AITSL Skills Assessment for Indian Teachers: 2026 Guide

Indian school teachers planning skilled migration to Australia should assess their teacher education and English evidence before paying for an AITSL skills assessment. A job title or years in a classroom cannot, by themselves, establish that the required qualification and supervised practice criteria are met.

Information checked on 29 October 2026. This guide concerns school-teacher assessment, not a job offer or visa approval. For the wider migration sequence, see our Australia skills assessment hub.

Which teacher occupation are you nominating?

AITSL’s current application process lists Primary School Teacher, Middle School Teacher, Secondary School Teacher and four special-education occupations. Choose the occupation that matches the age range and setting of your training. Do not select a code solely because you have seen it in an invitation report. Early Childhood Teacher moved to ACECQA as assessing authority from 7 December 2024; it is not part of the school-teacher checklist used in the example below.

Qualifications: look beyond the name of your B.Ed.

The standard assessment requires at least four years of completed university-level study, full-time or equivalent, including relevant initial teacher education. AITSL assesses qualifications and English proficiency. A degree labelled B.Ed. is not an automatic positive result: its level, duration, teaching content and placement evidence must fit the nominated occupation.

For example, the current Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO 241411) checklist requires an initial teacher education qualification comparable to AQF level 7 or above, including at least one year of relevant study and at least 45 days of supervised practice in a secondary setting within the 13–18 age range. Other qualifications contributing to the four-year total must meet the checklist’s level requirements. These secondary-school criteria should not be copied to a different occupation without checking its own checklist.

Supervised teaching practice is a separate evidence issue

AITSL means a compulsory, assessed school placement within the initial teacher education programme, supervised by qualified teaching and university education staff. Later paid teaching and practice with fellow university students do not replace it.

An affiliated college’s letter, a school employment reference or the supervising teacher’s placement report is not the required awarding-university statement. This is an important planning point for Indian applicants whose placement was arranged through an affiliated college: identify the correct issuing university before paying the assessment fee.

English: Academic IELTS and the study option

AITSL offers an eligible-study route or an Academic IELTS route. English-medium study in India alone does not meet the listed-country study option. That option requires four full years of qualifying university study in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the USA, including recognised initial teacher education; all components of that teacher education, including supervised practice, must have been completed in the listed countries.

Scores must appear on one Test Report Form. The July 2026 checklist allows IELTS One Skill Retake and a test taken within three years before submission. AITSL’s 13 July 2026 notice confirms the move from two-year to three-year validity. This is the assessment rule; do not assume it settles every visa or registration requirement.

AITSL accepts test-centre Academic IELTS, paper or computer delivered. PTE, TOEFL and IELTS General Training are not substitutes for its test route. IELTS Online and Indicator are not accepted. Someone with Australian teacher registration should disclose it with supporting evidence; AITSL may consider registration, but it does not guarantee suitability.

Current AITSL fees, GST and refunds

The following fees took effect on 7 September 2026 and were checked on 29 October 2026. They are Australian-dollar assessment charges, separate from visa fees, English testing, translations and professional assistance.

AITSL states that no GST is charged on these assessment-for-migration fees. A partial refund of AUD 982 can be available only before assessment starts; no refund is issued once the application is under assessment. Withdrawal is not the same as entitlement to a refund. The SES is a separate optional employment summary available after a suitable skills assessment, not an extra charge every applicant must pay.

Documents and realistic planning

Prepare identity evidence, completed award certificates and transcripts, the university’s practice statement and the relevant English evidence. The guide calls for clear colour scans of originals and accredited English translations of documents not in English. Follow the occupation-specific evidence list rather than upload unrelated certificates hoping they will compensate for a missing requirement.

AITSL currently estimates that most assessment-ready applications take four weeks, with some taking up to six weeks. Missing or incorrect documents and high volumes can extend that period. These are estimates, not a guaranteed completion date. Leave room for universities to issue evidence and for a possible additional information request.

Assessment, registration and PR are different decisions

Australian state and territory teacher regulators manage registration to teach. You can apply for an AITSL assessment without already holding Australian registration, but a suitable assessment is not a teaching licence. Likewise, an assessment does not create a job offer or guarantee a skilled-visa invitation, nomination or permanent residence.

Our suggested first review is practical: put your complete qualifications, intended school-teacher occupation, placement statement and English results side by side. Identify the missing evidence before committing to an application or another course. Peerless Immigration Services can help organise this review and discuss how the assessment fits your wider Australia plan. If an outcome is negative, our review, appeal or reapply guide explains the next decision to consider.

Source basis: AITSL application process; AITSL current fees; AITSL English requirements; AITSL supervised practice; AITSL teacher registration; AITSL dated notices; AITSL application FAQs; AITSL secondary-teacher checklist; AITSL application guide.

Call +91-8595010514 or email info@peerlessimmigration.com.

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Frequently asked questions

Does an Indian B.Ed. automatically qualify?

No. AITSL assesses the qualification, duration, relevant teacher education and practice evidence against the nominated occupation’s criteria.

Can teaching experience replace supervised practice?

Ordinary work before or after teacher education does not replace compulsory supervised practice. Australian-registration cases may receive separate consideration under AITSL’s guidance.

Can I use PTE instead of IELTS?

Not for AITSL’s English test route. It accepts suitable Academic IELTS, including One Skill Retake, rather than PTE or General Training.

What is the current skills assessment fee?

AUD 1,198, effective 7 September 2026. No GST is charged on AITSL assessment-for-migration fees.

Will I get the fee back if I withdraw?

Only a partial refund of AUD 982 can be available before assessment begins. No refund is issued once assessment has commenced.

Does a positive assessment give me PR or registration?

No. Registration, employment and immigration outcomes are separate decisions with their own requirements.