Tonight’s question is exactly the kind of matter that has been crossing my desk for years: a teacher with a clear professional path, a solid record, and that fundamental question — what precisely does Australia measure in a teacher? The answer is set out by Dr Sirous Ahmadi, Australian immigration lawyer and MARA registered agent number 0854826, on the basis of the current legislative instruments of the Department of Home Affairs and the official checklist of the teacher assessing authority. The key point is that teachers’ cases are assessed on a different logic from other skilled occupations: the logic of qualifications and supervised practicum, not the logic of work experience.
The short answer
For migration under the occupation of Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO code 241411), the skills assessing authority is AITSL, and its assessment is qualification-based: at least four years of full-time higher education study including an initial teacher education program at bachelor level or above, at least one year focused on secondary teaching, and at least 45 days of supervised practicum with students aged 13 to 18 in a secondary school setting. Teaching experience does not substitute for these requirements; it only affects the points score for the 189/190/491 visas, or becomes relevant in the employer-sponsored 482 and 186 pathways.
What the law says
The occupation of secondary school teacher is expressly named in the legislative instruments of the Department of Home Affairs. In the legislative instrument for the Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186), the entry “159 · Secondary School Teacher · 241411 · AITSL” appears on the Core Skills Occupation List, and in the same document the assessing authority is defined by its full name, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Limited; that same instrument lists the occupation of Primary School Teacher, code 241213, separately.
The mapping of legislative instruments to visas is clear on the Department of Home Affairs’ official page: for the Skilled Independent (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated (190) and Skilled Work Regional (491) visas, instrument LIN 19/051 applies; for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), instrument LIN 24/089; and for the subclass 186 visa, instrument LIN 24/093. The Department also states expressly that for the 186 and 482 visas, the 2022 version of the ANZSCO classification is used, and this includes occupations on the CSOL.
The nature of the AITSL assessment is likewise defined in that body’s own documents: for the purposes of an AITSL skills assessment, a “secondary school teacher” is a person who holds a higher education qualification to teach students aged 13 to 18 in a secondary school, and the assessment rests on two criteria, the second of which is English language competency. In practice, this assessment is fundamentally qualification-based, and the teaching qualification, the ITE program, supervised practicum and language competency are its pillars; work experience does not serve to satisfy the core qualification criterion. More precisely, AITSL does not assess work experience, and the number of years of teaching makes no difference to the outcome of the skills assessment; the determination rests entirely on academic qualifications and supervised practicum. Another important point is that teacher registration is not required for the skills assessment itself — registration is a separate step, needed for actual employment in a given state.
Key requirements: the AITSL criteria, English language and visa pathways
1) The qualification and practicum criterion
- Higher education study: at least four years of full-time (or part-time equivalent) study at higher education level leading to a qualification, and including an initial teacher education (ITE) qualification comparable to an Australian bachelor degree or higher.
- Secondary focus: the teacher education component must include at least one year of full-time study in secondary teacher education.
- Supervised practicum: at least 45 days of supervised practicum with students in the 13 to 18 age group in a secondary school setting. The measure is “days”, not hours.
- Alignment of age group and school setting: for the occupation of secondary school teacher, the teacher education and supervised practicum must relate to secondary school students, and an applicant for secondary school teacher must demonstrate practicum with students in the secondary age range. For this reason, someone whose practicum was in a secondary school cannot realistically choose the Primary School Teacher pathway at the same time; the choice of occupation follows the age group and setting of the practicum, and for the secondary level the subject teaching area is also examined.
- Documentation: evidence of practicum must generally come from the university that issued the qualification and must clearly confirm the number of days, the school setting and the age group of the students, and because the required documentation differs by occupation, the checklist for that specific occupation must be the basis on which documents are prepared.
2) The English language criterion
The national standard for teachers’ language competency is clearly set out in the policy of the Victorian registration authority (VIT):
| Test/pathway | Standard |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic module | Speaking 8.0 — Listening 8.0 — Reading 7.0 — Writing 7.0; the applicant must achieve the required score in each skill separately, irrespective of the overall score, and the test must have been taken at a test centre (“IELTS on a computer” or “IELTS on paper”) |
| ISLPR (professional/teacher registration module) | Level 4 in all four skills — speaking, listening, reading and writing; under the policy in force from 28 October 2025, ISLPR at standard 4 in all skills, taken at an approved test centre using an education-focused approach |
| Test exemption pathway | a language competency test is required of anyone who completed any part of their ITE studies or their childhood outside Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada or the Republic of Ireland |
| Validity of results | three years from the date shown on the certificate |
Two practical points that save cases: first, VIT does not accept IELTS Online, and a single-skill retest is only possible in defined circumstances (including booking within a 60-day window and in the “IELTS on a computer” format); second, the scores must be achieved on one test report and independently in each skill. In the migration assessment too, an IELTS Academic result is part of the documentation “if required” — meaning the exemption pathway is formally recognised.
3) Visa pathways
- 189 / 190 / 491 (points-tested): the occupation sits on the MLTSSL, and the assessing authority for the points-tested 189, 190 and 491 visas is AITSL. These pathways require an EOI and an invitation, and for 190/491 a state or territory nomination as well. The presence of the occupation on a list is not in itself a guarantee of an invitation.
- 482 (Skills in Demand) and 186 (ENS): these two pathways operate through the CSOL with an AITSL assessment, and their foundation is nomination by an approved Australian employer; without a sponsor, there is no case to begin.
- Where work experience fits: your eight years of teaching have no bearing on the AITSL qualification criterion, but they are real capital in the points test for the points-tested visas and in attracting a sponsor and meeting the requirements of the employer-sponsored pathways.
What this means for you
You studied at Farhangian University from the age of 18, graduated in social sciences, and have taught sociology in secondary schools for eight years. In Dr Sirous Ahmadi’s words, this profile is built for code 241411 (Secondary School Teacher), not for primary school teacher; because this occupation is defined for teaching students aged 13 to 18 and the age group of your practicum aligns with that very definition.
Three specific steps will turn your path from a “possibility” into a “plan”: 1) obtaining a formal letter from Farhangian University that states the number of days of supervised practicum, the name of the school, the level and the age group of the students — because this document must come from the institution that issued the qualification and must clearly state the days, the setting and the age group; 2) a case-by-case assessment of the Farhangian qualification in terms of course length, comparability and inclusion of an ITE program — this must be examined file by file, with a review of the academic transcript, and no general ruling on it can be relied upon; 3) establishing your subject specialisation (sociology/social sciences) as a secondary “teaching area”, which is verified against both the AITSL checklist and the state registration body (such as VIT in Victoria); and bear in mind that VIT policy sets the qualification requirements for teacher registration in Victoria and that registration is not a precondition for the skills assessment itself.
And one strategic piece of advice: plan the language test before you spend money on anything else. Achieving 8/8/7/7 in each skill is the hardest bend in the road for teachers, and many cases are set back by several months simply because the wrong test format was chosen — the online version, for instance. Dr Sirous Ahmadi and his team structure teaching cases in precisely this order: first an assessment of qualifications and practicum, then the language strategy, and finally the choice between the points-tested pathway and the employer-sponsored pathway. This order reduces both the cost and the risk of an unsuccessful assessment.
Sources
- Working in Australia legislative instruments — Department of Home Affairs (mapping of LIN 19/051, LIN 24/089, LIN 24/093): immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Skilled occupation list (ANZSCO 2022 version for 186 and 482) — Department of Home Affairs: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Migration (Specification of Occupations and Assessing Authorities—Subclass 186 Visa) Instrument 2024 — LIN 24/093, made 14 December 2024: legislation.gov.au (F2024L01618)
- Migration (Specification of Occupations—Subclass 482 Visa) Instrument 2024 — LIN 24/089, made 14 December 2024: legislation.gov.au (F2024L01620)
- Applicant Checklist — Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO 241411), December 2024 — AITSL: aitsl.edu.au
- English language competency — Victorian Institute of Teaching (updated 2026): vit.vic.edu.au
- English Language Competency Policy, in force from 28 October 2025 — Victorian Institute of Teaching: vit.vic.edu.au (PDF)
Your case is one careful assessment away
If you have your Farhangian University transcript, your practicum certificate and your academic records to hand, we can pinpoint exactly which of the AITSL criteria you already meet and which require further documentation or additional study. Dr Sirous Ahmadi, Australian immigration lawyer and MARA registered agent (0854826), will match your case clause by clause against the official checklist and map out your roadmap for English, the skills assessment, and the choice between the points-tested and sponsored pathways. For a dedicated and honest review of your real prospects, book a consultation today.
Frequently asked questions
With 8 years of teaching experience, do I still need the 45-day practicum?
Yes. The AITSL assessment is qualification-based, and work experience does not substitute for the practicum or the qualification; AITSL does not assess work experience, and the number of years of teaching does not change the outcome of the skills assessment. The 45 days of supervised practicum must form part of the same initial teacher education (ITE) program. Your work experience does count in the points test for the 189/190/491 visas and in attracting a sponsor.
With a secondary school practicum, can I choose the Primary School Teacher occupation?
In practice, no. The practicum and teacher education must align with the age group and school setting of the chosen occupation; an applicant for secondary school teacher must prove practicum with secondary students (aged 13 to 18). The appropriate code for a secondary teacher’s profile is Secondary School Teacher, code 241411, and for this level the subject teaching area is also examined.
Is IELTS the only test accepted?
No, it is not the only option. For teacher registration, IELTS Academic with Speaking 8, Listening 8, Reading 7 and Writing 7 in each skill separately is accepted, as is ISLPR at level 4 in all four skills. There is also an exemption pathway: if all ITE studies were completed in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada or Ireland and in English, no test is required. Note that IELTS Online is not accepted and the test must be taken at a test centre.
Is a Farhangian University degree considered equivalent to a four-year Australian bachelor degree and to include ITE?
This requires a case-by-case assessment and cannot be stated definitively or in general terms. The course length, the comparability of the qualification, the presence of an initial teacher education component and the number of days of supervised practicum must all be examined against official documentation from the issuing university. The practicum certificate must state the number of days, the name of the school, the level and the age group of the students.
Which visas are available to secondary school teachers?
Two families of pathways: the points-tested 189, 190 and 491 visas, which require a positive AITSL assessment, an EOI, an invitation, and for 190/491 a state nomination; and the employer-sponsored 482 (Skills in Demand) and 186 (ENS) pathways, which operate through the CSOL and cannot begin without nomination by an approved employer. The presence of the occupation on a list is not, on its own, a guarantee of an invitation.
Do I need to obtain teacher registration (such as VIT) before the skills assessment?
No. Teacher registration is not a precondition for the AITSL skills assessment itself. Registration is a separate step, required for actual employment as a teacher in each state or territory; in Victoria, for example, VIT policy sets the qualification and language requirements for registration.
This answer reflects the law and policy as verified on October 8, 2026. Immigration rules change frequently — confirm the current position before acting.
Dr. Sirous Ahmadi Registered Migration Agent 0854826
This article is general information only, current at the date shown, and is not legal advice. Do not rely on it for your own situation — immigration law and policy change frequently. Seek advice from a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer about your circumstances.