Australia Visa English Language Tests Changes: The Good & Bad News

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Applying for an Australian visa? Prospective international students and migrants planning to move to Australia will face a new English testing regime — with more choices for test-takers, but higher score demands to meet.

The Department of Home Affairs has announced the biggest shake-up in years to the English language requirements across student, graduate, and skilled migration visas. Depending on your situation, the changes could either make the process easier or significantly more challenging. The new rules came into effect on August 7, 2025.

These sweeping changes apply to a broad range of visa subclasses, including student, graduate, and skilled migration categories, and affect the types of tests accepted, benchmark scores required, the validity of test results, and more.

Below, we break down the most important changes point by point:

1. More English Tests Now Accepted For Australian Visa (The Good)

• The list of government-approved tests has grown from six to nine, giving applicants more flexibility.
  

• Australia now accepts nine different tests for visa applications.

  
  

• New additions include:

  • CELPIP General (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program)

  • LanguageCert Academic

  • Michigan English Test (MET)
    

• Longstanding options like IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET, and Cambridge C1 Advanced remain available.
  

• For most visa subclasses, results from these tests will be valid for up to three years from the test date—expanding options and flexibility for applicants.

  
  

2. Higher Score Requirements Across the Board (The Bad)

• The minimum required scores for each test have been raised across several visa types and proficiency levels.

Test	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
IELTS (Academic/General)	6	6	6	6
PTE Academic	47	48	51	54
TOEFL iBT	16	16	19	19
Cambridge C1 Advanced	163	163	170	179
OET	290	310	290	330
CELPIP General	7	7	7	7
LanguageCert Academic	57	60	64	70
MET	56	55	57	48

• Functional, Vocational, Proficient, & Superior English Levels: All have received score increases to bring them into alignment across all approved tests.
  

3. Transitional Protection if You Tested Before August 7, 2025 (The Good)

• Sat for your English test earlier this year? You can still use your old scores if they remain within validity limits.
  

• These transitional arrangements apply for up to three years, depending on visa type, meaning you might avoid a costly retest.
  

• Applicants can lodge new visa applications using these pre-August 2025 test results, so long as the test’s validity period has not expired.
  

4. Passport Exemptions Still in Place (The Good)

• Holders of passports from Australia, the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada, and New Zealand continue to be exempt from the English test requirement for most visas.
  

• However, if you want to claim migration points for Proficient or Superior English, you’ll still need a valid test result.
  

5. Test-by-Level Changes (The Mixed News)

• Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) Test is no longer accepted to meet Vocational English requirements from August 7, 2025, onward.
  

• For each level—Functional, Vocational, Competent, Proficient, Superior—there are new tables specifying accepted tests and their component score benchmarks.
  

• Single Sitting Requirement: Except for the Occupational English Test (OET), all scores must be achieved in a single sitting, not pieced together from separate sitting results.
  

6. Student Visa (Subclass 500) Applicants (The Mixed News)

• Direct-entry students now face slightly higher minimum scores:

Test	Minimum Score
IELTS Academic	6.0
PTE Academic	47
TOEFL iBT	67
OET	210
CELPIP General	7
MET	53
LanguageCert	61

• Lower scores may be acceptable for students enrolled in English language pathway programs (ELICOS), typically for those taking 10–20 weeks of instruction.
  

7. Stricter Rules on Test Validity (The Bad)

• General Skilled Migration and Most Visas: Test results are valid for three years.
  

• Student and Graduate Visas: Test results are valid for two years.
  

• Temporary Graduate Visa: Test results must be no more than 12 months old at lodgement.
  

• Online Tests Not Accepted: Tests must be completed in person at secure test centres. Online, at-home, and remote versions (CELPIP Online, IELTS Online, OET@Home, MET Digital, etc.) are not valid for visa purposes.
  

Why Changes Were Made

According to the Department of Home Affairs, the changes will achieve two things:

• ensure consistent scoring across test providers.
  

• give more flexibility and test options for visa applicants.

Action Steps for Applicants

• Check the date you sat your English test. Rules depend on whether your test was before or after August 7, 2025.
  

• Review your visa subclass, which may have specific requirements or reference general proficiency levels.
  

• Ensure your test and scores meet current requirements and that your results are still within validity periods.
  

• Book tests at approved, in-person test centres only.
  

Australia’s English test regime for visas is now more flexible, finely tuned, and future-focused. More options open the door for a wider range of applicants, but tougher score requirements mean preparation is now more critical than ever. Whether the changes work in your favour or raise fresh hurdles will depend entirely on your timing, your test choice, and your readiness. For anyone serious about making the move Down Under, the message is clear: plan ahead, choose your test wisely, and aim to exceed—not just meet—the benchmarks.