As regulator of the teaching profession, VIT assesses all applications to ensure a person is eligible and suitable to hold registration. This assessment not only ensures only qualified and suitable people are able to undertake the duties of a teacher, it provides for the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
Most applications take between 4-6 weeks to assess once all documentation has been submitted. In some cases, applications may be assessed more quickly.
The length of time taken to assess an application depends on the type of application and each applicant's circumstances, and will only be fully assessed once all documentation has been provided. An application will require some (or all) of the following assessments to take place.
Qualifications
Transcripts and evidence of completion must be assessed against current Victorian teacher and early childhood teacher qualification requirements as well as Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) requirements.
Overseas qualifications and/or qualifications that were undertaken a significant time ago require additional assessment to ensure equivalency against both current qualification and English language competency requirements.
English language competency
English language competence may be evidenced through qualifications in line with the English Language Competence Policy; in other instances, evidence of results from an approved English language test must be provided and assessed to ensure the appropriate standard is met.
Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks
Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Checks (NCCHCs) can only run if the applicant has correctly supplied id documents and an identity verification form.
NCCHCs can take some time to be returned to VIT (for example if an applicant has a common name or a criminal history).
If an NCCHC returns with a disclosable court outcome, the matter must be assessed against VIT's suitability requirements and may require additional documentation from applicants.
Suitability
Legislation requires VIT to ensure that a person is suitable to teach in a school or early childhood setting. Suitability to teach, as set out in the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, means determining whether a person is fit to teach, and whether a person is physically or mentally able to teach (this includes assessing whether the character, reputation and conduct of a person are such that they should be allowed to teach in a school or early childhood setting).
Declarations of matters or conditions that will affect an applicant’s ability to undertake the duties of a teacher must be assessed and may require additional documentation from applicants.
Overseas criminal records checks
Overseas criminal records checks (CRCs) must adhere to the standard set by the Department of Home Affairs guidelines.
CRC outcomes must be assessed against VIT's suitability framework and may require additional documentation from applicants.
Mutual recognition applications
Information regarding an applicant's current Australian / New Zealand registration status must be sought from the relevant teacher regulator authority.
Immediate full applications
Information regarding an applicant's previous registration and recency of professional practice (days teaching) must be assessed.
Overseas documents in a language other than English
Overseas documents require additional assessment to ensure translation meets National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters Ltd. (NAATI) standards as well as equivalency against registration requirements.
Last updated: 13 Aug 2024