Australian Migration

Monday, July 8, 2019

ENGLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR AUSTRALIAN VISAS

Here is a list of the most commonly used Australian visas and their English requirements.

Level of English required for all Australian visas

Visa TypeLevel of English
482 TSS Visa
  • Medium and Long Term TSS Visa (482): IELTS 5 (no skill below 5) or equivalent
  • Short-Term TSS Visa (482) : IELTS overall 5 (no skill below 4.5) or equivalent
ENS 186 visaIELTS 6 in all skills or equivalent
RSMS 187 visaIELTS 6 in all skills or equivalent
Most Skilled Migration visas (189 visas, 190 visas and 489 visas and 494 visas)
Competent English (IELTS 6 or equivalent in all skills)0
Proficient English (IELTS 7 or equivalent in all skills)10
Superior English (IELTS 8 or equivalent in all skills)20
Other Australian visas and their English requirements:
  • Training visa (subclass 407): Functional English (average 4.5 in IELTS or equivalent)
  • Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408): Functional English (average 4.5 in IELTS or equivalent)
  • Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403): No English requirement
  • Graduate Temporary 485 Visa: IELTS (Academic or General Training) overall average of 6 and at least 5 in each band or equivalent (or equivalent)
  • Recognised Graduate (476): Overall score of at least IELTS 6 with a minimum score of 5 for each of the 4 parts (or equivalent)
  • Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887): No English requirement for the main applicant
  • Distinguished Talent visa (124 visa): All applicants must have functional English or you will need to pay an extra charge, called the second installment to be granted this visa
  • Functional English: for secondary applicants seeking to avoid paying the English Language Charge
188A & 188B Business visas: There is no minimum English language requirement for the business migration subclasses. However, applicants with less than functional English will need to pay an English Language Charge before receiving their visas.
Points are available for:
  • Vocational English (5 minimum in each of the 4 components of IELTS or equivalent): 5 points
  • Proficient English (7 minimum in each of the 4 components of IELTS or equivalent): 10 points

The validity of English Tests

Tests conducted up to 3 years prior to lodgement of an application are accepted by the Department of Immigration.
Applications that need functional English require testing to have been done at most 12 months before lodgement.
A summary of test score equivalencies for all English language tests accepted by the department is provided below.
English Language proficiency levelIELTSTOEFL iBTPTE AcademicOETCambridge (CAE)
Vocational5.0Listening & Reading 4.0
Writing & Speaking 14
36B154
Competent6.0Listening: 12 Reading: 13
Writing: 21 Speaking: 18
50B169
Proficient (for points tested
Skilled visas)
7.0Listening & Reading: 24
Writing: 27 Speaking: 23
65B185
Superior (for points tested
Skilled visas)
8.0Listening: 28 Reading: 29
Writing: 30 Speaking: 26
79A200
Partner visa 820 (onshore) and subclass 309 (offshore): applicants with less than functional English (average 4.5 in IELTS or equivalent) will need to pay an English Language Charge before receiving their visa.
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