EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER | ANZSCO 241111

WHAT DOES AN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER DO?

An Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher under ANZSCO 241111 teaches the basics of numeracy, literacy, music, art and literature to early childhood students, and promotes their social, emotional, intellectual and physical development. The occupation sits within ANZSCO Unit Group 2411, Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teachers, and carries a Skill Level 1 rating in Australia, which lines up with a bachelor degree or higher qualification.

Typical day to day duties include:

• Planning and structuring learning in both indoor and outdoor environments using a variety of materials and equipment
• Providing experiences and activities that develop motor skills, cooperative social skills, confidence and understanding
• Promoting language development through storytelling, role play, songs, rhymes and informal discussions with individuals and groups
• Observing students to evaluate progress and to detect early signs of ill health, emotional disturbance or other difficulties
• Monitoring the nutritional health, welfare and safety needs of students and identifying factors that may affect their progress
• Discussing student progress with parents and attending parent interviews, staff meetings and committee meetings
• Participating in community and family support programs where appropriate
• Supervising student teachers on placement

SUBCLASS 482 FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS – CSOL LIST

The Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa replaced the older Temporary Skill Shortage visa in December 2024, bringing with it a new occupation list. The Core Skills Occupation List, generally shortened to the CSOL, combined the previous strategic skills lists into a single list spanning professional, trade and technical occupations.

Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher sits on the CSOL under the code ANZSCO 241111. This is the code an employer nominates against for a Core Skills stream 482 visa, and the same code applies where the occupation is used for the Direct Entry stream of the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme.

SUBCLASS 482 ANZSCO REQUIREMENT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS

The nominated occupation has to genuinely match the work an applicant will be doing for the sponsoring employer. Case officers look past job titles and check the duties set out in the nomination against the ANZSCO definition for 241111.

Early Childhood Teacher sits at ANZSCO Skill Level 1, which lines up with a bachelor degree or higher qualification in early childhood education. In some instances relevant experience or on the job training is required in addition to the formal qualification.

ANZSCO requirement for Early Childhood Teachers includes a bachelor degree or higher qualification in a relevant field of early childhood teaching (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).

SC 482 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS

To be granted a Subclass 482 visa under the Core Skills stream as an Early Childhood Teacher, applicants generally need to meet the following:

• A genuine, approved sponsor. The employer must be an approved Standard Business Sponsor, or in the process of becoming one
• An approved nomination for ANZSCO 241111, with a salary at or above the Core Skills Income Threshold and the market rate for the role
• At least one year of full time equivalent work experience in early childhood teaching, within the past five years
• English requirements as outlined further below, unless an exemption applies
• A clear health examination through an approved panel physician
• Police clearance certificates from every country lived in for twelve months or more

The Core Skills Income Threshold sets the minimum salary an employer must offer for a Core Skills stream nomination. From 1 July 2026, this threshold rose from $76,515 to $79,423 a year, in line with the annual indexation the Department applies to keep pace with wage growth across the country. The visa can be granted for a period of one to four years depending on individual circumstances, and a partner and dependent children can be included as secondary applicants.

SUBCLASS 482 VISA APPLICATION CHARGES

The government visa application charges for the Subclass 482 are updated annually. The base charge for the main applicant applies, alongside matching charges for adult dependents aged 18 or over and reduced charges for dependent children under 18. These charges are non refundable, so it is worth confirming the current figures on the Home Affairs website before lodging, alongside budgeting separately for the nomination fee, the Skilling Australians Fund levy paid by the employer, and any English test, health check or skills assessment costs.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS – SC 482

The skills assessing authority for this occupation changed on 7 December 2024. The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority, generally known as ACECQA, replaced the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) as the designated assessing body for Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher. Applications lodged with AITSL before that date continue to be finalised under AITSL's criteria, and existing AITSL assessment certificates remain valid up to their original expiry date, but all new applications now go through ACECQA.

A skills assessment is not automatically required for every Subclass 482 applicant, but it becomes mandatory where the Department of Home Affairs' legislative instrument on mandatory skills assessments lists the occupation and passport country combination as requiring one. Given how heavily this occupation features on that mandatory list, most applicants should expect to need a positive assessment before a visa can be granted.

The ACECQA assessment for this occupation generally requires:

• A minimum four year higher education qualification, either a relevant bachelor degree in early childhood education or a bachelor degree plus a graduate diploma in early childhood education
• Course content covering the birth to five years age range, including at least 45 days of supervised teaching practice, with a minimum of 10 of those days spent with children under three
• English language proficiency, demonstrated through at least one year of full time higher education completed in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States, or through an accepted English test result

Where a test is required, ACECQA generally asks for an overall IELTS Academic score of at least 7.0 in Reading and Writing and at least 8.0 in Listening and Speaking, or an equivalent result on the ISLPR teacher focused assessment, completed within the last three years. This is separate from, and considerably higher than, the Competent English standard used for the visa itself.

Applicants should provide comprehensive documentary evidence, including:

• Certified academic transcripts and qualification documents
• Evidence of supervised teaching practice, including the ages of children taught and the number of days completed
• Employment reference letters on company letterhead outlining job title, duties, employment dates and hours worked
• English test results or evidence of study conducted in English, where required

A positive ACECQA assessment is valid for two years from the date of issue. Providing complete and well organised evidence helps ACECQA assess an application efficiently and may reduce processing delays.

SUBCLASS 186 FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS – EMPLOYER NOMINATION SCHEME

The Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme is Australia's main permanent employer sponsored visa, and for many Early Childhood Teachers already working in the country on a 482 visa, it is the natural next step. The Direct Entry stream is the relevant pathway for applicants who have not yet worked long enough with their employer to qualify for the Temporary Residence Transition stream, or who are applying from outside Australia altogether.

Unlike the 482, a grant under the 186 gives the applicant and their family permanent residency from the day it is approved, with no further visa renewals needed.

SC 186 VISA REQUIREMENT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS

For the Direct Entry stream, applicants generally need to meet the following:

• A nomination from an approved Australian employer for a genuine, full time, ongoing position as an Early Childhood Teacher
• A salary that meets or exceeds the relevant income threshold and the market rate for the role
• A positive skills assessment in the nominated occupation, unless an exemption applies
• At least three years of relevant work experience, unless exempt from the skills assessment and experience requirements
• Being under 45 years of age at the time of application, with limited exemptions
• Competent English, at an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with no band below 6.0, or an accepted equivalent
• Health and character clearances

This is a noticeably higher bar than the 482 on work experience, and applicants should note that the ACECQA skills assessment English requirement described above sits above this visa level English standard in any case.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS – SC 186

Unlike the 482, a positive skills assessment from ACECQA is mandatory for almost every Direct Entry 186 applicant in this occupation, and it needs to be current at the time the visa application is lodged. The same qualification, practicum and English criteria described above apply here. Because the Direct Entry stream also requires three years of relevant experience on top of the assessment itself, it helps to start gathering employment evidence, reference letters and qualification documents well before applying, since both ACECQA processing and document preparation take time.

STATE AND TERRITORY TEACHER REGISTRATION

A positive skills assessment and an approved visa allow an Early Childhood Teacher to migrate to Australia, but they do not on their own allow someone to start working in a classroom or early learning centre. Teaching is a regulated profession, and registration with the relevant state or territory teacher regulatory authority is required before a teacher can legally be employed in that role. Registration is managed separately by each state and territory body, rather than by the Department of Home Affairs or the migration process, so applicants should plan to look into local registration requirements alongside their visa application rather than after they arrive.

A valid Working with Children Check (WWCC), issued by the relevant state or territory authority, is also required before starting work in any role involving children, and is generally arranged separately from both the skills assessment and teacher registration processes.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Every skilled or employer sponsored visa in Australia comes with an English language test, and the score needed depends on which visa is being applied for. For Early Childhood Teachers looking at the 482 and 186 pathways, the bar is different at each stage, which catches a number of applicants off guard. It is also worth remembering that the ACECQA skills assessment carries its own, separate and considerably higher English requirement (IELTS 7.0 Reading/Writing, 8.0 Listening/Speaking), so meeting the visa level standard below does not automatically mean the skills assessment requirement has been met.

For the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa, Core Skills stream, applicants generally need Competent English, which works out to an overall IELTS score of 5.0 with no band below 5.0, or an accepted equivalent test result.

For the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, Direct Entry stream, the standard is higher. Competent English here means an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with no band below 6.0.

Exemptions on English Language Requirements

Citizens of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and the Republic of Ireland are generally exempt from formal English testing, along with applicants who have completed a set period of study conducted in English. Test results typically need to be current within three years of lodgement, so if a score is getting old, it is worth sitting the test again before applying rather than finding out partway through processing.

SALARY EXPECTATIONS IN AUSTRALIA

Pay for Early Childhood Teachers in Australia is largely set by the Educational Services (Teachers) Award, with actual rates varying by classification, employer type, location and recognised teaching experience. From 1 July 2026, full time award minimums for qualified teachers range from roughly $75,941 in preschool and school settings up to $109,279 in long day care centres, and many employers pay above these minimums to attract and retain qualified staff, particularly in regional areas facing acute shortages.

WHY EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS ARE IN DEMAND IN AUSTRALIA

• Australia is currently short an estimated 21,000 early childhood educators and teachers nationally
• Continued expansion of subsidised early learning places and long day care capacity has increased the number of qualified teacher positions needed
• Regional and outer suburban centres in particular struggle to attract enough locally qualified early childhood teachers
• Rising community demand for quality early learning ahead of school has kept pressure on the sector's teacher workforce
• The inclusion of Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher on the Core Skills Occupation List reflects this recognised, ongoing shortage of qualified professionals at a national level

EMPLOYER SPONSORSHIP FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS IN AUSTRALIA

Long day care centres, preschools, kindergartens and school based early learning services can sponsor overseas Early Childhood Teachers through the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa, the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) visa, and other eligible employer sponsored visa pathways when suitably qualified Australian workers are unavailable. With demand for qualified early childhood teachers continuing to outpace local supply in many regions, employer sponsorship has become an effective way for these providers to recruit experienced overseas teachers and close workforce gaps.

At Migration Republic, we assist employers with every stage of the employer sponsorship process, including Standard Business Sponsorship applications, labour market testing where required, nomination applications, visa lodgements, and ongoing sponsorship compliance. Our Registered Migration Agents make sure your business meets all Department of Home Affairs requirements while keeping the sponsorship process as straightforward as possible.

Whether you need to sponsor an Early Childhood Teacher for a long day care centre, a standalone preschool, a kindergarten, or a school based early learning service, we can help you identify the most suitable employer sponsored pathway. We work with providers of all sizes across Australia, helping employers sponsor skilled early childhood teachers under the Subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa and secure permanent residence pathways through the Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme, where eligible.

We help employers with:

• Standard Business Sponsorship applications
• Sponsoring overseas Early Childhood Teachers under the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa
• Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) applications
• Labour Market Testing
• Employer nomination applications
• Employer sponsorship compliance obligations
• Permanent residency pathways for sponsored early childhood teachers

If your service is looking to sponsor an Early Childhood Teacher in Australia or recruit a skilled overseas early childhood professional, Migration Republic can provide expert advice and manage the entire employer sponsorship process from start to finish, allowing you to focus on running your centre while we take care of your migration requirements.

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HOW MIGRATION REPUBLIC CAN HELP YOU

Migrating to Australia as an Early Childhood Teacher means working through an ACECQA skills assessment with its own demanding English requirement, demonstrating a relevant qualification and supervised teaching practice, arranging state teacher registration and a Working with Children Check, and choosing between two visa pathways with different experience thresholds. Our registered migration agents at Migration Republic handle this every day, and we can help you get it right the first time.

Here's what we take care of for you:

• Confirming that ANZSCO 241111 genuinely matches your qualifications and day to day duties
• Preparing a complete, decision ready ACECQA skills assessment application
• Structuring your employment and practicum evidence so they meet ACECQA requirements
• Comparing the 482 and 186 pathways to find the right fit for your circumstances
• Managing your full visa application from lodgement through to grant

Frequently Asked Questions – Employer Sponsorship for Early Childhood Teachers