Australia continues to experience ongoing shortages across a wide range of highly skilled professions — including teaching, social work, engineering, construction management, the skilled trades, pharmacy, dentistry and medical laboratory science. Many internationally trained professionals with strong qualifications and regulated practice backgrounds are now considering Australia’s Skilled Independent Migration program as a pathway to permanent residency, long-term stability and a better quality of life for their families.
At SOLVi, we support professionals across these fields to understand the viability of Skilled Independent Migration and to build the legal and strategic roadmap required for a successful outcome. Teaching is one of the key professions we assist, and demand for qualified teachers remains strong across Australia.
For teachers, the first major step in the Skilled Independent pathway is the AITSL skills assessment — a mandatory requirement set by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). AITSL does not register teachers, but it determines whether your teaching qualifications are comparable to Australian standards. Without this assessment, an Expression of Interest or state nomination cannot be lodged.
Why the AITSL Skills Assessment Matters
The AITSL assessment is not administrative — it is a gatekeeper. It confirms whether your teacher training, academic background and supervised teaching practice align with what is expected in the Australian education system.
Australia maintains a highly regulated teaching profession, and AITSL ensures that teachers entering through skilled migration are prepared for the realities of the Australian classroom. It is a profession built on communication, pedagogy and safeguarding, so the assessment must be rigorous.
A positive AITSL assessment does not guarantee migration, but it is the foundation for the Skilled Independent pathway. Without it, the process cannot begin.
A High-Level Overview of What AITSL Considers
While we don’t publish step-by-step instructions (and would never advise attempting this process without proper strategy), it is helpful to understand the broad framework.
AITSL looks for:
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A higher education qualification (or combination of qualifications) equivalent to at least four full years of tertiary study
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A recognised initial teacher education qualification, including professional studies and pedagogical training
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Supervised teaching practice carried out in recognised school settings
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Evidence that your qualifications meet Australian professional expectations
This is about professional comparability — not simply holding a teaching degree.
Even highly capable teachers can encounter difficulties if their qualification structure differs from Australian norms or if their supervised practice was documented differently.
English Language Requirements — Designed for the Classroom
AITSL maintains some of the highest English standards of any assessing authority. This is intentional. Effective communication is central to teaching, and these requirements reflect that reality.
AITSL only accepts IELTS Academic, with scores significantly higher than visa requirements. These benchmarks apply even if you are a native English speaker. The level of English required to manage a classroom, assess student learning and engage families is not the same as the level required to complete a visa form.
It is also important to recognise that being fluent in English does not automatically equate to achieving high test scores on your first attempt.
One of the teachers we assisted — an English teacher from an English-speaking country — still needed targeted preparation and had to sit the test twice to achieve the required scores. This reinforces why English strategy must be built into your overall migration planning.
And crucially:
⭐ If you rely on an AITSL exemption, you receive zero migration English points as the main applicant.
Even if AITSL waives the test requirement based on your study history, you do not receive any points for English unless you sit an approved test and achieve the scores required for:
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Proficient English (10 points), or
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Superior English (20 points).
In the current points landscape, sitting the test is almost always necessary for a competitive Expression of Interest.
What Skilled Independent Migration Offers Teachers
For teachers who qualify, Skilled Independent Migration offers a level of freedom and long-term security that employer-sponsored visas cannot match.
This pathway allows you to:
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secure permanent residency without relying on an employer
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bring your partner and children with you from the start
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choose where you live and work in Australia
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build your life in a location that suits your family
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avoid the uncertainty of employer-tied or location-restricted visas
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enter Australia on a visa that is not dependent on labour shortages in a specific region
It is a self-funded pathway, and the total costs can be significant — especially for families where skills assessments, medicals, English tests and visa charges may apply to more than one adult.
But the return on that investment is the stability, safety and long-term freedom that permanent residency provides.
Dual-Skilled Couples: A Strategic Advantage
If your partner is also qualified in a skilled occupation, your combined profile can be a major strength. A dual-skilled couple may have:
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more than one viable occupation code
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additional points
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broader state nomination options
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stronger competitiveness in the skills pool
This is why we always assess the full family unit before advising on the best strategy.
Where Teachers Often Go Wrong
Teachers are highly trained professionals, but skilled migration is a legal strategy — not an administrative filing exercise.
Common issues include:
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misunderstanding AITSL’s standards
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assuming a degree automatically qualifies
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overestimating English exemptions
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miscalculating migration points
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relying on information from forums or other applicants
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approaching the process as a checklist rather than a legal pathway
None of these mistakes relate to your ability as a teacher. They relate to the complexity of Australia’s migration framework.
Skilled Independent Migration requires an overarching strategy that aligns your skills assessment, occupation code, English level, points, state nomination opportunities and final visa approach into one cohesive plan.
That is our role.
Why Teachers Choose SOLVi
Teachers work with SOLVi because we provide:
✔ Clarity
We assess your profile honestly — before you invest — so you know whether Skilled Independent Migration is genuinely viable.
✔ Precision
We design your entire migration strategy, not just the skills assessment component.
✔ Professional legal guidance
This is a legal journey, not a DIY process. You need correct preparation, sequencing and documentation from the outset.
✔ Selectivity
We only accept clients we can genuinely help. That protects your outcome and our professional standards.
✔ Proven outcomes
Teachers who follow our legal advice have a 100% success rate.
Is Skilled Independent Migration Right for You?
If you’re a teacher considering the Skilled Independent pathway, the first step is determining whether your qualifications, English level, points profile and family circumstances align with Australia’s requirements.
