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Functional English
You must provide evidence that you meet the functional English requirement unless you satisfy one of the exemptions below.
You meet the functional English requirement if you:
- Hold a valid passport issued by one of the following countries:
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Republic of Ireland
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- United States of America.
- Have completed a degree, higher degree, diploma or trade certificate at an institution in or outside Australia that required at least two years of full-time study or training, and all instruction was in English.
- Have completed education where all instruction was in English, as follows:
| Educational institution | Study requirement |
|---|---|
| Primary school and secondary school (in or outside Australia) | All years of primary education and at least 3 years of secondary education |
| Secondary school (in or outside Australia) | At least 5 years of secondary education |
| Institution in Australia where all instruction was in English towards a degree, higher degree, diploma or associate diploma | At least 1 year of full-time study towards an award, or the part-time equivalent |
If you rely on education completed in English, you may need to provide evidence from the relevant educational institution confirming the course, duration and that all instruction was in English.
Approved English tests
If you do not meet one of the exemptions above, you must provide evidence of functional English through an approved English language test.
For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the Department accepts the following tests:
| Test | Minimum score |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training | Average band score of at least 4.5 |
| PTE Academic | Overall score of at least 24 |
| TOEFL iBT | Total score of at least 26 |
| CELPIP General | Overall score of at least 5 |
| Michigan English Test (MET) | Overall score of at least 38 |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | Overall score of at least 1020 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | Overall score of at least 38 |
The Department does not accept English tests completed entirely online or remotely proctored, including tests such as IELTS Online, OET@Home and TOEFL iBT Home Edition.
Test validity
Test results must have been obtained within 12 months before the visa application.