Australia has access to 20,000 migrant teachers, but is not using them. Why not?

Australia needs more teachers. It ranks among the worst-performing countries in the OECD for teacher shortages. This is particularly so for public schools.

As of December 2025, there was a reported shortfall of 2,600 teachers in Victoria and New South Wales alone.

A 2024 Australian Education Union survey of 953 primary and secondary schools also found almost 83% were experiencing teacher shortages. Many were relying on merged classes, relief staff and teachers taking on extra duties simply to keep operating.

State and federal governments have acknowledged the shortage, and have a national plan to improve the situation.

Yet while schools continue to struggle to fill vacancies, Australia has access to an untapped teaching workforce. But it is not using it.

Thousands of qualified migrant teachers already living here are not fully employed in the profession. What’s going on?

A broader skills problem

A migrant teacher is one who did their teaching qualifications in another country before coming to Australia to live.

Migrant teachers currently make up about 6% of the overall teaching workforce in Australia. But there are an estimated 20,590 qualified migrant teachers who are not working in schools at all or who are underemployed (not working as much as they want).

This is part of a broader national problem. Policymakers have long warned Australia is failing to make full use of migrant skills. Earlier this month, former Treasury secretary Ken Henry argued many migrants are working in jobs well below their qualifications, weakening productivity and leaving workforce shortages unresolved.

It is estimated 44% of Australia’s skilled migrants are employed below their skill level.

An uncertain process

For teachers trained overseas, entering the profession in Australia is often a long and uncertain process.

The entire process, from initial document preparation to final approval, can take several months. Sometimes, if a migrant needs to do more study to meet Australian standards, it can take up to two years.

Most begin by having their qualifications assessed by the national teaching institute to see if they fit with Australia’s teaching standards. They may also need to meet English language proficiency requirements, even when they have taught for years in English-speaking settings.

They must then register through a state or territory teacher regulatory authority. Because education is governed separately across jurisdictions, rules and processes can vary. Most states and territories require a minimum of four years of full-time tertiary training and a minimum of 45 days of supervised teaching. But specific requirements for Working with Children Checks, police checks and documentation vary significantly by jurisdiction and employer.

The pathway can be expensive. It may involve translating documents, verifying transcripts and sitting English tests multiple times to meet the score required if one’s teacher qualifications are not from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, United States, Canada or Ireland.

Teachers trained overseas who hold a three-year teaching degree often need to undertake further study or bridging program to address regulatory gaps and satisfy registration requirements.

What happens next?

Even for migrant teachers who successfully gain registration, barriers often remain.

My research with migrant teachers in Australia shows many arrive with years of experience, strong subject expertise and a deep commitment to teaching. Yet they are often treated as newcomers with deficits rather than professionals with valuable expertise.

Some describe years of waiting, repeated applications and being told they lack “local experience”. Others report being overlooked because of their accent, unfamiliar names or assumptions about classroom fit.

Years of overseas teaching are frequently discounted, forcing experienced educators to start again at lower levels or in casual roles.

Some eventually leave teaching altogether.

This is a significant loss. Not only can these teachers fill vacant positions, they can bring many benefits. They have linguistic resources, intercultural knowledge and global experience that can strengthen schools and better reflect increasingly diverse student communities.

What needs to change

To boost migrant teachers in Australia, we can make several changes.

First, we can make the recognition of qualifications faster, clearer and more nationally consistent.

Second, targeted transition programs by state education departments or registration bodies could help teachers understand Australia’s curriculum requirements, classroom expectations and local systems without unnecessary formal retraining through universities.

Third, overseas teaching experience should count more meaningfully in salary placement, hiring and promotion.

Fourth, schools should review recruitment practices for bias and better recognise international experience, multilingual capability and cultural knowledge.

Finally, once they are employed, migrant teachers should have proper mentoring and clear career pathways so they can stay and thrive in the profession.