No, AITSL does not answer queries about migration to Australia or provide advice on visas. The Skilled Migration program is continually changing and adapting to Australia's economic needs. Up-to-date information about migration is on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website www.immi.gov.au. AITSL advises all prospective applicants to check the latest requirements for the Skilled Migration program before applying for an assessment.

AITSL does not provide advice on what programs of study to undertake to meet the requirements of this assessment. From time to time the AITSL assessment criteria are reviewed and updated to better reflect current Australian teaching standards. There is a risk that an applicant who commits to a course of study to meet specific assessment criteria may find at the completion of their study the criteria have changed and the qualification is not appropriate. AITSL will consider each qualification in the context of a total application against the criteria in place at the time of the assessment. DIAC advises against making educational choices on the basis of hoping to achieve a particular migration outcome as the Skilled Migration program will continue to change.

AITSL assesses overseas qualifications using the Country Education Profiles (CEP) which are produced and maintained by Australian Education International - National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (AEI-NOOSR), the Australian Government authority on the recognition of overseas qualifications in Australia. In cases where a qualification is not covered by the CEP, other resources such as the UK National Recognition Information Centre (UK NARIC) and university handbooks may be used.

Yes, provided you have completed a minimum of four years, full time higher education level study of which, one of those years involved completion of an initial teacher education qualification. For example, you may have completed a three year Bachelor of Science degree and a one year Post Graduate Diploma in Education.

This is the qualification required to teach in an early childhood (pre-primary school), primary or secondary school classroom. The initial teacher education qualification must involve at least one year of full-time study (or part-time equivalent) and be specific to the stage of schooling of the nominated occupation. The final academic transcript for the initial teacher qualification must include a program of professional studies in education including discipline-specific curriculum, pedagogical studies, general education studies and supervised teaching practice relevant to the age range of the students for the occupation you have nominated.

Supervised teaching practice is the compulsory component of an initial teacher education program during which time a student teacher is on a school placement and engaged in the teaching and learning process with school students. This teaching practice is under the supervision of a qualified teacher and university education staff and is formally assessed. A minimum of 45 days of supervised teaching practice with the age range of the students relevant to your nominated occupation is required. University based teaching practice activities undertaken with fellow students and university staff will not be considered.

No, only supervised teaching practice undertaken with school students in a school setting as a requirement of the initial teacher education program will be considered. Work experience as a teacher undertaken before or after the completion of an initial teacher education qualification is not considered as supervised teaching practice. This includes employment as a teacher while studying for an initial teacher education qualification as this teaching experience is not a compulsory part of the initial teacher education program

No. AITSL does not consider incomplete studies in the assessment process.

Initial teacher education programs that do not result in the issue of a formal academic award, final academic transcript and a statement of supervised teaching practice issues by an accredited higher education institution will not be considered in the assessment process. The GTP with Qualified Teaching Status enables a graduate to work in a secondary school in England or Wales. It does not enable an applicant to work as a qualified teacher in most other European Union countries and is not recognised in Australia for the purpose of migration or teacher registration.

No, AITSL completes assessments for the purpose of migration for school teacher occupations only. If your qualification is in TESOL, TEFL or ESL you may need to refer to the SOL for an appropriate occupation. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship can direct you to the relevant assessment authority.

No, Montessori qualifications are not recognised by AITSL as meeting the professional criterion for the purpose of migration as it is considered a specialised method of teaching.

From 1 January 2013 all applicants applying for a skills assessment are required to provide evidence of English language proficiency demonstrated by one of the following: (i) An Academic version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Test Report Form (TRF) that shows: a score of at least 7.0 for Reading and Writing; and a score of at least 8.0 for Speaking and Listening. The IELTS test scores must appear on a single IELTS TRF and be the result of a test undertaken during the 12 month period prior to submitting an application. or (ii) An applicant has completed study assessed by AITSL as comparable to at least four years of full-time (or part-time equivalent) higher education (university) study, that results in a qualification/s comparable to the education level of an Australian bachelor degree or higher, (must include a recognised initial teacher education qualification) undertaken in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States of America. All applications received by AITSL post-marked from 1 January 2013 will be assessed against the new English language proficiency requirements. Applications that include an IELTS TRF that shows the date the test was taken was on or after 1 January 2013, will be assessed against the new English language criterion effective from 1 January 2013. Any applicant submitting an IELTS Test Report Form which shows a score of less than seven (7.0) for Reading and Writing or a score of less than eight (8.0) for Speaking and Listening, will not meet the English language proficiency criterion, including applicants who provide evidence of (ii). AITSL reserves the right to ask an applicant to undertake the Academic version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination if there is uncertainty about their level of English language proficiency. Applicants must achieve a score of seven (7.0) or more for Reading and Writing and a score of at least eight (8.0) for Speaking and Listening.

AITSL will assess the initial teacher education qualification against the requirements of the occupation nominated. As a guide, in Australia, Early Childhood (pre-primary school) teachers teach children aged 3 to 8 years of age. Primary school teachers teach children aged 5 or 6 to 12 years of age. Secondary school teachers teach children aged 13 to 18 years of age. AITSL assesses one occupation only per application.

No. AITSL requires all supporting documents at the time the application is submitted.

No, AITSL does not provide a fast track assessment service. AITSL is committed to processing all applications within 10 weeks from the date of the initial notification email, providing all the required supporting documents are submitted with the application. Assessments will be delayed if AITSL has to request documents after the application has been received. If an assessment outcome is needed by a specific date, it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure a complete assessment application is lodged well before the date an assessment outcome is required.

AITSL provides an online facility at our AITSL Application Status webpage that indicates the status of your application.

An AITSL Skills Assessment Certificate is valid for two years from the date of issue.

No, for a valid assessment certificate you will need to apply for a new assessment. This will require a new application, including a complete set of certified documents and payment in advance of the assessment fee AUD550. The application Form and Guide are available on the AITSL website www.aitsl.edu.au Make certain you review the assessment criteria and guidelines prior to lodging a new application as they may have changed since your last assessment.

AITSL will only issue a refund of AUD500 if the assessment of your application has not commenced. To withdraw your application you will need to notify AITSL in writing via [email protected].

Your first step is to contact AITSL to clarify the reason behind your assessment outcome. If you still do not agree after with your outcome, you may request a formal appeal. This request must be made within 60 days of the date of your assessment outcome. The Assessment Appeal form will be emailed on request then must be lodged within 30 days of receiving the form. The fee for the appeal is AUD $550 payable in advance. An independent reviewer will consider new information/evidence demonstrating you met the assessment criteria at the time of your initial assessment. If you wish to submit new evidence, obtained after the date of your assessment outcome, you will need to submit a new assessment application.

Yes. Applicants who hold a valid AITSL Skills Assessment Certificate may apply to AITSL for a Skilled Employment Statement to assist with claiming of points as part of the Skilled Migration Points Test. For detailed information on the Points Test refer to the New Skilled Visa and Points Test Arrangements website The AITSL Skilled Employment Statement will provide advice on claims of skilled employment in the nominated occupation or other school teacher occupations on the Skilled Occupations List (SOL) comparable to the professional level of that occupation. To request a Skilled Employment Statement contact AITSL via [email protected] providing your full name as it appears on the AITSL Skills Assessment Certificate and the reference number. The fee for an AITSL Skilled Employment Statement requested after a Skills Assessment Certificate has been issued is AUD150.