If you trained overseas and want to work in Australia's early childhood sector, you may run into three separate processes that get talked about as if they're one thing. They aren't, and mixing them up is the single biggest cause of confusion and wasted applications:

• Qualification recognition: Whether ACECQA (the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority) considers your qualification equivalent to an approved Australian one, so you can be counted as a qualified educator under the National Quality Framework (NQF). This is the focus of this article.
• Migration skills assessment: A separate ACECQA process, with its own fee and application, that's only relevant if you're applying for a skilled migration visa. A qualification recognition outcome does not do this for you, and vice versa.
• Teacher registration: A state or territory requirement, not an ACECQA one, and it only applies in some jurisdictions and settings.y77y  

If you only need to work in a long day care centre, kindergarten or preschool and you're not applying for a points‑tested visa, it's the first of these you need. We cover that in detail below, and cover the other two briefly with links if that's what you're after.

The Three Types of Early Childhood Qualification

ACECQA groups early childhood qualifications into three types, and which one applies to you depends on the role you want:

Step 1: Check if Your Qualification is Already Approved

Before applying for anything, check ACECQA's lists of approved qualifications. If your qualification is listed, you don't need an assessment. If you're not sure whether an overseas qualification matches one on the list, ACECQA recommends calling them to discuss it before applying.

If your qualification isn't listed, you have two main options:

• Apply to ACECQA to have your existing qualification assessed for equivalence (the process below), or
• Enrol in an Australian Certificate III or Diploma, potentially with credit for prior learning if some of your existing study or experience is recognised.

Step 2: Read the Assessment Guidelines

ACECQA assesses applications against the Guidelines for the determination of equivalent early childhood qualifications. These set out, for each qualification type, the required:

• academic level
• age focus (for ECT applicants, this generally needs to cover birth to five years, including a set minimum of supervised professional experience with children under three)
• supervised professional experience or work placement hours
• curriculum content

It's worth reading these before you apply, since a mismatch on any one of these areas can affect the outcome.

Step 3: English Language Proficiency

You'll need to provide evidence of English proficiency. For most applicants this means one of:

• One year of full‑time tertiary or higher education study in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, the UK or the USA, or
• IELTS Academic, with specific band requirements that vary by pathway (for the Early Childhood Teacher pathway, this is generally 7.0 in Reading and Writing and 8.0 in Speaking and Listening, taken within the required timeframe).

Requirements can differ slightly depending on whether you're applying at Certificate III, Diploma or ECT level, so it's worth checking the current English language proficiency information sheet or calling ACECQA directly if you're unsure which option applies to you.

Step 4: Prepare Your Documents

To submit what ACECQA calls an "Assessment Ready" application, you'll generally need:

• A certified colour copy of your passport (or Australian driver's licence)
• A certified colour copy of evidence of any change of name
• A certified colour copy of your official qualification certificate
• A certified colour copy of your official academic transcript, covering all years of study
• A signed and witnessed Applicant Declaration and Consent Form
• Certified colour copy of your evidence of English language proficiency
• Certified colour copy of evidence of teacher registration, if you already hold it

Documents not in English need to be translated, with both the original and the translated version submitted as certified copies. Applications missing documents or containing unclear scans are a common cause of delay, so it's worth double‑checking everything against ACECQA's own certifying documents information sheet before you submit.

Step 5: Apply and Pay

Applications are submitted through ACECQA's online portal and take about 40 minutes to complete. The current application fee for this qualification assessment is $136.

Your 80‑day assessment period only starts once ACECQA has everything it needs, so an incomplete application will extend your wait. There's no refund if your application is unsuccessful or you withdraw it after submitting.

What Happens Next?

ACECQA aims to complete assessments within 80 days of receiving a complete application. If successful, you'll be able to work as a qualified educator in an approved education and care service in Australia — though this doesn't automatically mean you're registered as a teacher (see below) or guaranteed a job or visa outcome. 

If unsuccessful, ACECQA will give you reasons for the decision, and you can request a review if you have further evidence.

Migration Skills Assessment: A Different Process 

If your goal is a skilled migration visa rather than simply working in the sector, you'll need a separate migration skills assessment from ACECQA, which is the approved assessing authority for the Early Childhood (Pre‑Primary School) Teacher, Child Care Centre Manager, Child Care Worker (group leaders) and other related occupations. 

It has its own application, its own current fee ($1,100), and its own 80‑day processing target (currently running longer than usual due to high application volumes). If you're concerned your qualification might not meet the underlying NQF requirements, ACECQA recommends completing the qualification assessment above first.

Teacher Registration: A State Matter, Not an ACECQA One

Registration isn't required under the NQF itself, but some states and territories require early childhood teachers to be individually registered or accredited before they can work, separately from anything ACECQA assesses. 

Requirements vary: Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia require registration for all ECTs; NSW requires accreditation in approved centre‑based settings; other jurisdictions vary by setting or employer. Check the requirements and contact details for your state or territory's teacher regulatory authority, or see ACECQA's own summary by state and territory.

A Note on Demand

Early childhood roles continue to appear on Australia's skilled occupation lists, including the Early Childhood (Pre‑primary School) Teacher occupation on the current Core Skills Occupation List. 

This may support stronger job prospects for qualified applicants, though it doesn't guarantee an invitation, a visa grant or a specific job outcome — occupation lists and thresholds change, so it's worth checking the current Home Affairs skilled occupation list rather than relying on a fixed figure.