How Much Does It Cost for a Nigerian Teacher to Relocate to Australia? 🇦🇺
Nigerian teachers migrating to Australia need an AITSL skills assessment, state teacher registration, and a points-tested skilled visa. The biggest hurdle is the English requirement — AITSL demands very high Academic IELTS speaking and listening bands. This guide sets out the web-verified fees, timelines and salary so you can plan realistically.
Quick Numbers
Total Cost
₦1.1M – ₦1.3M
Starting Salary
A$90,177/yr
Government classroom teacher (NSW, 7-step scale) (2025)
Nigerians Who Moved
Not published
Not published
Source Rank
AITSL / VIT / NSW Department of Education / Department of Home Affairs
Step-by-Step: Registration & Costs
1AITSL skills assessmentMigration skills assessment fee (effective 7 September 2026; no GST charged)
Apply to the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership for a migration skills assessment of your teaching qualification.
2English language proficiencyTest fee paid to provider (not AITSL)
AITSL requires very high Academic IELTS bands: Reading 7.0, Writing 7.0, Speaking 8.0, Listening 8.0. Only Academic IELTS is accepted (no PTE/TOEFL/Cambridge, no IELTS Online). An alternative is 4+ full years of higher education taught in English in an approved country.
3State teacher registrationVIT Victoria annual renewal AUD 131.30 (by 30 Sept); initial registration AUD 175.60–203.00 (AUD 203.00 with overseas qualifications)
Register with the teacher regulatory authority in your destination state (e.g. VIT in Victoria, NESA in NSW, QCT in Queensland). Fees and renewal cycles vary by state.
4Skilled visa application (subclass 189 / 190 / 491)Base application charge, primary applicant (189; AUD 6,140 for 190/491)
Lodge an EOI, receive an invitation, then apply for the points-tested skilled visa. Base charge is the same across 189, 190 and 491.
Other Costs to Budget For
Same base charge for subclass 189, 190 and 491. Verify on official page before relying on it.
Official source ↗Good News: Employer Sponsorship
Australian schools and education departments can sponsor overseas teachers, and several states actively recruit abroad to address shortages, though most migrants use the points-tested GSM route.
What employers typically cover:
- Nomination and visa charges (employer-sponsored streams)
- Relocation assistance in shortage subjects/regions
- Support toward state registration in some recruitment campaigns
What You'll Earn: Government classroom teacher (NSW, 7-step scale) (2025)
Entry
A$90,177
per year
After 2 Years
A$109,000
per year
Top of Band
A$129,536
per year
NSW Department of Education 2025 scale: Step 1 AUD 90,177 to top of scale AUD 129,536. Mid is between scale steps (intermediate steps in the Crown Employees Teachers award). NSW public-school figures; other states and Catholic/independent schools differ. Source ↗
Important Things to Know
- The English requirement is a hard gate: Speaking 8.0 and Listening 8.0 on Academic IELTS trip up many applicants.
- Only Academic IELTS is accepted by AITSL — no PTE, TOEFL, Cambridge, IELTS Online or IELTS Indicator.
- A suitable AITSL skills assessment outcome is valid for the period shown on the outcome statement from the date of issue.
- Teacher registration is state-by-state — register where you intend to work.
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Start Free CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
What IELTS score do Australian teachers need?
AITSL requires Academic IELTS Reading 7.0, Writing 7.0, Speaking 8.0 and Listening 8.0. Only Academic IELTS is accepted. The alternative is 4+ full years of higher education taught in English in an approved country.
How much is the AITSL skills assessment?
AITSL charges AUD 1,198 for a migration skills assessment (effective 7 September 2026, no GST). State registration fees, such as VIT in Victoria, are extra.
How long is the AITSL assessment valid?
For the period shown on your outcome statement, counted from the date of issue — check the statement and time your visa application to fall within it.
Related guides
Same profession, other countries
See cost breakdowns for this profession in other countries
Compare what it costs Nigerian teachers to relocate to each top destination.
Sources & Verification
We reviewed this page against official sources on 8 Oct 2026; each figure links to its source where an official one exists. We do not use AI training data for any costs, fees, or policy claims.
Verification Notes
Skilled visa base charge (AUD 6,135 for subclass 189; AUD 6,140 for 190 and 491) read on 6 October 2026 from the Home Affairs price service that fills the official visa pages.
Salary figures are NSW public-school award scale; the 'mid' value is interpolated between published Step 1 and top-of-scale endpoints (intermediate steps live in the Crown Employees Teachers Salaries Award).
State registration cost shown is VIT Victoria; other states (NESA NSW, QCT Queensland) differ.
Written by Max Ayobami
Founder of Japa Calculator, Nigeria's first data-driven relocation decision tool. Every cost figure and expert tip on this page is independently researched and verified against official government and regulatory body sources.