IELTS score requirements for Australia: visas, study and registration

Australia uses named English levels rather than one IELTS score for every visa. Each visa says which level you need, and Home Affairs publishes the test scores that count as evidence for each level. This guide sets out the IELTS figures as published by the Department of Home Affairs in October 2026. Rules change, so always confirm on the Home Affairs English language page before you apply.

The five English levels

Note the wording "in each". An overall 7.0 with 6.5 in Writing is Competent English, not Proficient.

Skilled migration and points

For points-tested skilled visas, Competent English is usually the minimum. Higher levels earn points: Proficient English adds 10 points and Superior English adds 20 points. For many applicants, getting from 6 to 7 in each component is worth more than any other single change they can make to their points score.

Student visa (subclass 500)

The usual IELTS requirement for a Student visa is an overall band of 6.0. A lower score can be accepted if you combine it with an English course (ELICOS) before your main course: commonly 5.5 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, or 5.0 with at least 20 weeks. Your education provider will often ask for more than the visa minimum. Many universities want 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, and some courses ask for 7.0.

Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)

The 485 visa requires IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. The test must have been taken within the year before you apply, so a result from your first year of study will usually be too old.

Professional registration

Registration bodies set their own standards, which are often higher than the visa rules and usually require IELTS Academic. Medicine, pharmacy and teaching, for example, typically ask for 7.0 or more in each component. Nursing and midwifery ask for 7 overall and in Listening, Reading and Speaking, with 6.5 in Writing; see IELTS scores for nurses. Check the body's current English language standard before you book.

What changed on 7 August 2025

Home Affairs updated the list of approved English tests and the scores for each test on 7 August 2025. For IELTS, the band requirements for each English level stayed the same. The main changes were elsewhere: new tests were added, the score equivalents for other tests were reset, and results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 remain usable only until 6 August 2028, depending on the visa.

Two rules apply to every test:

• The test must be taken at a secure test centre. IELTS Online, taken at home, is not accepted for Australian visas.
• One Skill Retake counts. Home Affairs accepts IELTS results that include a One Skill Retake for eligible visas. See our One Skill Retake guide.

How long results last

IELTS results are generally valid for visa purposes for up to three years, but each visa sets its own window. The Student visa looks at tests from the last two years, and the 485 at the last year. Check the visa you are applying for.

Turning a target into a plan

Write your target as four numbers, not one. "Proficient English" means 7, 7, 7, 7. Then sit a timed practice test and compare. Most people find one or two components are already there and one is clearly short, usually Writing. That is where your study time should go.