Australian Migration legislation prescribes the following five levels of English proficiency:
Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482): Approved Tests and Scores
For the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), the Migration (English Language Test Requirements for Subclass 482 Visas) Instrument 2025 (LIN 25/082), in force from 13 September 2025, approves eight tests.
The Legislative Instruments
The approved language tests, and the minimum test scores, are specified by legislative instruments made under the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth). From 7 August 2025 the instruments are:
- Migration (Evidence of Functional English Language Proficiency) Instrument 2025 (LIN 25/014), which sets the evidence of Functional English. It replaced IMMI 15/004.
- Migration (Specification of Language Tests, Test Scores and Passports) Instrument 2025 (LIN 25/016), which sets the tests, scores and passports for Vocational, Competent, Proficient and Superior English. It replaced IMMI 15/005.
- Migration (English Language Test Requirements for Subclass 482 Visas) Instrument 2025 (LIN 25/082), in force from 13 September 2025, which sets the tests and scores for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). It is set out further down this page.
The Specified Language Tests
Nine tests are specified. Not every test is accepted at every level: the Cambridge C1 Advanced Test is not accepted for Functional or Vocational English, and the Michigan English Test is not accepted for Superior English.
- The IELTS Academic Test (IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS, and Cambridge University Press & Assessment)
- The IELTS General Training Test
- The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)
- The Occupational English Test (OET)
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT)
- The Cambridge C1 Advanced Test, formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
- The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program General Test (CELPIP General)
- The LANGUAGECERT Academic Test
- The Michigan English Test (MET)
In the tables below, the minimum specified test scores are displayed for each level of English proficiency. For Vocational, Competent, Proficient and Superior English you must achieve at least the minimum score in every test component: listening, reading, writing and speaking. For Functional English, an overall, average or total score applies.
Functional English
| Test | Minimum score required |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | An average band score of at least 4.5 |
| IELTS General Training | An average band score of at least 4.5 |
| PTE Academic | An overall band score of at least 24 |
| OET | An overall band score of at least 1020 |
| TOEFL iBT | A total band score of at least 26 |
| CELPIP General | An overall band score of at least 5 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | An overall band score of at least 38 |
| MET | An overall band score of at least 38 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | Not accepted for Functional English |
For Functional English the test must have been taken in the 12 months before the application is made, or after it is made. The instrument also accepts, without a test: a valid passport of Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States; completion of primary education and at least three years of secondary education, or at least five years of secondary education, all conducted in English; or at least one year of full-time (or equivalent part-time) study in Australia towards a degree, higher degree, diploma or associate diploma.
Vocational English
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| IELTS General Training | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| PTE Academic | 33 | 36 | 29 | 24 |
| OET | 220 | 240 | 200 | 270 |
| TOEFL iBT | 8 | 8 | 9 | 14 |
| CELPIP General | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 41 | 44 | 45 | 54 |
| MET | 49 | 47 | 45 | 38 |
The Cambridge C1 Advanced Test is not accepted as evidence of Vocational English.
Competent English
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| IELTS General Training | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| PTE Academic | 47 | 48 | 51 | 54 |
| OET | 290 | 310 | 290 | 330 |
| TOEFL iBT | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 163 | 163 | 170 | 179 |
| CELPIP General | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 57 | 60 | 64 | 70 |
| MET | 56 | 55 | 57 | 48 |
Proficient English
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| IELTS General Training | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| PTE Academic | 58 | 59 | 69 | 76 |
| OET | 350 | 360 | 380 | 360 |
| TOEFL iBT | 22 | 22 | 26 | 24 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 175 | 179 | 193 | 194 |
| CELPIP General | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 67 | 71 | 78 | 82 |
| MET | 61 | 63 | 74 | 59 |
Superior English
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| IELTS General Training | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| PTE Academic | 69 | 70 | 85 | 88 |
| OET | 390 | 400 | 420 | 400 |
| TOEFL iBT | 26 | 27 | 30 | 28 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 186 | 190 | 210 | 208 |
| CELPIP General | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 80 | 83 | 89 | 89 |
The Michigan English Test (MET) is not accepted as evidence of Superior English.
Passports Accepted as Evidence
For Vocational, Competent, Proficient and Superior English, LIN 25/016 also specifies that a valid passport of one of the following countries is evidence in itself, where the criteria for the visa allow it: Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America.
How Long a Test Result Lasts
- Vocational, Competent, Proficient and Superior English: the test must have been taken in the three years before the visa application is made.
- Functional English: the test must have been taken in the 12 months before the application is made, or after it is made.
- Transition: the Department of Home Affairs advises that results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 (under the previous instruments) remain usable until 6 August 2028, depending on the visa.
Re-sitting a Single Component
From 7 August 2025 the Department of Home Affairs accepts the IELTS One Skill Retake (for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training) and the Michigan English Test Single Section Retake. A single component may be re-sat on a later day and combined with the original sitting. For the subclass 482, the re-sit rule is written into its own instrument, set out below.
Online Test Restrictions
The Department of Home Affairs accepts only tests taken at a secure test centre. It does not accept evidence from English language tests that are delivered completely online (also known as ‘remote-proctored’ or ‘at-home’ tests). Examples of online tests that are not accepted for Australian visa purposes include:
- CELPIP Online
- IELTS Online
- LANGUAGECERT Academic Online
- MET Digital (taken at home)
- OET@Home
- TOEFL iBT Home Edition
You should research which test option suits your individual situation best. If you are not certain which level of English proficiency you are required to prove, engage the services of an Australian Registered Migration Agent and ask them to confirm it with you before you book a test.
Skills in Demand Visa (Subclass 482): Approved Tests and Scores
For the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), the Migration (English Language Test Requirements for Subclass 482 Visas) Instrument 2025 (LIN 25/082), in force from 13 September 2025, approves eight tests. The applicant must achieve the minimum score in every test component; there is no overall score requirement. The Cambridge C1 Advanced Test is not an approved test for the subclass 482. The instrument does not cover the Labour Agreement stream, whose English requirement is set by the labour agreement.
| Test | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CELPIP General | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| IELTS Academic | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| IELTS General Training | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 41 | 44 | 45 | 54 |
| MET | 49 | 47 | 45 | 38 |
| OET | 220 | 240 | 200 | 270 |
| PTE Academic | 33 | 36 | 29 | 24 |
| TOEFL iBT | 8 | 8 | 9 | 14 |
A single test component may be re-sat on a later day and combined with the original sitting, and the test day must be no more than three years before the day the evidence is provided.
The instrument exempts an applicant who: holds a valid passport of Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States; has completed at least five years of full-time study in a secondary or higher education institution where the instruction was delivered in English; holds a licence, registration or membership that required demonstrated English proficiency for the nominated occupation; is an intra-corporate transferee whose annual earnings will be at least AUD 96,400; or is nominated to work in a diplomatic or consular mission, or a Taiwan office, in Australia.
English Language Requirements for Visas
The five levels of English proficiency above, and the specified tests and test scores that evidence them, apply where the criteria for a visa prescribe a level of English proficiency, such as Competent English or Functional English.
Different visa classes and subclasses can also have their own English language criteria, set by their own legislative instruments, with their own approved tests and their own minimum scores. These can differ from the tests and scores shown above, and they change from time to time. The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) is the example set out on this page.
Before you book a test, you should confirm the exact English language requirement for the specific visa subclass and stream you are applying for, including which tests are accepted, the scores required, and whether an exemption applies to you. Booking the wrong test, or the right test with the wrong scores, costs both money and time. If you are not certain which requirement applies to you, engage the services of an Australian Registered Migration Agent and ask them to confirm it with you before you book a test.
General information is provided on this page. Please note that information, rules, criteria and requirements change frequently; the information provided is current as at 9 September 2026.