No need to reapply if you already hold a valid AITSL assessment.
In December 2024, the designated skills assessing authority for Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers (ANZSCO 241111) officially changed from AITSL to ACECQA and now the Department has confirmed that existing AITSL assessments remain valid until their expiry date.
The Department has confirmed that, for the purposes of the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program — including subclasses 189, 190, and 491 — existing positive skills assessments issued by AITSL will remain valid until their expiry date. There is no need for applicants to obtain a new assessment from ACECQA if their current AITSL assessment is still valid.
When lodging an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect, candidates can nominate either AITSL or ACECQA as the assessing authority, depending on which one issued their assessment.
The same policy applies to subclass 186 Direct Entry (DE) visa applications. A positive AITSL assessment may be accepted if:
- AITSL was the relevant assessing authority listed in the legislative instrument at the time the assessment was issued, and
- The assessment is no more than 3 years old at the time of visa application.
This update provides clarity and reassurance for early childhood teachers pursuing permanent or provisional migration pathways.