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Early Childhood Teacher Visa Pathway Australia

✓ MARA · Last reviewed: July 2026 · 7 min read · MARN 2518872
Key Facts
ANZSCO Code
241111
Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher
SkillSelect minimum
Not in DHA’s latest published round
Skills Assessor
ACECQA
Skills Shortage
In shortage
Shortage in: ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA · Jobs and Skills Australia, 2025-10
Visa Pathways
189, 190, 491, 485, 482, 186
Subclasses this occupation is eligible for
Source: DHA SkillSelect, March 2026

Skills demand for Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher

Demand is the first thing to establish, because it quietly determines the rest: the visas worth considering, the competitiveness of an invitation round, and whether a state nomination is a credible option at all.

Jobs and Skills Australia records this occupation as in shortage. A shortage rating does not guarantee an invitation or a nomination; it tells you the labour-market conditions are working in your favour rather than against you.

Visa pathways for Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher

The occupation lists decide the pathway. Each list maps to a different group of visa subclasses, so the first question is always which list — or lists — this occupation appears on.

This occupation appears on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, which is the list that opens the independent and state-nominated skilled visas as well as the regional pathway.

Inclusion on the Core Skills Occupation List makes the Skills in Demand visa's Core Skills stream available, subject to the usual sponsorship and nomination requirements.

Skills assessment for Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher

Every skilled application turns on the skills assessment. An independent authority — not the Department — decides whether your qualifications and experience genuinely correspond to the occupation you are nominating, and there is no way around it.

No fee is stated here. We publish a charge only where we can source it from the authority reliably and keep it current; where we cannot, we send you to the authority instead of guessing. A reader one click from the truth is better served than a reader given a number we cannot stand behind.

The points test and Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher

More applicants misread the points test than any other part of the skilled program, and it is nearly always the same misreading.

The minimum score is what allows you to lodge an Expression of Interest. It is not the score that gets you invited. Invitations are issued in rank order, highest first, until the round is exhausted — so the score that actually secures an invitation is set by your competition, not by the minimum.

No minimum is published for this occupation in the round data we hold, so none is stated here. An occupation missing from the table has not been shown to receive nothing; it has simply not been published. We will not guess, and we will not report a zero we cannot support.

State and territory nomination

Nomination is run by the states and territories, not by the Department, and each maintains its own occupation list and its own requirements. These move frequently. Always work from the nominating body's current page rather than from a summary anywhere else — including this one.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Confirm the correct ANZSCO code for your occupation. Everything downstream depends on it, and an assessment obtained for the wrong code does not transfer.
  2. Obtain a positive skills assessment from the assessing authority for that occupation.
  3. Meet the English language requirement for the visa you are applying for.
  4. Lodge an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect, claiming only points you can evidence.
  5. If you are seeking state nomination, apply to the nominating body separately and on its terms.
  6. Wait to be invited. You cannot apply for the visa until an invitation is issued.
  7. Lodge the visa application within the period allowed by the invitation, with the evidence for every claim you made.
Practitioner Note
Before you spend anything on an assessment, check that your work history can be evidenced the way the authority asks for it. Most negative outcomes I see are not about capability; they are about references that describe a role in the applicant's words rather than in the authority's.
MARN 2518872 (AU) · immi.tv
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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a skills assessment for this occupation?
Yes — and it must be for this occupation specifically. A positive assessment in a neighbouring occupation does not transfer, which is why establishing the correct ANZSCO code first is not a clerical detail.
Does meeting the minimum points score mean I will be invited?
No — and this is the single most consequential misunderstanding in the skilled program. The minimum is a lodgement threshold. Invitations go to the highest-ranked candidates first, so the effective requirement is set by your competition, not by the minimum.
Can a state nominate me for this occupation?
That depends entirely on the state. Each maintains its own list and its own requirements, both of which change regularly, so the answer today may not be the answer next quarter. Work from the nominating body's own page.

Are you an Early Childhood Teacher planning to migrate to Australia via employer sponsorship?

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General Information Only

This page provides general information only and does not constitute migration advice, legal advice, or any form of professional advice. It is not tailored to your individual circumstances and must not be relied upon as the basis for any decision, action, or omission.

Skilled occupation lists change frequently — occupations may be added, removed, or transferred between lists at any time by ministerial direction. This page reflects list status at the date shown above. Always verify current list membership on the Department of Home Affairs website before lodging a visa application.

Migration law changes frequently. While we endeavour to keep this content current, immi.tv makes no representation that the information is accurate, complete, or up to date at the time you read it. You should independently verify all information before acting on it.

No client or adviser relationship is created by your use of this site. To the maximum extent permitted by law, immi.tv expressly disclaims all liability for any loss or damage — including visa refusals, cancellations, application costs, and consequential loss — arising from reliance on this content. See our full Terms of Use.

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