if they request further information due to an incomplete bundle or any further clarification the AITSL are allowed to ‘reset the clock’ on the twelve weeks.

Obviously this can lead to frustrating and unnecessary time delays which is why our Teaching Australia team will check the application between at least two senior colleagues prior to submission.

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher: Stage Four

From submitting your EOI the process can take anything up to two years although in reality Secondary School Teachers emigrating to Australia should expect to receive a fairly speedy invitation to apply for either a 189 or 190 Permanent Residency Visa.

At this stage your Australian Government Fees fall due and these are:
Primary Applicant: $3755 AUD
Secondary Applicant: $1875 AUD
Children: $940 AUD

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher: Stage Five
After Australian Government Fees have been settled it’s onto Immigration Medicals and Police checks. Unfortunately these can’t be done prior to reaching this immigration milestone.

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher: Stage Six
After you’ve received an invitation to apply our Teaching Australia experts will start work on preparing your local professional licensing enabling you to teach in Australia.

The teacher registration and accreditation process for teachers in Australia can seem like a daunting prospect though don’t worry, our Teaching Australia Specialists are on hand to assume responsibility for your Australian Teaching Registration.

To become a teacher in Australia, you need to be accredited by a ‘local’ teacher registration board. There is no national or Federal Teaching Register with the process being divided on an individual State by State basis.

Teacher registration can be complex and varies depending on which Australian State you’re teaching in. As a rough guide though, you’ll need to satisfy the following criteria when you move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher.

Hold a Valid Working Visa
Have an accredited teaching qualification
Be registered with the state through that states Teacher Registration Board
Have a criminal record check within the past 12 months and a working with children card

For more detailed information on gaining accreditation in Australia, see the individual teacher registration boards:

Australian Capital Territories Teaching Registration

New South Wales Education Standards Authority

Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory

Queensland College of Teachers (QCT)

Tasmanian Teachers Registration Board

Victoria Institute of Teaching (VIT)

Teacher Registration Board of WA (TRBWA)

Do I need a job to Migrate to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher?
The 189 visa class does not require a formal job offer although some States and Territories do require this for the 190 subclass.

Average Salary for Secondary School Teachers in Australia

The average yearly salary for a Secondary School Teacher in Australia is $75,922 AUD, with the lower ranges coming in at around $48,500 and the higher levels reaching $117,500.

Employer sponsored visas to move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher

Whilst we will never discourage applicants from attempting the TSS employer sponsored visa route in our experience due the nature and extent of the TSS visa process from an employers perspective it is unlikely that you will experience much traction in your job search if you are relying on this as a way into Australia. Please also remember that Australia has one of the very best education systems in the World with many local and highly trained citizens.

Can my family come if I move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher?

Yes, with the added bonus that your spouse or partner may not even need to do a skills assessment in their own right for whatever occupation they hold. The rights and privileges afforded to the main visa holder are passed onto partners and children automatically.

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher with Lets Go Global

Hopefully we’ve been able to bring some more clarity to what can be a challenging and stressful process. As a word of caution the above is still a high level overview and for a free consultation with no obligation simply take our online visa assessment and try to be as full as possible to get the most out of your consultation.

Online Visa Assessment Teaching Australia

Don’t Pay for Your Initial Consultation
We only take on cases where our experts are positive of securing a successful outcome for you and your loved ones. At the start of this life-changing journey, you need to be armed with the facts, not have to listen to a long-winded sales pitch.

Our Free Visa Assessment for Secondary Teachers moving to Australia
• Consultations are with those directly responsible for your case
• Honest and reliable assessment of your eligibility
• All your unanswered questions covered
• Free advice on skills assessment and professional registration
• Warts and all budget planning – all costs discussed in detail

Emigrate to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher
After your free consultation, you may decide to engage our bespoke fully managed Emigrate to Australia service. Our highly competitive fees are always fixed right from the start so there are no nasty surprises along the way.

Move to Australia as Secondary School Teacher:
• 360-degree legal advocacy and case management.
• Full skills assessment service & professional registrations
• 24/7 Access to your case
• Dedicated recruitment advisory service
• Access to a real Australian resettlement expert

Move to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher with Let’s Go! Global, the loveliest brand in Australian Migration Services.