What are the English Language requirements for an Australian visa (in plain English)? (Updated on: 8 August 2025)

Depending on the visa you apply for in Australia, as a visa applicant you may need to provide the Department with evidence of your English language ability.

Which visa are you applying for and what are the English requirements?

The below table sets out the general English requirements for some common visa applications (noting that certain applicants may be exempt from English language in lieu of other factors):

Visa (common categories)	Required level of English
407 primary applicants 186 over 18 dependent applicants (unless a second instalment is paid)	Functional English (see below)
482 primary applicants	Vocational English (see below)
186 primary applicant 187 primary applicant 189 primary applicant 190 primary applicant 491 primary applicant	Competent English (see below)
189 / 190 / 491 primary applicants claiming 10 points for English	Proficient English (see below)
189 / 190 / 491 primary applicant claiming 20 points for English	Superior English (se ebelow)
485 visa	IELTS: Overall score of 6.5 (and 5.5 in each component) TOEFL iBT: Total score of 81 (with at least 12 in Listening, 12 in Reading, 14 in Writing and, 17 in Speaking) PTE Academic: Overall score of 55 (with at least 40 in Listening, 42 in Reading, 41 in Speaking, and 39 in Writing) OET: Overall score of 1310 (with at least 260 in Listening, 280 in Reading, 260 in Speaking, and 310 in Writing) Cambridge English: 176 overall average (with at least 162 in each component) CELPIP General: Overall score of 8 (with  at least 6 in each band) LANGUAGECERT Academic: Overall band score of 67 (with at least 49 in Listening, 54 in Reading, 56 in Speaking, and 62 in Writing) MET: Overrall band score of 58 (with at least 53 in Listening, 51 in Reading, 51 in Speaking, and 43 in Writing) Note that Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders have reduced English requirements.
500 visa	IELTS: Average band score of 6.0 TOEFL iBT*: Total band score of 67 PTE Academic: Overall band score of 47 OET: Overall band score of 1210 Cambridge English^: 161 overall band score CELPIP General: Overall band score of 7 LANGUAGECERT Academic: Overall band score of 61 MET: Overrall band score of 53

Note that though some testing centres are providing versions of their tests that you can take at home or online, such as TOEFL iBT –Home Edition, OET@Home, PTE Academic Online, and IELTS Online (General and Academic) and IELTS Indicator, the Department do not currently accept these tests.

*For TOEFL iBT, tests completed between 26 July 2023 and 4 May 2024 will not be accepted as during this period the TOEFL iBT test was not offered as an approved test.

^For CAE, only results from paper-based Cambridge C1 Advanced test will be accepted from 12 February 2024.

What is “Functional English”?

To prove functional English, an applicant must provide evidence of one of the following scores (usually) in the last 12 months prior to the application being made:

Alternatively, you can provide evidence that:

1. you are a citizen of and hold a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland
2. you completed a degree, a higher degree, a diploma or a trade certificate in an institution in or outside Australia that require at least two years of full-time study and all instructions were in English
3. you undertook your education at:
   1. a primary school and secondary school where all instruction was in English in or outside Australia AND have evidence covering all years of primary and at least 3 years of secondary study
   2. a secondary school in or outside Australia where all instruction was in English which was at least 5 years of study
   3. an institution in Australia where all instruction was in English where at least 1 year of full-time study towards a degree, higher degree, diploma, or associate diploma
   4. an institution in Australia where all instruction was in English where the part-time equivalent of 1 year of full-time study towards a degree, higher degree, diploma, or associate diploma

Certain visas will allow you to submit other forms of evidence. Check the relevant visa pages on our website to view the appropriate requirements and / or contact your Hannan Tew representative.

What is “Vocational English”?

To prove you have vocational English, you must provide evidence of one of the following scores in (usually) the last 36 months prior to the application being made:

Alternatively, you can provide evidence that:

1. you are a citizen of and hold a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland.

Certain visas will allow you to submit other forms of evidence. Check the relevant visa pages on our website to view the appropriate requirements and / or contact your Hannan Tew representative.

What is “Competent English”?

To prove you have competent English, you must provide evidence of one of the following scores (usually) in the last 36 months prior  to the application / invitation for application being made:

Certain visas will allow you to submit other forms of evidence. View the relevant visa pages on our website to view the appropriate requirements and / or contact your Hannan Tew representative.

What is “Proficient English”?

To prove you have competent English, you must provide evidence of one of the following scores (usually) in the last 36 months prior to the invitation being made:

Certain visas will allow you to submit other forms of evidence. View the relevant visa pages on our website to view the appropriate requirements and / or contact your Hannan Tew representative.

What is “Superior English”?

To prove you have superior English, you must provide evidence of one of the following scores in (usually) the last 36 months prior to the application being made:

Certain visas will allow you to submit other forms of evidence. View the relevant visa pages on our website to view the appropriate requirements and / or contact your Hannan Tew representative.

Any questions?

If you seek further information about the specific English requirements for your visa, please email our general query inbox at [email protected] or call us on +61 3 9016 0484.

THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE LEGAL ADVICE OR CREATE AN ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP. PLEASE CONSULT AN IMMIGRATION PROFESSIONAL FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION