To prove you have functional English, show us evidence of
one of the following:
- You are a citizen of and holder of a valid passport issued by Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or the United States of America. British National (Overseas) passports are not acceptable as evidence of functional English.
- You completed a degree, a higher degree, a diploma or a trade certificate in an institution in or outside Australia that required at least 2 years of full-time study or training and all instructions were in English.
- You completed education at the institutions for the study times set out at
Table 1.
- You achieved one of the test scores in
Table 2 or
Table 3 in the 12 months before your visa application.
Table 1 Functional English education institutions and study time
| Educational institutions | Study time |
|---|
| A primary school and secondary school, in or outside Australia, where all instruction was in English | All years of primary and at least 3 years of secondary education |
| A secondary school, in or outside Australia, where all instruction was in English | At least 5 years of secondary education |
An institution in Australia, where all instruction was in English, towards one of the following awards:
- a degree
- a higher degree
- a diploma
- an associate diploma.
| - At least 1 year of full-time study towards an award, or
- The part-time equivalent of 1 year of full-time study towards an award
|
Table 3 - Functional English approved tests taken on or before
6 August 2025*In the 12 months before you applied for the visa, you scored one of the following:
| Test | Scores
|
|---|
Cambridge C1 Advanced Test (C1 Advanced)
Previously known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
From
12 February 2024 to
6 August 2025, the department will only accept results from the Cambridge C1 Advanced paper-based test.
The department will still accept tests taken before
12 February 2024 and within specified validity periods, for C1 Advanced paper-based and computer-based tests. | A total band score of at least
147 |
International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic or General Training)
From
14 December 2022, the department accepts IELTS test results that include One Skill Retake (OSR) for eligible visas. To find out if you are eligible, check the relevant
visa page. | An average band score of at least
4.5 |
Pearsson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)
PTE Academic has the same name as the test available from
7 August 2025, however, the test and scores are different. | A total band score of at least
30 |
Test of English as a Foreign Langugage internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT)
From
26 July 2023 to
4 May 2024, the TOEFL iBT test was not approved for Australian visa purposes. | A total band score of at least
32 |
*You can use a test taken on or before 6 August 2025 as evidence of English proficiency for visa purposes until
6 August 2026, inclusive. This will depend on the visa. Some visas will allow you to submit other forms of evidence. To find out, check the relevant
visa pages.
Online test restrictions
The department does
not accept evidence from English language tests that are delivered completely online (also known as ‘remote-proctored’ or ‘at-home’).
Examples of online tests that we
do not accept for Australian visa purposes include:
- IELTS Online
- LANGUAGECERT Academic Online
- OET@Home
- CELPIP Online
- MET Digital (taken at-home)
- TOEFL iBT - Home Edition
