Interstate and International Reciprocity

Interstate Reciprocity

We welcome applicants who are certified or licensed in another state. The New York State Education Department  (NYSED) issues the Conditional Initial Certificate to qualified individuals holding a reciprocal certificate who have not yet met the state testing and workshop requirements. At least one reciprocal certificate from each of the 50 states is accepted. When applying for certification, applicants should apply for Initial Certification and then choose Interstate Reciprocity as their pathway.

Please consult this list to determine if your out-of-state certificate is accepted by the New York State Education Department. The minumum certificate level generally accepted is the Level II, but the level can vary. NYSED requires that you either earned the Level II certificate through a university based teacher preparation program, or if you earned your certificate through a district-based alternative certification program, that you have three years of verifiable full-time teaching experience.

Applicants must apply directly to the New York State Department of Education for the Conditional Initial Certificate. The Conditional Initial Certificate is valid for up to two years while a teacher completes the additional testing and workshop requirements.

Applicants who are submitting an employment application to the New York City Department of Education must provide a copy of their reciprocal certificate as part of the application process. Visit Applying and Getting Hired for more detailed information.

International Applicants

Certified teachers in countries and jurisdictions other than the United States may qualify for employment based on their credentials from their country of origin. In general, international teachers must meet three requirements to be considered eligible for employment in New York City:

• You must have completed an approved program of teacher preparation.
• You must have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree, a minimum grade point average of 2.5 or above, a valid teaching certificate, and teaching experience in the same subject and grade level.
• You must meet the necessary residency requirements for working within the United States.

The New York State Education Department has detailed eligibility requirements if you have a teaching certificate from one of these countries:

• Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia
• Canada
• Philippines
• Spain
• United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales)
• West Indies and Guyana

For international teachers who are not from one of these countries, the New York State Education Department will make an individual determination of your qualifications based on your credentials when you apply.

In order to work as a teacher in New York City, you must be a United States citizen or permanent resident. At this time, the New York City Department of Education is unable to sponsor international teachers who have not already met federal regulations to work in the United States.

Please note that teachers with OPT visas must conduct an independent job search outside the existing application process in order to find a school that is willing to pay their future sponsorship costs.