How to Migrate to Australia as a Secondary School Teacher?

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Secondary School Teacher Skill Assessment & Visas for Australia  

In this article, we will explain the Australian visa options for Secondary School Teachers and the Permanent Residency (PR) Pathway for Secondary School Teachers in Australia, as well as how we can best assist you in managing the migration journey.

Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO code: 241411) is currently on the Medium & Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), with access to a broad range of Australian immigration visa programs.

Australia welcomes qualified Secondary School Teachers to migrate to Australia as it has been widely reported that there aren’t enough local teachers to fill the vacancies:

Australian Visa Options for Secondary School Teachers

The following are a range of visas that the Secondary School Teachers may apply to work and/or to obtain permanent residency in Australia:

Pathway to Permanent Residency for Secondary School Teachers

For Secondary School Teachers, there are 2 major pathways to permanent residency in Australia:

  1. Australian State or Territory Government Sponsored Pathway (General Skilled Migration program) through, either:
  2. School or State Department of Education (Employer Sponsored) Pathway through, either:

The above 2 pathways are summarized in the illustration below:

 

Secondary School Teacher Visa Options for AustraliaThe exact process varies to the applicable pathway as illustrated above.

The typical processes for the Australian State or Territory Government Sponsored Pathway (General Skilled Migration program) are as follow:

  1. Seeking professional migration advice about your eligibility for Australian visas and associated action plan;
  2. Obtaining a satisfactory Academic version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) English test result to support your visa application, teacher registration and Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Skills Assessment (exemption for English test will apply in some scenarios); 
  3. Obtaining a positive Skills Assessment outcome for Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO code: 241411) occupation (make sure you have completed at least 45 days of Supervised Teaching Practice (STP) in a secondary school setting with students between the age range of 12 and 18 years old);
  4. Submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect;
  5. Securing a State Nomination firstly through a Registration of Interest (ROI) and a solid application for the state nomination;
  6. Once state nomination has been approved, submit your visa application as soon as possible within 60 days.

If you are interested in seeking migration through the School or State Department of Education (Employer Sponsored) Pathway, the process will be different to the General Skilled Migration program above. Before you can apply for the visa, we must ensure the employer is an approved sponsor prior to them submitting the nomination application for you. For the 482 & 494 visas, the employer will also need to go through the labour market testing before they can nominate an overseas worker. It may sound complicated, but rest assured our experienced team at Ausdirect Migration will be able to provide you with all the assistance and guidance you need along the way.

Work as Secondary School Teacher in Australia without Sponsor

Can I work as a Secondary School Teacher in Australia if I don’t have a sponsor? Yes, you may still fulfil your dream of working in Australia as a Secondary School Teacher with any type of temporary visas with working rights such as:

For the above visa holder with limited teaching experience in Australian schools, you may consider working as a Casual Relief Teacher (CRT) to build up your Australian teaching experience. This will enhance your CV and will increase your chance of getting sponsored in the future.

Please be aware that in order to work as a teacher in Australia, you will need to gain registration with the teacher regulatory authority in the relevant state/territory you are going to work in. The following is a list of teacher registration authorities:

Secondary School Teacher PR Points in Australia 2021

For skilled migration, Secondary School Teacher must meet the minimum points requirement set by the Federal Government in legislative instrument Migration (LIN 19/210: Pool and Pass Marks for General Skilled Migration Visas) Instrument 2019 are as below:

The points include any point allocated through State Nomination and Family Sponsorship. However meeting the minimum points requirement may not be enough to apply for a skilled visa and an successful visa application also depends on the applicant satisfying a range of other criteria such as skills assessment, state nomination, character and medical examinations.

Secondary School Teacher Skill Assessment (ANZSCO code: 241411) 

In order to migrate to Australia, you are required to obtain a skills assessment, except if you will be obtaining PR through the subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa and subsequently 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa route. For Secondary School Teachers, skills assessment can be organised through the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).

In order to apply for a skills assessment, you will need to provide the following documents: 

    • Current valid passport biodata page (where your facial image is printed on) and the page next to the biodata page
    • 2 of the following additional identity documents (must be current and valid at the time of application):
      • birth certificate;
      • national identity card;
      • official photo-bearing documents (E.g. driver licence or student ID)
    • Name Change Document (if you ever been known by or used any other name(s). Other name(s) include alternative spellings, patronymic name, maiden names, clan or tribal names)
    • ALL of the following Initial Teacher Education Qualification Documents:
      • award certificate (testamur);
      • academic transcript;
      • evidence of supervised teaching practice (an official, signed and dated document from the awarding university).
    • ALL of the following Other Higher Education Qualifications Documents:
      • award certificate (testamur);
      • academic transcript;
    • Either 1 of the following Evidence of English Language Proficiency:
      • an Academic version of IELTS Test Report Form shows a minimum score of at least 7.0 for both Reading and Writing and a minimum score of 8.0 for both Speaking and Listening. The test must not be undertaken more than 24 months before submitting the application to AITSL;
      • evidence of completing at least 4 full years of study in a university in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States of America resulting in qualification(s) equal to the education level of an Australian Bachelor degree or higher. This study must include a recognised initial teacher education qualification of at least 1 year full-time (or part-time equivalent).

Based on the supporting documents you provided, the AITSL will assess if your educational qualification and Supervised Teaching Practice (STP) are at a recognised level.

Once you have your skills assessment is completed, AITSL will issue you an Assessment Outcome Letter. If it is a positive outcome, you may then submit your SkillSelect (EOI) and commence the relevant processes to be considered for State Nomination or apply for subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (provided the nomination application for your subclass 494 visa has been lodged).

Contact Ausdirect Migration today to discuss your eligibility for the Skills Assessment, as this is one of the most important steps of your immigration journey.

Skills assessment for other Teaching Skilled Occupations assessed by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL)

Besides Secondary School Teacher (241411), AITSL is also the assessing authority for other skilled occupations’ skills assessments. The list is as follows:

The occupations with * sign next to them, including Secondary School Teacher, are on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).

The occupations with ** sign next to them are on the Short-Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL).

English requirement for Secondary School Teachers

Another important task is to sit an English exam. The minimum English requirement for applying for general skilled migration is “Competent” level. You will need to provide evidence to prove that in the 3 years before being invited to apply for the visa, you have obtained satisfying scores on one of the following tests:

Test Score
International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic or General Training) At least 6 for each of the 4 components
Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) At least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) At least 50 for each of the 4 components
Occupational English Test (OET) At least B for each of the 4 components
Cambridge C1 Advanced test At least 169 in each of the 4 components

If you hold a valid passport from the following countries, you will be deemed as having competent English and you will not need to take an English exam. The countries are the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, and the Republic of Ireland.

Competent English is the minimum threshold for applying for general skilled visas. If you can score a higher grade, you will receive more points when lodging your Expression of Interest (EOI). If you are at a proficient level, you will receive 10 points. If you are at a superior level, you will receive 20 points. For work visas, please find the English requirements in the definition of 186 ENS visa, 482 TSS visa and 494 SESR visas directly.

However, please be advised that Competent English might not satisfy the requirement of the Skills Assessment authority, AITSL and teacher registration with the teacher regulatory authority in the relevant Australian state/territory.

Although the Department of Home Affairs accepts TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, OET & Cambridge C1 Advances Test, please be advised that the AITSL and most of the teacher regulatory authorities in Australian state/territory do not accept these 4 types of English tests.

Prospects of Being a Secondary School Teacher in Australia

Secondary School Teacher is in high demand with very strong future growth prospect in some states/territory in Australia. Secondary School Teachers work across the whole of Australia. They are mostly full-time workers and the average working hour per week is 46 hours. The annual salary for Secondary School Teachers varies from state to state and will also vary depending on private or public schools. 

Graduate teachers’ salaries in public schools in Australia are usually in the range of AUD70,000 to AUD75,000. Entry-level positions start at a lower salary and will increase as one becomes more experienced and with an increasing level of responsibilities.

Useful Job Search Platforms in Australia

Are you looking for job opportunities in Australia as a Secondary School Teacher? Here are some popular job search platforms that could potentially help you secure a job

Ausdirect Migration for Secondary School Teacher

Our team at Ausdirect Migration is extremely experienced in managing migration programs in relation to the Secondary School Teacher occupation. Our practice has provided top-quality migration services to many education professionals globally and also education employers in Australia. We look forward to hearing from you and the opportunity to work with you along your immigration journey to Australia. We are confident to say our team has the best understanding and experience in the education sector and the associated immigration programs in Australia.

Contact Ausdirect Migration today to tailor the best suitable option(s) for your migration, and we will assist you in navigating every step of the process during the journey.

AUSDIRECT MIGRATION

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