Teachers Moving or Living in Australia

[klr81]

Yes I get what he meant. I was saying that I almost re-did my IELTS for more points but decided not to, and stayed at 75 and was invited really quickly to apply for a visa. 

[RebeccaKate84]

17 hours ago, klr81 said:

For teaching it has to be academic. I got invited to apply for the visa really quickly with 75 points in 2016 - 1 day after my EOI was lodged. 

For the AITSL assessment you don’t actually need to pass an English test if your qualifications were completed in the UK (or other English speaking country) though? So the only need for the test is for visa points, in which case the general one can score you maximum points? 

[Areyousure]

10 hours ago, klr81 said:

Yes I get what he meant. I was saying that I almost re-did my IELTS for more points but decided not to, and stayed at 75 and was invited really quickly to apply for a visa. 

It’s impossible to get invited these days, it was so easy back in 2016.

[klr81]

Oh really? I didn't realise it had gotten so much harder : (

[RyanPaul]

On 01/02/2014 at 01:36, PaulRaynor said:

I'm a British trained primary teacher, worked for 15 years in supply and contract work in both the private and public sectors in Brisbane. Happy to help with questions.

Paul

Hi Paul, 

I am currently just applying for my PGCE to teach 5-11, I intend to emigrate to Aus with my wife in about 5 years, I'd be very interested to know any tips, etc so that I can be heading in the right direction from day one. Do you come across many ex-pats teaching Primary age in Brisbane?

[Naome Ndachihwa Chihobvu]

How do I get an opportunity to work as primary school teacher in Australia .where do I start. ..

[Rick2021]

Hi everyone. New here. Have submitted an AITSL assessment for Primary School Teacher. I have read on these forums and everywhere about the lack of invites for the 190, however, the best we can do is try.

My degrees and supervised teaching practice are all from Australia so I don’t think I should have any issues there. 

Regarding migrating with a 190, I can see that the options are quite limited. However, Victoria has some extra conditions of languages associated with it (attached). 

Does anyone have any experience with this? What sort of documents / qualifications are required to indicate that you have taught in a required language?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations of agents that have taken in cases for educators before..

Thank you. 

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Rick2021 said:

Also, does anyone have any recommendations of agents that have taken in cases for educators before..

 

There's no special skills involved in "taking on cases for educators".   Get yourself a reputable MARA registered agent like Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda.

[Rick2021]

2 hours ago, Marisawright said:

There's no special skills involved in "taking on cases for educators".   Get yourself a reputable MARA registered agent like Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda.

Yes, no doubt about that. However, I have previously not been able to get specific responses esp to queries such as the one above, hence the post. Thanks for the advice.

[Marisawright]

20 minutes ago, Rick2021 said:

Yes, no doubt about that. However, I have previously not been able to get specific responses esp to queries such as the one above, hence the post. Thanks for the advice.

I am not an expert but I'd have thought the answer was fairly obvious.  It is not asking for language qualifications, it is asking specifically for evidence that you've taught the languages for two years.  Considering that schools don't issue certificates or qualifications for teaching, the only possible evidence would surely be official letters from the schools where you have taught.

[PositivePixie]

20 hours ago, Marisawright said:

There's no special skills involved in "taking on cases for educators".   Get yourself a reputable MARA registered agent like Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda.

There may not be any 'special skills' but I would highly recommend using an agent that has worked with educators before, hence the request for advice on an agent that has worked with educators before is an incredibly sensible one. The amount of agents I have heard giving incorrect advice based on not understanding education qualifications etc is worrying. I would definitely be asking any agent have they worked with educators before and can they give specifics of their understanding of GTP etc (because the answer 'of course we have!' is all too easy to say).

Its why we ended up not using an agent at all, I couldn't find one that understood the process at all for teachers (disclaimer - I did not contact every single agent in Australia, however from those I did contact, I could not find one that understood the first thing about QTS and GTP for eg).

With regards to your proof question - if you had any language qualifications yourself that would obviously be supporting evidence, and then letter/s from the school/s where you have taught those languages stating what language you taught and for how long - what fraction you taught it might not be helpful unless its a high fraction, as I imagine they don't understand that some schools only have the capacity to offer Japanese for .2 of a contract given student numbers for eg.

Good luck OP :)

 

[Rick2021]

Thank you @PositivePixie  I completely resonate with you and appreciate your feedback. It has been difficult with agents but I haven’t given up. 

Thanks for the input on language as well. It definitely seems doable, and hopefully opens up Vic as a possibility.

Regarding state registration, I’ve heard people speak of registering prior to visa application which is near impossible for some states. I’ve heard some, including agents, who’ve said it isn’t required. I’ve contacted the registration bodies and all have come back without an answer. 

Would welcome your thoughts, or anyone that is aware of this. Thanks so much again for your thoughtful response. Much appreciated. 

[emwatson]

Hi @Rick2021

I would second what @PositivePixie has said about skipping an agent. I navigated everything back in 2014 for me and my OH. It saved us several grand, despite the 'hoops' we had to jump through.

In regards to registering, I'm fairly sure you must reside in the state you intend to teach in before you can register. That is certainly the case in South Australia. I arrived in the November, undertook compulsory Mandatory Notification training (Child Protection) before registering in December. That came through in a couple of weeks and I was able to teach from the start of Term 1 in January. I'd already accepted a post in September... with the condition I was registered with the Teacher Registration Bureau before term began. Independent and private schools have that flexibility here, but public (state education dept) schools are less so. 

Good luck with your journey

[Rick2021]

3 hours ago, emwatson said:

Hi @Rick2021

I would second what @PositivePixie has said about skipping an agent. I navigated everything back in 2014 for me and my OH. It saved us several grand, despite the 'hoops' we had to jump through.

thank you @emwatson. Will certainly keep this in mind. I know the landscape has changed quite a bit though between then and now. 

3 hours ago, emwatson said:

In regards to registering, I'm fairly sure you must reside in the state you intend to teach in before you can register. That is certainly the case in South Australia. I arrived in the November, undertook compulsory Mandatory Notification training (Child Protection) before registering in December.

Interestingly, I heard back from SA as I emailed all the state boards and they’ve told me that the training can now be done online. This is all due to COVID of course. So in the interim, it seems more accessible. However, the process is still quite lengthy. Nothings changed there.

SA looks like a migration friendly state for educators. I understand that many aren’t painting a pretty picture when it comes to teacher migration. What are your views considering your experience in the past?

[PositivePixie]

13 hours ago, Rick2021 said:

 

Interestingly, I heard back from SA as I emailed all the state boards and they’ve told me that the training can now be done online. This is all due to COVID of course. So in the interim, it seems more accessible. However, the process is still quite lengthy. Nothings changed there.

SA looks like a migration friendly state for educators. I understand that many aren’t painting a pretty picture when it comes to teacher migration. What are your views considering your experience in the past?

If you can do the training online, go for it! It takes quite a long time for rego to come through (I am also in SA) but once it does, in SA at least, the outlook is good imho.

I no longer teach in the classroom - Australia is very much who you know, not what you know, and through a contact I picked up an admin job in the school holidays (I was doing TRT/relief teaching to be compatible with flying around the world doing dance competitions) which lead to being headhunted for out of the classroom education program creation roles one after the other, and I've now landed in Government, again not teaching but in general Outreach and career promotion type work. Personally I think its great here - when others were saying it was impossible to get a job I was making more than enough to live very handsomely on via TRT (relief) so wasn't interested in a full time position, and then got full time perm roles out of the classroom. If you are desperate to be in the classroom though I have several teacher friends who are on perm contracts so its not the hardest thing in the world. For me, there is no comparison to life in the UK and here - I would never ever ever go back no matter what, and things have been a bit hairy here at times so its not all been easy street, but overall the lifestyle is just miles apart from the going nowhere drudge of the UK. I still can't believe I live here and am so so SO happy and grateful to live here now. A lot of it is to do with your mindset. If you want to make it work, you will and be happy. If you stay with one foot in the UK, you will end up unhappy.

Good luck with it all

[Rick2021]

Hi @PositivePixie, thank you for your detailed response.

I would definitely enter into something new with confidence and optimism. I guess the first step is the migration process which is proving to be quite a challenge now, and I don't know how long it will last for. But once we are in, I am very optimistic about 'making things happen', even if it is in a related occupation. I am pleased that you are enjoying your time in Oz and are content. 

Thank you for your generosity and effort in responding with such positivity

[emwatson]

@Rick2021 

On 23/02/2021 at 00:07, Rick2021 said:

SA looks like a migration friendly state for educators. I understand that many aren’t painting a pretty picture when it comes to teacher migration. What are your views considering your experience in the past?

To be honest even when I was applying for state sponsorship, SA looked like the most straightforward. NSW and VIC have plenty of teachers so it wasn't on the skilled list. WA had a weird loophole that meant you could only get state sponsorship if you had a job offer already - a job offer that could only be given if you had registration in Oz but you could only get a rego if you had a visa / already lived here... so virtually impossible. QLD were looking for specific Science subjects (not sure about primary) but SA was like "You can teach??? Science??? Welcome!!!"

Things are different here in that getting a permanent teaching position off the bat is quite rare... which I didn't realise until I actually started working here... but it is easier to obtain in the non-Government sector than the state where you're employed by the Education dept and can be directed where to work each year. Quite unsettling every 12 months.

I work in the largest R-12 school in SA (5 campuses) and we have regular TRT staff who are kept on our repeat list so are effectively treated as staff across the schools.

My experience was as follows: I had been advised (by a colleague from Nottingham that'd emigrated to Brisbane) to apply with my CV and letter of application to every private/independent school in Adelaide (within my criteria) and ask to be put on file. Most job adverts occur about September (for Jan Term 1 starts). I heard back from most with general thanks and 'we'll do that'. But two schools contacted me to give me advance notice of a position they'd got coming up.

The first to get in touch set up an informal Skype chat about a basic teaching position in one of their campuses' Middle Schools. They upgraded their offer during the Skype to the role of a Science Coordinator at that campus. I took it, of course! It was actually a step down in responsibility from the UK but far far better pay and conditions. I have a work life balance! 6 years on... I'm now Head of Science across all the campuses. And I still have that work life balance. 

Teachers from the UK tend to do very well here because of the constant demands, working conditions and expectations set by the state education system, grades, league tables and OFSTED etc. 

Just in case your ducks are all lined up by then... the school I work for will be opening a new R-10 campus in a couple of years and will need primary teachers (and they very much value UK teaching experience!)

Keep with your journey... it is definitely worth it! As @PositivePixie said, Adelaide is an amazing and enviable place to live right now. We are so lucky here and I can't ever imagine going back to teaching (or living) in the UK.

Edited February 24, 2021 by emwatson
Grammar

[Rick2021]

Hi @emwatson,

Thank you for taking the time to respond and for encouraging me with your journey. It does seem like a good boost to keep on with the journey. I am right at the start but am keen to try whatever I can.

I acknowledge you for your idealism, courage and optimism - your can do attitude has resulted in what you have now, alongside @PositivePixie - Congratulations. The climate is very different now I am sure, however, I will put it out there and see what happens.

Thank you for advising me about your school and its expansion plans. Again an encouraging sign should things transpire. I wish you well. With much gratitude, R.

[benj1980]

I'm intrigued whether Rick2021 ever made it?!

[AdrianAdrian]

On 21/02/2021 at 01:42, Rick2021 said:

Hi everyone. New here. Have submitted an AITSL assessment for Primary School Teacher. I have read on these forums and everywhere about the lack of invites for the 190, however, the best we can do is try.

My degrees and supervised teaching practice are all from Australia so I don’t think I should have any issues there. 

Regarding migrating with a 190, I can see that the options are quite limited. However, Victoria has some extra conditions of languages associated with it (attached). 

Does anyone have any experience with this? What sort of documents / qualifications are required to indicate that you have taught in a required language?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations of agents that have taken in cases for educators before..

Thank you. 

Hey Rick,

I went down this route in 2017, and to be honest, I just did it myself without an agent and saved a few grand. Of course, I imagine they offer a great service for those who feel they need the support in submitting it, but I didn't feel I needed the extra help.

I had a few years experience teaching Spanish as a primary teacher, got my PGCE in the UK 2014, and had to take an IELTS test to get some extra points too. The whole process for the sponsorship took me about half a year, and tbh it wasn't too difficult. Just follow the steps that they ask of you and you'll be fine with the state sponsorship. As soon as I got the sponsorship, my 190 visa invite came through automatically. This may have changed since 2017, but that is how it was with me.

Once you eventually get the 190 visa, then you have to register with the VIT so you are allowed to teach in Victoria, who require more paperwork and certificates, plus you have to pay an annual fee. Only when you are registered with the VIT can you start to teach, and then you will be on a Provisional Licence, which means you have two years from the date of issue to complete a set number of days teaching. Furthermore, you will have to submit coursework that will then push you over to having a Full Licence.

Sounds like a lot, but if you are serious about doing it, just go ahead with it. Anything is better than teaching in the UK!

Good luck!

[Andrea-Familyof5]

Hello everyone!

Our skilled 190 sponsored visas were granted 4.11.22. Our state is NSW. I understand that I can’t begin to apply for teaching positions until I have Approval to Teach and a Working With Children Check/WWCC, which I can’t do from the UK as we need an Australian address and to be able to verify identity at a service centre. 
 

My question therefore is: did anyone go over alone (as in, within family who have also been granted visas) simply to start the process of getting AtT and the WWCC? If so, are you able to use an Airbnb address or would I have to secure a rental first? I’ve read that it takes approximately 8 weeks - would I need to stay until the paperwork came through?

Like the majority of people looking at NSW, it is a little daunting not being able to secure even some relief work before arriving and I hoped to be working sooner than the 8 weeks on average it takes just to get registered. I follow a family on YouTube and the main applicant used their hotel address and managed to secure a term’s worth of work within just a few days of landing.

Any advice much appreciated xx

[Andrea-Familyof5]

Hello again,

Can someone please confirm what this means please? Still trying to see if I can get around the whole needing to live/have an Australian address before I can apply for the Working With Children Check/WWCC and then Approval to Teach, before I can apply for jobs in NSW! I read this as, yes, you can apply for temp positions as long as you have had your visa granted? (Which we have now. And we’ve sold our house. Would be the icing on the cake to get something lined up before we fly out!). 

I am an international student. Can international students apply for approval to teach?

Yes, you can apply for casual and temporary teaching approval provided you hold a valid visa for employment in Australia. You will not be eligible for full approval to teach or permanent employment if you do not hold Australian citizenship or permanent residency.

[klr81]

Hi there. I have the Skilled Visa/PR where you can go anywhere but I was still able to apply and secure a job before arriving in Australia. I applied for the WWCC as soon as I arrived in NSW and it came through within 2 weeks. I also applied for my conditional approval to teach through NESA and this did take longer to come through. However my school were fine with me working until it came through. They were a private school though so not sure if that is why. All the best! It's so worth it

Edited November 20, 2022 by klr81
Typo

[Andrea-Familyof5]

On 08/06/2016 at 08:56, benj1980 said:

 

I think that would be acceptable, I had a lovely day out in London!

Hi Benj1980,

Can you explain how you did this from the UK and without going out to Aus first to get the WWCC and Approval to Teach? I’d love to do the latter but it’s a very long way and lots of extra £s if I can do in London which is around the corner from me! Many thanks in advance x

[Andrea-Familyof5]

1 hour ago, klr81 said:

Hi there. I have the Skilled Visa/PR where you can go anywhere but I was still able to apply and secure a job before arriving in Australia. I applied for the WWCC as soon as I arrived in NSW and it came through within 2 weeks. I also applied for my conditional approval to teach through NESA and this did take longer to come through. However my school were fine with me working until it came through. They were a private school though so not sure if that is why. All the best! It's so worth it

klr81, thank you for replying! At what point did you manage to secure a job? Did you go over without and then applied for WWCC and then AtT once you landed? What address did you use for your WWCC? How did you apply - logistically - for the job without the other ‘compulsory’ bits needed on the application? I hope that makes sense!