AITSL Assessments Accepted for 186 Employer Nomination Visa – No ACECQA Reassessment Required

For early childhood educators planning to apply for an Australian subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa via the Direct Entry (DE) stream, there’s now an important clarification that could save time and hassle.

According to the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) Notice 55 and confirmation from the Department of Home Affairs, applicants who already hold a positive skills assessment issued by AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) can continue to use this assessment for 186 visa purposes—provided it remains within its three-year validity.

This holds true even though ACECQA (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority) has taken over as the designated assessing authority for certain qualifications. There is no need to obtain a new ACECQA assessment if your AITSL one was issued when AITSL was the authorised body.

The MIA has confirmed this policy in consultation with the Department and AITSL:

• As long as your AITSL assessment was valid on the date of visa application, and
• AITSL was the legally designated authority at the time your skills assessment was issued,

Then your AITSL skills assessment remains valid and acceptable for the 186 DE visa.

This clarification provides much-needed certainty for applicants and eliminates the risk of unnecessary reassessment and additional delays. For those who already have a valid AITSL assessment but haven’t yet lodged their 186 visa application, this update is particularly welcome.

Previously, many applicants—sometimes misinformed by unqualified agents—assumed they needed a new ACECQA assessment to be eligible. However, under current policy, AITSL assessments issued within the past three years remain fully valid for 186 visa applications in early childhood teaching.

If you’re an early childhood educator considering migration through the 186 DE stream, we strongly recommend confirming whether your skills assessment remains valid. From there, you can assess your readiness to begin the nomination and visa process.

If you have any questions or would like professional assistance, please feel free to contact us at Riverwood Migration (Email: enquiry@riverwoodmigration.com). We are committed to providing transparent, expert migration services to help you achieve your dream of moving to Australia.

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