Resources · International teachers
You can teach in Australia from the UK with a bachelor’s degree and a PGCE: in Victoria that combination usually meets the four-year rule of the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), and UK-trained teachers do not need an English test. What you need is a qualification pre-assessment, a school offer and a visa, usually the 482.
Each Australian state and territory registers its own teachers. This guide covers Victoria, where we place teachers in government, Catholic and independent schools across Melbourne and regional Victoria. The rules below come from VIT and the Department of Home Affairs and were checked on 20 October 2026.
Teaching in Australia from the UK in 2026: the requirements
| Requirement | What it means for a UK-trained teacher |
|---|---|
| Qualification pre-assessment | Everyone who trained outside Australia must have VIT pre-assess their qualification before applying for registration. You can do it before you decide to move. |
| Four years of higher education | VIT asks for four years of full-time (or equivalent) higher education, including an initial teacher education qualification of at least one year. A three-year degree plus a one-year PGCE adds up to four. |
| 45 days of supervised teaching practice | In a primary or secondary school, supervised by a qualified teacher and assessed by your university. Your transcript or a university letter must show the days. |
| English test | Not needed if all of your teacher education was completed in the UK (or Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada or the Republic of Ireland). |
| Police checks | An ACRO police certificate if, as an adult, you lived in the UK for 12 consecutive months in the last 10 years, plus Australia’s national criminal history check, which you request through VIT. |
| Visa | Usually the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), sponsored by your employer. A Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) is an option for some. |
| A job offer | Needed for a sponsored visa. It also lets you apply to VIT from the UK up to three months before you arrive. |
Can I teach in Australia with a PGCE?
Usually, yes. VIT counts your total higher education, so a three-year bachelor’s degree followed by a one-year PGCE meets the four-year requirement, and the PGCE is the initial teacher education qualification it assesses. Send the transcript and evidence of completion for both, and a letter from your PGCE provider confirming the number of placement days, the type of school, the age range you taught and who supervised you, if your transcript does not show it.
VIT also checks that your training matches what you will teach. For primary, most of your placement days should have been in primary schools. For secondary, your teaching subject must sit within an Australian curriculum, such as a Years 7–10 subject or a VCE subject.
What VIT does not accept
- QTS on its own. VIT lists UK Qualified Teacher Status as an accreditation to teach, not a qualification. It assesses the degree and PGCE behind it.
- Employment-based routes without an academic award. VIT names the UK Graduate Teacher Programme and school-centred training among routes it does not recognise where there is no formal academic award, final transcript and statement of compulsory teaching practice.
- Research or leadership-based PGCEs, which VIT also lists as not recognised.
If you trained through a school-based route, check what award your provider issued and whether it came with a transcript before you pay for the pre-assessment. The full process is in How to register with VIT as an overseas-trained teacher.
Visa options for a UK teacher moving to Australia
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
The usual route for a contract or permanent teaching role. A school or employer sponsors you, and Home Affairs asks for at least one year of relevant work experience. It runs for up to four years, costs from AUD 4,015 for the main applicant, lets you include family, and can lead to permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186). UK passport holders are exempt from the 482 English test. Home Affairs is currently prioritising teaching applications under Ministerial Direction 121. See 482 or 407: which visa fits a teacher and teacher visa sponsorship in Australia.
Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
UK passport holders can apply. Home Affairs’ published eligibility for UK citizens is 18 to 35 years old at the time of application, applying from outside Australia, without dependent children. The visa costs AUD 840 and lets you stay 12 months. Home Affairs says you can usually work for the same employer for only six months, and that average processing is expected to be around three months. Because a school contract normally runs longer than six months with one employer, a fixed-term or ongoing role usually needs a sponsored visa.
Training visa (subclass 407)
For teachers with less than a year of experience. It runs up to two years and costs from AUD 535.
Step by step: from the UK to a Victorian classroom
- Gather your documents. Degree and PGCE transcripts, evidence of completion, and a provider letter confirming your placement days if the transcript does not.
- Apply for VIT pre-assessment through a MyVIT account. No English test is needed for UK teacher education.
- Apply for roles and interview. Our guides to an Australian teacher resume and teacher interview questions in Victoria cover the local expectations.
- Accept an offer and lodge the visa. For a 482, the school nominates you and the visa is lodged; we work with migration lawyers on this step.
- Get your ACRO police certificate and apply for VIT registration. With an offer from a Victorian school or teaching agency, you can apply from the UK up to three months before you arrive. VIT sets timing rules for when the certificate is issued, so get it close to applying.
- Move. Book flights once the visa is granted. Our guides to moving to Victoria to teach and where to live cover the first weeks.
What it costs
| Item | Cost | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| VIT pre-assessment of overseas qualifications | $292.84 | VIT |
| VIT initial registration (overseas qualifications) | $203.00 | VIT |
| National criminal history check | $77.40 | VIT |
| ACRO police certificate | Fee set by ACRO | ACRO |
| English test | Not needed for UK teacher education | — |
| Skills in Demand visa (482), main applicant | From AUD 4,015 | Home Affairs |
| Working Holiday visa (417) | AUD 840 | Home Affairs |
| TeachVic | $0 to teachers: schools pay our fee | — |
VIT fees are for 2026–27. Visa amounts are base application charges; use the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator for your own case.
How long it takes
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| VIT pre-assessment | VIT does not publish a turnaround, so start early |
| VIT registration | Four to six weeks once every document is in |
| Working Holiday visa | Around three months on average, according to Home Affairs |
| Sponsored visa and placement | Most four-year contracts we arrange are approved by the Department, immigration and VIT within 60 days |
For what government school teachers earn, see teacher pay in Victoria and the September 2026 agreement, which is still awaiting Fair Work Commission approval.
Common questions
Can I teach in Australia with a PGCE?
Yes, in most cases. In Victoria, a three-year bachelor’s degree plus a one-year PGCE meets VIT’s requirement of four years of higher education including at least one year of initial teacher education, provided it included at least 45 days of supervised teaching practice in schools.
Do UK teachers need IELTS to teach in Australia?
Not for VIT if all of your teacher education was completed in the UK. UK passport holders are also exempt from the English test for the 482 visa.
Is QTS recognised in Australia?
Not on its own. VIT treats QTS as an accreditation to teach, not a qualification, and assesses your degree and PGCE instead.
Can I teach in Australia on a working holiday visa?
You can work on a 417, but Home Affairs says you can usually work for the same employer for only six months. That suits a short stint more than a fixed-term or ongoing school contract, which usually needs a sponsored visa.
How long does it take to move from the UK to teach in Australia?
It depends mostly on how quickly your documents come together. VIT says registration takes four to six weeks once your file is complete, and most four-year contracts we arrange are approved by the Department, immigration and VIT within 60 days.
Do I need an AITSL skills assessment?
Not for VIT registration. AITSL says its skills assessment is for skilled migration only and that Home Affairs decides whether your visa needs one. See AITSL skills assessment for teachers.
Does TeachVic charge teachers?
No. Schools pay our fee; you pay nothing to us.
Ready to move from the UK?
We place UK teachers in contract and permanent roles across Victoria, and manage VIT registration and the visa with you. Teaching somewhere else? See our guides for Ireland and New Zealand and South Africa. See how we support international teachers, browse current teaching jobs or ask us to call you.
Checked on 20 October 2026 against the Victorian Institute of Teaching (pre-assessment of overseas qualifications, qualifications and prerequisites, English language competency, interstate or overseas teachers, fees), the Department of Home Affairs (Working Holiday visa (subclass 417), Skills in Demand visa, Core Skills stream, 482 English proficiency, police checks by country) and AITSL. This is general information, not migration or legal advice.