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August 7, 2025
You may find the immigration process in Australia full of details and steps you were not expecting. English ability sits at the core of many visa types. It helps to know exactly what is expected before you begin. The Department of Home Affairs keep changing English Language criteria for Australia from time to time. The aim is to support people as they build their place within local workforces and communities. Each update can influence your visa application in direct and practical ways.
This blog walks you through what has been updated in English testing and how the new rules affect the visa path as of August 2025. It gives you a clearer view of the process ahead. With this insight, you prepare your documents with more care and better timing. Ehelp Consultants remains available to guide you with advice that suits your situation.
The Australian government requires English language skills for certain visa applications. This allows better control over immigration outcomes. It also helps you take part in life across Australian society without extra barriers. The Department of Home Affairs accepts results from specific approved English tests. You need to attend a secure test centre to complete these. Tests taken online/from home will not count for your visa application. Hold on to that point because it is crucial.
Australian immigration rules changed on August 7, 2025. These updates affect English test options for visa applicants. They also outline the scores you now need at each skill level. Introduced these changes to stay aligned with current policy direction.
Since August 7, 2025, you have more options for English testing. Officials have now included three extra tests. If you are applying now, you can choose from this updated list. These additions give you different ways to show you meet the English requirements. The newly accepted tests are:
If your English test was taken on or after August 7, 2025, there is one important rule to keep in mind. They will only accept results from exams completed at an authorised test centre. That means no remote testing. No exceptions to that part.
Now when it comes to the list of approved exams, it is still fairly extensive. You can submit your score from any of the tests below as long as it meets current policy.
You will need to make sure your test date and format fit what is officially recognised. If you used an older version or did it online, the Department will not count it. You can double-check all of this in the full guidelines.
There have been changes in the scores for ones that already existed. They applied these updates across several levels of language skill.
The official tables from the Department are your best source. You need to check them and match your visa type with the right exam result. Everything you need for each level is shown later in this guide.
On August 7, 2025, the OET changed the way it reports scores. This exam is made for health professionals. It used to give results with a letter grade. That is no longer the case. The format now shows numbers instead. Reports do not show an overall score. If you want that, you need to reach out to OET and ask them directly.
The current PTE Academic test you see now is not the same as it was before. It still has the same name, but the format and scoring are different from earlier ones. The Department added rules based on test dates.
In general, most English test scores stay good for 3 years. If you are trying to show Functional English, then that test must be within 12 months before you apply for the visa. If your test was done before August 7, 2025, the scores could still work for up to 3 years. That really depends on what visa you are applying for. Any test taken on or before August 6, 2025, can count toward proof of English skill until August 6, 2028. Each visa type has its own timeframe. You need to match your score date with the exact one used for your application.
Read on: IELTS Score for Australia Student Visa – Guide for International Students
If you plan to submit an English test for your visa, you need to be careful about how you take that test. They will not allow any version that is completed online at home. These are usually known as remote-proctored formats. They do not meet the current requirements.
Here are examples of test types that cannot be used for your application.
Some recent changes now apply to Student visas under subclass 500 and Temporary Graduate visas under subclass 485. These are relevant if your application was lodged on or after March 23, 2024. The Australian Government included these shifts as part of its updated Migration Strategy. You will find full details listed on the Study Australia website.
If you are applying for a standard Student visa, you will now need a higher test score. The previous minimum of IELTS 5.5 has been raised to 6.0 or equivalent. If you are taking ELICOS before your main course, you must now meet at least IELTS 5.0 or its matching score. Students moving into accepted foundation or pathway programs that include English must now show a result equal to IELTS 5.5.
The minimum score is now higher. What used to be IELTS 6.0 has been raised to 6.5 or an equal result. To move forward, you must score at least 5.5 in each part of the test. The result has to be from a test taken within one year before you apply. If you hold a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport, you are not affected by this change. For you, the requirement stays at IELTS 6.0 or its match. You must still get no less than 5.0 in every section.
If you are hoping to apply as a skilled migrant, there are specific English standards you need to meet. These depend on which subclass you are applying for. The level of English you hold also changes the number of points you can claim in the General Skilled Migration test.
In some cases, if you hold citizenship from a recognised English-speaking country, you may not need to show proof of Competent English. Even so, a test will usually be needed if you plan to claim points for Proficient or Superior English. For Skilled Regional visa subclass 491, you need to show Competent English. For Skilled Regional visa subclass 887, you must show Functional English.
Learn More: Top 5 Entrance Exams to Study Abroad for Indian Students
The Department has outlined five levels of English skill. These are Functional, Vocational, Competent, Proficient, and Superior. Each one means a different score across the set of approved tests. You need to understand what each level requires before you apply. In most cases, your test result stays valid for up to three years. When proving Functional English, the test must be taken within twelve months before your application. For exact test names and required results, there is a full table listed on the Department’s official site.
To show Functional English, you need to hit the required minimum scores on one of the approved tests. The test must be taken within twelve months before your visa application.
| Test | Before August 7, 2025 (Overall Score) | On or after August 7, 2025 (Overall Score) |
| IELTS Academic / General Training | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| PTE Academic | 30 | 24 |
| TOEFL iBT | 32 | 26 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 147 (tests before 12 Feb 2024 or paper-based 12 Feb 2024 – 6 Aug 2025) | Not Accepted |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic Test | Not Accepted | 38 |
| Michigan English Test (MET) | Not Accepted | 38 |
| CELPIP General | Not Accepted | 5 |
| OET | At least Grade B in all sections | 1020 |
To meet the Vocational English level, your test result must also meet the official score and be from within three years before applying. This gives you five points on the General Skilled Migration test. You can prove this level if you hold citizenship and a valid passport from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland. A British National Overseas passport will not meet this rule.
| Test | Before August 7, 2025 (Minimum Score in Each Component) | On or after August 7, 2025 (Minimum Score in Each Component) |
| IELTS Academic / General Training | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| PTE Academic | 36 | 36 |
| TOEFL iBT | 4 (Listening/Reading), 14 (Writing/Speaking) | Listening & Reading 4, Writing & Speaking 14 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 154 | Not Accepted |
| OET | B | At least B grade |
| CELPIP General | Not Accepted | 5 (listening), 5 (reading), 5 (writing), 5 (speaking) |
| Michigan English Test (MET) | Not Accepted | 49 (listening), 47 (reading), 45 (writing), 38 (speaking) |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic Test | Not Accepted | 41 (listening), 44 (reading), 45 (writing), 54 (speaking) |
For Competent English, the same three-year window applies. The score requirements are fixed, and this is needed for many of the skilled visa types. It does not add any points to your GSM score. You can still prove this if you are a citizen of and hold a passport from one of the countries mentioned above. British National Overseas passports do not meet the requirement here either.
| Test | Before August 7, 2025 (Minimum Score in Each Component) | On or after August 7, 2025 (Minimum Score in Each Component) |
| IELTS Academic / General Training | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| PTE Academic | 50 | Listening 47, Reading 48, Writing 51, Speaking 54 |
| TOEFL iBT | Listening 12, Reading 13, Writing 21, Speaking 18 | Listening 16, Reading 16, Writing 19, Speaking 19 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 169 | Listening 163, Reading 163, Writing 170, Speaking 179 |
| OET | B | B |
| CELPIP General | Not Accepted | 7 (listening), 7 (reading), 7 (writing), 7 (speaking) |
| Michigan English Test (MET) | Not Accepted | Listening 56, Reading 55, Writing 57, Speaking 48 |
| LANGUACERT Academic Test | Not Accepted | Listening 57, Reading 60, Writing 64, Speaking 70 |
Reaching Proficient English means scoring at a higher level on an accepted exam. Your result must be from within the last three years. If you meet this level, you can claim ten points toward the GSM test.
| Test | Before August 7, 2025 (Minimum Score in Each Component) | On or after August 7, 2025 (Minimum Score in Each Component) |
| IELTS Academic / General Training | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| PTE Academic | 65 | Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 69, Speaking 76 |
| TOEFL iBT | Listening 24, Reading 24, Writing 27, Speaking 23 | Listening 22, Reading 22, Writing 26, Speaking 24 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 185 | Listening 175, Reading 179, Writing 193, Speaking 194 |
| OET | B | B |
| CELPIP General | Not Accepted | Listening 9, Reading 8, Writing 10, Speaking 8 |
| Michigan English Test (MET) | Not Accepted | Listening 61, Reading 63, Writing 74, Speaking 59 |
| LANGUACERT Academic Test | Not Accepted | Listening 67, Reading 71, Writing 78, Speaking 82 |
Some exams are eligible for retake options on select visas. You will need to check the visa-specific details to see if this can apply to you.
To prove Superior English, you need to reach the top scores based on the approved exam description. Your test must again fall within the three-year rule. This level adds twenty points to your total in the GSM system.
| Test | Before August 7, 2025 (Minimum Score in Each Component) | On or after August 7, 2025 (Minimum Score in Each Component) |
| IELTS Academic / General Training | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| PTE Academic | 79 | Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85, Speaking 88 |
| TOEFL iBT | Listening 28, Reading 29, Writing 30, Speaking 26 | Listening 26, Reading 27, Writing 30, Speaking 28 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 200 | Listening 186, Reading 190, Writing 210, Speaking 208 |
| OET | A | A |
| CELPIP General | Not Accepted | Listening 10, Reading 10, Writing 12, Speaking 10 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic Test | Not Accepted | Listening 80, Reading 83, Writing 89, Speaking 89 |
You can find test-by-test information for IELTS One Skill Retake, MET Single Section Retake, OET, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT and Cambridge C1 Advanced on the official pages linked in the source documents.
Ehelp Consultants focuses on Australian visa support. You receive clear help with English testing standards across different visa programs. Their advisors follow the latest updates from the Department of Home Affairs. They work with you to explain which English rules match your visa type. You are guided on choosing the right test, also get tools to help you reach the score you need. You can reach out to Ehelp Consultants for tailored support that fits your plans for moving to Australia.
Contact Ehelp Consultants now to go over your visa goals. Their expert team is prepared to guide you with care and purpose.
Important Note
This information reflects the position as of August 7, 2025. Immigration rules can shift. Always check the official Department of Home Affairs website. Speak to a registered migration agent if you want personal advice for your visa application.
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