How Kenyan teachers can move to Australia: Skills checks, English scores, visas and pay in shillings

A positive skills assessment is only the first step. Here is what Kenyan teachers need to qualify, apply and plan for the cost.

Kenyan teachers who want to work in Australia must first show that their qualifications meet Australian standards, reach the required English test scores and choose a migration pathway that fits their age and job prospects. For skilled migration, the process generally starts with a positive skills assessment from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), followed by a visa application, state or territory teacher registration and a job search.

The pay is attractive. Public school salaries in New South Wales range from about KSh 684,000 a month for a new graduate to KSh 982,000 for an experienced teacher before tax, at an illustrative exchange rate of AUD 1 to KSh 91. But a positive AITSL assessment alone does not guarantee a visa, registration or a job.

The AITSL skills assessment

Teachers applying for the points-tested Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) or Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) generally need a positive skills assessment for their nominated occupation. For secondary school teachers, AITSL checks whether university qualifications and supervised teaching practice meet its requirements.

The assessment generally requires at least four years of full-time university-level study, including an initial teacher education qualification equivalent to an Australian bachelor's degree or higher. The teaching qualification must include at least one year of secondary teacher education and at least 45 days of supervised teaching practice with students aged 13 to 18. A Kenyan teaching degree does not automatically earn a positive assessment, since AITSL reviews the structure of the qualification, academic records and evidence of teaching practice. Teachers in special education and other categories should check the criteria for their occupation.

English test scores

Under the IELTS Academic option in the relevant AITSL checklist, applicants must score at least 7.0 in Reading and Writing and 8.0 in Speaking and Listening, in a test taken within three years before the assessment application. A 7.5 in Speaking, for example, falls short. AITSL also accepts IELTS One Skill Retake results under its conditions. Its alternative English-evidence pathway applies to applicants who studied in specified English-speaking countries, and Kenya is not among them. Applicants should check the current checklist before booking a test, since rules can change.

Documents and costs

Teachers should collect documents early. They include a valid passport, the final teaching qualification certificate, transcripts for every relevant year of study, certificates for any other qualifications used to meet the four-year requirement, and approved English translations where needed.

They also need a signed and dated university document confirming supervised teaching practice, which a graduation certificate alone may not show. Teachers are therefore advised to ask their university for it early. A Teachers Service Commission licence is not listed as a standard document on the cited secondary teacher checklist.

The AITSL skills assessment fee is set to rise from AUD 1,154 to AUD 1,198 from September 7, 2026, and the appeal fee from AUD 904 to AUD 938. At AUD 1 to KSh 91, that is about KSh 109,018 for the assessment and KSh 85,358 for an appeal. Payments should be made only through the official AITSL Applicant Portal, and teachers should also budget for IELTS, visa charges, medical examinations, police clearances, registration and relocation.

Which visa fits

The right visa depends on age, qualifications, points, occupation, nomination prospects and access to an employer.

Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent): a points-tested permanent residence pathway with no state nomination or employer sponsorship.
Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated): a permanent residence pathway that needs nomination by a state or territory.
Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional): a provisional visa for skilled workers nominated by a state or territory, or sponsored by an eligible family member, in a designated regional area, which may lead to permanent residence.
Subclass 482 (Skills in Demand): an employer-sponsored option for teachers who secure an eligible job with a sponsoring employer.

The points-tested pathways generally require applicants to be under 45 when invited. The 482 visa has no similar age limit, although a later permanent residence application under subclass 186 normally has an under-45 requirement unless an exemption applies. Teachers should check current occupation lists and visa rules, since not every teaching occupation is eligible for every visa.

Registration is separate

A positive skills assessment addresses migration requirements and does not allow anyone to teach in an Australian school. Teachers must separately meet the registration or accreditation requirements of the state or territory where they plan to work, and these differ between jurisdictions such as New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. Regulators may assess qualifications, English proficiency, identity and suitability.

Pay in Kenyan shillings

The figures supplied for New South Wales public schools show annual base salaries from AUD 90,177 for a new graduate to AUD 129,536 for an experienced teacher. At the illustrative rate, they translate as follows:

Casual teachers are reported to earn AUD 466.44 to AUD 582.38 a day, or about KSh 42,446 to KSh 52,997. These are gross figures before tax and deductions, and the monthly amounts are annual salaries divided by 12, not take-home pay. Exchange rates change, and teachers should weigh the pay against the cost of housing, transport, food and childcare in Australia, and check the latest official salary schedule.

What teachers should avoid

No agent can guarantee an invitation, visa approval or a job, so teachers should check any such promise against official Australian government, AITSL and state registration sources, and avoid spending large sums before confirming they are eligible.