Teaching in Aus


VIT (Victorian Institute of Teaching) Registration

Here is a list of the documents you need and what you need to do if you want to register to teach in Victoria.

Click here to get to the online registration procedure for Teachers 

Register for a MyVIT account, and gather your documents:
  • Passport biodata page
  • Driver's License (or a letter from a registered teacher confirming your address)
  • Transcripts
  • Degree Certificates
  • Initial Teaching Training Transcripts and Certificates
  • Letter from University stating number of supervised practice teaching days (45 days minimum required)
  • Teacher Registration documents (OCT in Ontario or GTC in UK)
  • References from previous Head Teachers (They should fill in Form B)
  • Criminal Record Checks for any country you have lived in the last 10 years
  • Canadian (you need to get your fingerprints done for this one!)
  • UK
  • Character Reference

Once these are gathered together, you can upload them to your teacher registration. If you have a question, I'd advise calling them instead of emailing. You may be on hold for half an hour, but it beats waiting for weeks for an email response!

AITSL Skills Assessment

If you are applying for a skills based visa, you will need to get your teaching qualification assessed by the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership.
On the website they quote 10 weeks to process your assessment, and this was pretty bang on. Don't think you can get it fast-tracked or anything. You also need to have this when you apply for your visa, the DIAC won't start processing your application without it, so it's a good idea to get this form started as early as possible.

Forms needed similar to the VIT Registration, which is pretty annoying as you have to get everything re-certified. I have no idea why this body exists when every state has it's own teacher registration process. It seems like an unnecessary level of bureaucracy, especially now that there is a common Australian Curriculum. 
  • Transcripts
  • Degree Certificates
  • Initial Teaching Training Transcripts and Certificates
  • Letter from University stating number of supervised practice teaching days
  • Australian Teacher Registration (if you have it - this isn't required though)
  • IELTS Test Results (only if you did not attend uni in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, USA, or the UK)
  • Passport Identity Page
  • 1 Passport photo
  • Payment - it was $550 AUD when I applied in April 2013

Teaching in Australia and the GTP

Prior to moving to Australia we found out that Andy's teaching qualification, the Graduate Teacher Programme, was not a recognized qualification outside of England and Wales. Even though he also has a Masters in Education, the VIT would not give him full registration to teach in Victoria.

He has been lucky to get a teaching job and provisional registration called 'Permission to Teach'. I wrote a little about that here.

Permission to Teach is only valid for a maximum of 3 years, and you have to reapply if you change schools. So we decided the best thing would be for Andy to go back to school and do a Graduate Diploma in Education through Deakin University. It was a year long programme (8 months really) that was done as a distance education, so he could continue to teach at the same time. Deakin also gave him 'credit for prior learning' so he didn't have to complete all of the units.

Andy finished his Dip Ed in October 2014, and it's all worked out pretty well for us. But if you are from the UK and became a teacher through the GTP you have to know it will be pretty hard to get a teaching job and you may have to re-train.


Your comments/questions are welcome.
Wendy

Comments

Anonymous said…
Did you also put in a cv cover letter and a personal statement? Coming to the end of my application now............

Michael
Wendy McCarry said…
Hi Michael,

I just added a simple letter stating the documents I had enclosed, but no personal statement like you would do for a job application.

Good luck with it all!

Wendy
Anonymous said…
Was the CRB you sent within 6 months? Mine is ten months old and they say this is not recent enough? As I am applying from the UK. Do you you know anymore about this?

M
Wendy McCarry said…
Mine was done within the 6 months so if they are saying yours isn't recent enough you probably have to get another one done. But I think you can get them done in 2-3 days if you pay a bit more in the UK so hopefully it works out ok for you.
Unknown said…
Hi Wendy, was Andy able to successfully register with the VIT on completion of his graduate diploma in education? Also, did he have an problems completing a skills assessment as a secondary teacher and getting a skills nominated visa before he did the Graduate diploma in education at Deakin university?
Wendy McCarry said…
Hi Lauren,
Once Andy finished his Gradutate Diplomia he had no problem registering with the VIT. However he could not complete the skills assessment before this because he only had the GTP from the UK which isn't recognised in Australia. He didn't need the skills assessment anyway, as he was a dependent on my visa - he just needed the registration from the VIT in order to work.
Anonymous said…
Hi Wendy, were you advised by an agent to avoid the skills nominated visa because of the GTP not being recognised or had you already decided this route. My partner has PR and I could try to go in on his, but it's $3000 more expensive than me getting a skills nominated visa and is estimated to takes 12-18 months rather than 3-6 with the skills visa. You posts are very helpful. Thank a lot. Lauren :)
Unknown said…
Hi Wendy, were you advised by an agent to avoid the skills nominated visa because of the GTP not being recognised or had you already decided this route. My partner has PR and I could apply as a de facto partner, but it's $3000 more expensive than me getting a skills nominated visa and is estimated to takes 12-18 months rather than 3-6 with the skills visa.

Also, can I ask how Andy found out which 1 year teaching qualifications are accepted with vit. I've requested further advice after being told I'm 'ineligible' but I've had nothing back yet.
You posts are very helpful. Thank a lot. Lauren :)
Wendy McCarry said…
We didn't go through an agent and actually I got my teaching job through an agency (Smart Teachers) who sponsored me for a 457 visa initially. I think that is harder to get now though. We then applied for PR once we were already in Aus. Andy was always just on as my dependent/spouse, so there was no waiting period for him as we applied at the same time.

The skills visa seems quicker/cheaper for you guys (the fees and timelines have changed since we applied so just going off your info). In terms of your teaching qualification - is it a GTP from England? If so they definitely won't accept that, but if you have a PGCE then it is ok. I'm not positive, but they don't seem to like "work-based" routes into teaching, they want an academic qualification that is equivalent to the Graduate Diploma they offer. It seemed like a huge pain for us when Andy had to retrain, but in the long run it has definitely been worth it as the GTP is not recognised outside of England and Wales, so if we want to move around at least he now has a more widely recognised teaching qualification!

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