Student Visa English Language Requirements

The applicants can satisfy the english language requirements for Australian student visa in one of following ways:

Student Visa English Requirements

English Requirement for Australia Student Visa

If required, applicants seeking to meet the primary criteria for grant of a student visa must provide evidence of English Requirement for Student Visa 500 as follows:

Minimum IELTS Score for Australia Student Visa

The minimum requirement for IELTS for Australia Student visa is as follows:

• Overall band score 5.5; or
• Overall band score 5 if packaged with at least 10 weeks’ ELICOS; or
• Overall band score of 4.5 if packaged with at least 20 weeks’ ELICOS.

However the minimum IELTS required for Australia Student Visa will be higher for some courses such as Health and Law courses.

Test of English as a Foreign Language internet Based Test (TOEFL iBT)

• 46; or
• 35, if packaged with at least 10 weeks’ ELICOS; or
• 32, if packaged with at least 20 weeks’ ELICOS. 

Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) Test (Certificate in Advanced English) 

• 162; or
• 154, if packaged with at least 10 weeks’ ELICOS; or
• 147, if packaged with at least 20 weeks’ ELICOS. 

PTE Requirement for Australia Student Visa

The minimum PTE score for Australia student visa is as follows:

• 42; or
• 36, if packaged with at least 10 weeks’ ELICOS; or
• 30, if packaged with at least 20 weeks’ ELICOS.

Occupational English Test (OET) 

A score of at least B for each test component of the OET.

The maximum time periods in which an English test must be taken is either two years before the application is lodged or two years before a decision is made on the application.

Applicants Exempt from Providing Australia Student Visa English Requirements

The following applicants are exempt from providing evidence of English language. If a student visa applicant falls under an exempt category they cannot be required to undertake an English language test, regardless of whether they fall under streamlined or regular evidentiary requirements.

(a) an applicant who is a citizen of, and who holds a valid passport issued by:

• the United Kingdom;
• the United States of America;
• Canada;
• New Zealand; or
• the Republic of Ireland;

will be exempt from english language requirements for Australian student visa; or 

(b) an applicant who is enrolled in a principal course of study that is:

• registered to be delivered in a language other than English;
• a registered ELICOS course;
• a registered school course; or
• a registered post-graduate research course;

will be exempt from english language requirements for Australian student visa; or

(c) an applicant who is a:

• Foreign Affairs student;
• Defence Student; or
• Secondary exchange student;

will be exempt from english language requirements for Australian student visa; or

(d) an applicant, who, in the 2 years before applying for a Subclass 500 (Student) visa, has successfully completed:

• the requirements for a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education, in a course that was conducted in Australia and in English; or
• a substantial component of a course leading to a qualification from the Australian Qualifications Framework at the Certificate IV level or higher that was conducted in Australia and in English, while the applicant was holding a student visa;

will be exempt from english test for Australian student visa; or

(e) an applicant who has successfully completed a minimum of 5 years of study in English undertaken in one or more of the following countries:

• Australia;
• Canada;
• New Zealand;
• South Africa;
• the Republic of Ireland;
• the United Kingdom;
• the United States of America.

Non-exempt applicants with regular evidentiary requirements are required to provide evidence of achieving the minimum relevant score with a test provider specified. Applicants identified as having regular evidentiary requirements at lodgement, will be required to provide evidence of English language proficiency. Applicants who do not provide evidence of meeting this requirement can be refused a visa, although the processing officer may choose to request the required documents from the applicant.

Applicants with streamlined evidentiary requirements do not need to satisfy the English language requirements unless the decision maker invokes this requirement and requests the applicant to provide evidence.

Requesting formal evidence of English language proficiency from streamlined students should be the exception and should only be undertaken in limited circumstances. Three circumstances in which officers may consider requesting evidence are:

• specific intelligence exists which raises concerns about the student’s English language proficiency.
• during an interview with the Department of Home Affairs the student is not able to understand basic questions or provide basic information in English.
• the applicant has indicated on their application form that they have English test results lower than the specified levels.

If the decision maker requests evidence of English language proficiency from students who are subject to streamlined evidentiary requirements, the English language test must be taken within the time period specified by the decision maker after the evidence is requested. Sufficient time must be allowed for the student to book and sit for a specified English language test, if required. Some students may be in a position to more readily provide the decision maker with evidence of English language proficiency, especially if the test scores were required by the education provider as part of the course enrollment process.

Assessing Completion of Previous Studies for English Language Exemption

Successful Completion of a Substantial Component of a Course in Australia

Students can also apply for Australia Student Visa without IELTS if they have completed a substantial component of a course in Australia. To determine whether an applicant has, at time of application, successfully completed a ‘substantial component’ of the course, decision makers should make a qualitative assessment of the course and the requirements for completing it. They should then consider whether the study the applicant has already undertaken corresponds to a ‘substantial component’ of that course. 

Officers must not use fixed mathematical formulas to determine what equates to a ‘substantial component’ of a course. For example, they should not consider that a substantial component of a course has been completed merely because the applicant has completed 50% of the course duration (for example, 1 year out of a 2 year course).

Two examples of where, a student might be taken to have successfully completed a substantial component of their course could be:

• they have completed a Certificate III qualification that was packaged with a corresponding Certificate IV qualification, and the Certificate III significantly contributes as credited learning towards the completion of the Certificate IV.
• the first two years of a three year course contain most of the assessments that must be completed before progressing to the final year, and the applicant has successfully completed those assessments.

An example of where a student might not be taken to have completed a substantial component of their course could be:

• the applicant has completed the first two years of a three year course but the first two years comprised mainly preparation for work experience in their final year, which is the only component of the course that will be graded.

This requirement makes students eligible to apply without IELTS Student Visa in Australia.

Nested Qualifications

Some providers offer study programs that include one or more “nested” qualifications in the one course (that is, where completion of stages within a course may lead to eligibility for one or more AQF qualifications). An example would be students undertaking a two-year masters program may be eligible for a graduate diploma on completion of the first year of study.

Nested Qualifications may be taken into consideration when deciding whether an applicant meets the ‘substantial component’ requirement. To meet the requirement on this basis, students must provide evidence from their education provider to support their claim as to the course structure and their eligibility for a nested qualification.

Credits for Previous Study

If the previous study has been undertaken in Australia in a CRICOS registered course taught in English, those credits can be taken into account when determining whether the applicant has successfully completed a substantial component of their course in Australia in English. Not acceptable for this purpose are:

• courses undertaken outside Australia
• non-registered courses
• courses taught in a language other than English.

Duration

The duration of study does not in itself establish successful completion of a substantial component of the course. Only subjects that have been passed can be considered to be successfully completed. Similarly, if a student has been studying for longer than the normal duration, this does not need to be taken into account.

IELTS Validity for Australian Student Visa

IELTS score is valid for two years from the date of test.

English Test Results Comparison Table

IELTS band requirements 2024 for Bachelor's and Master's Degree

The minimum IELTS band requirement for admission into Bachelor's degree is 6.0 each. However if your chosen stream of study is Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Law, Medicine or Veterinary Science then most universities will require minimum 7.0 each band in IELTS.

The minimum IELTS band requirement for admission into Master's degree is 6.5 each. However if your chosen stream of study is Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Law, Medicine or Veterinary Science then most universities will require minimum 7.0 each band in IELTS.

PTE score requirements 2024 for Bachelor's and Master's Degree

The minimum PTE score requirement for admission into Bachelor's degree is 50 each. However if your chosen stream of study is Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Law, Medicine or Veterinary Science then most universities will require minimum 69 each band in IELTS.

The minimum PTE score requirement for admission into Master's degree is 58 each. However if your chosen stream of study is Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Law, Medicine or Veterinary Science then most universities will require minimum 69 each band in IELTS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which English test is required for Australian Student Visa?

You can satisfy English requirement for Australian student visa with any one of the following tests: IELTS Academic, PTE Academic, TOEFL, CAE or OET.

Is PTE valid for Australia Student Visa?

Yes, PTE Academic is valid test for Australian student visa.

Is TOEFL accepted for Australia Student Visa?

TOEFL test is an acceptable form of English language evidence for Australian student visa.

How many PTE score required for Australia Student Visa?

You will need a minimum score of 42 in PTE Academic for Australian student visa. However for Bachelor's degree this requirement is 50 and for Master's Degree minimum PTE score required is 58. Some courses such as Nursing, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy and Law may require a score of 65 or higher.

Which IELTS is required for Australian Student visa?

IELTS General is accepted for Australian student visa. However Australian institutions may require IELTS Academic for admission purposes.

Can I get Australian student visa without IELTS?

Yes, you can get Australian student visa without IELTS if you are a passport holder of USA, UK, Canada, Republic of Ireland or New Zealand. You can also be exempted from providing IELTS if you are enrolled into: a registered ELICOS course, or a school program, or a post graduate research course.

Is general IELTS valid for Student Visa?

No, General IELTS is not valid for student visa.

Can I apply for Australian Student visa without IELTS?

Yes, you can apply for Australian student visa without IELTS as English requirement is a time of decision criteria. However you must submit the valid English test result as soon as possible.

What is minimum TOEFL score for Australia Student Visa?

The minimum TOEFL score required for Australia student visa is 46.

What is minimum IELTS score for Australia Student Visa?

The minimum IELTS score required for Australia student visa is 5.5.

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Disclaimer: ‘Atlantis International Pty Ltd’ and its associates are independent consulting entities which are not associated in anyway with the Australian ‘Department of Home Affairs’ (DOHA). Information on this website does not constitute personal migration advice. For a customized migration advice based on your personal circumstances, please call and talk to one of our Immigration Consultants or register your interest with our Associates.