English proficiency is a ‘time of application’ criteria, which means if you don’t provide evidence of English proficiency at the time of the application, the application cannot be approved. Prepare early and check result validity before submitting the application.
Certain applicants are exempt from the formal test requirement. Passport holders from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, New Zealand, and the Republic of Ireland are generally exempt. Applicants who have completed at least five years of full-time study at a secondary level, where the curriculum was taught in English may also be eligible for an exemption.
For most applicants, competent English must be demonstrated through an approved language test. The most commonly used tests are IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, and Cambridge C1 Advanced. The minimum scores required vary slightly between tests but are broadly equivalent to a competent level of English across all four components – reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Results are valid for 3 years from the report date, regardless of what it says on the score report. For a comprehensive list of the tests and scores required, please refer to the Department’s 482 English Proficiency requirement.
For occupations that require professional registration or licensing in Australia – nursing and teaching being common examples – the English proficiency requirements of the relevant registration body may be higher than the visa requirement. In those cases, the higher standard applies effectively, and applicants should plan their test preparation accordingly.
FAQs
Are higher income earner exempt from the English proficiency requirement?
It used to be the case that high income earners are exempt; however, only those who has been transferred from an overseas business to work for their associated entities in Australia, and their guaranteed earnings are no less than $96,400 p.a..