Rules as of 26 October 2026

English tests and scores accepted for Australian visas

Which English tests Home Affairs accepts, the minimum score for each English level, who needs no test, and who assesses skills for migration.

Verified Written 26 October 2026

Which English tests are accepted?

For tests taken on or after 2025-08-07, Home Affairs accepts 9 English tests taken at a secure centre: Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, LANGUAGECERT Academic, MET, OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT. C1 Advanced cannot prove vocational English, and MET cannot prove superior English.

Tests must be sat at a secure testing centre. Completely online or at-home versions are not accepted, such as IELTS Online, OET@Home, MET Digital taken at home and TOEFL iBT Home Edition. A TOEFL iBT result counts only if you chose the option 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' when registering.

Results from tests taken on or before 2025-08-06 can still be used as English evidence until 2028-08-06 inclusive, depending on the visa.

Which English level do the 189, 190, 491, 186 and 494 need?

English requirements in the Migration Regulations come in 5 levels: functional, vocational, competent, proficient and superior.

The skilled visas 189 (Points-tested stream), 190 and 491 need competent English already at the time of the invitation to apply. The employer-sponsored 186 (Temporary Residence Transition and Direct Entry streams) and 494 need competent English at the time of application, unless an exemption the Minister has set applies.

For competent English the test must have been taken in the 3 years before the application day or, if you (or your partner) were invited to apply, the invitation date. Citizens with a valid passport from Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States are treated as having competent English without a test.

Competent English: minimum scores

For tests taken on or after 2025-08-07, the minimum must be reached in each test component (listening, reading, writing and speaking), not as an overall score. Competent English by IELTS (Academic or General Training) needs at least 6 in each component.

PTE Academic needs at least 47 listening, 48 reading, 51 writing and 54 speaking. TOEFL iBT needs at least 16 listening, 16 reading, 19 writing and 19 speaking. OET needs at least 290 listening, 310 reading, 290 writing and 330 speaking on the numeric scale introduced on 2025-08-07.

The other approved tests need these minimums for competent English: CELPIP General 7 in each component; C1 Advanced 163 listening, 163 reading, 170 writing and 179 speaking; LANGUAGECERT Academic 57 listening, 60 reading, 64 writing and 70 speaking; MET 56 listening, 55 reading, 57 writing and 48 speaking.

Vocational, proficient and superior scores

The scores in this section are for tests taken on or after 2025-08-07. Vocational English needs IELTS 5 in each component, or PTE Academic 33 listening, 36 reading, 29 writing and 24 speaking.

Proficient English needs IELTS 7 in each component, or PTE Academic 58 listening, 59 reading, 69 writing and 76 speaking.

Superior English needs IELTS 8 in each component, or PTE Academic 69 listening, 70 reading, 85 writing and 88 speaking. This section does not give scores for TOEFL iBT, OET and the other tests.

Functional English: other ways to show it

Functional English can be shown by evidence the Minister's instrument specifies, or by a degree, higher degree, diploma or trade certificate that needed at least 2 years of full-time study or training taught entirely in English.

By test, functional English needs IELTS average 4.5, CELPIP 5, MET 38, LANGUAGECERT 38, OET 1020, PTE Academic 24 overall or TOEFL iBT 26 total, taken in the 12 months before the application (or on or after the application day).

The instrument also accepts schooling taught entirely in English: all years of primary education plus at least 3 years of secondary education, or at least 5 years of secondary education. At least 1 year of full-time study (or equivalent part-time) completed in Australia towards a degree, higher degree, diploma or associate diploma, taught entirely in English, also counts.

Who assesses my skills for migration?

As of 2026-03, a legislative instrument sets out a table of 504 items, each naming the assessing authority for an occupation. ACS assesses ICT occupations such as developer programmer (261312) and software engineer (261313). Engineers Australia assesses engineering occupations such as civil engineer (233211).

Trades Recognition Australia assesses trades such as carpenter (331212) and electrician (general) (341111). VETASSESS covers a very wide range of professional occupations, for example university lecturer (242111).

ACS does not require an English language test for a skills assessment, and only professional ICT work experience from age 18 onward counts.

For advice on your own case, ask a registered migration agent (MARA) or an Australian legal practitioner. Rules change, so always check the official source.