The Department of Home Affairs accepts PTE Academic 47 or IELTS 6.0 for a student visa (subclass 500) when the main course stands alone. That is the score for a test taken on or after 7 August 2025.1 With an English course (ELICOS) of at least 10 weeks first, PTE Academic 39 or IELTS 5.5 counts; with at least 20 weeks, PTE Academic 31 or IELTS 5.0.1 The course itself can set a higher score than the visa, and nursing does. The scores for every accepted test, who needs no test, and the two ways a lower score still works are below.
What English score does the student visa require?
The Department of Home Affairs requires evidence of English from most student visa applicants, and it sets the scores.1 There are three levels. The level depends on what is studied before the main course:
- The main course alone: PTE Academic 47, IELTS Academic or General Training 6.0, or TOEFL iBT 67.1
- With at least 10 weeks of ELICOS first (or a foundation program or an eligible pathway program): PTE Academic 39, IELTS 5.5, or TOEFL iBT 51.1
- With at least 20 weeks of ELICOS first: PTE Academic 31, IELTS 5.0, or TOEFL iBT 37.1
English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) is the name for an English course at a registered college. It sits before the main course on the same visa, with a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for each course.2
The scores above are for a test taken on or after 7 August 2025. A test taken on or before 6 August 2025 keeps the older scores: IELTS 6.0 / 5.5 / 5.0 and PTE Academic 50 / 42 / 36.1 The Department of Home Affairs requires the test to fall within the 2 years before the visa application.2
Which English tests does the Department of Home Affairs accept?
The Department of Home Affairs accepts nine tests, and publishes the scores on its Student visa page.12
| Test | Main course alone | With at least 10 weeks of ELICOS | With at least 20 weeks of ELICOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| PTE Academic | 47 | 39 | 31 |
| IELTS Academic | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| IELTS General Training | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | 67 | 51 | 37 |
| C1 Advanced | 161 | Not accepted | Not accepted |
| CELPIP General | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| LanguageCert Academic | 61 | 54 | 46 |
| MET | 53 | 49 | 44 |
| OET | 1210 | 1090 | 1020 |
Source: LIN 25/090, Schedule 1, for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025; Department of Home Affairs, Student visa (subclass 500) page. Read 2 November 2026.
Two rules sit beside the table:
- The Department of Home Affairs does not accept a fully online or at-home test, such as IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition or OET@Home.2
- The lower scores with an English course do not apply to C1 Advanced.1
Who does not need an English test for the student visa?
The Department of Home Affairs lists who needs no test. The main groups:1
- A citizen holding a passport of Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States.
- A student enrolled only in an English course (ELICOS), a registered school course, or a registered postgraduate research course.
- A student who completed a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education in Australia, in English, in the 2 years before applying.
- A student who completed a substantial part of a Certificate IV or higher course in Australia, in English, on a student visa, in the 2 years before applying.
- A student with at least 5 years of study in English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States.
The exemption covers the visa only. The college can still ask for a test before it issues the CoE.
What can you do if your English score is lower?
A score under PTE Academic 47 or IELTS 6.0 still has two routes to a student visa: an English course before the main course, packaged on one visa, or a second sitting of the test. The Study English page explains the first route.
- Sit the test at a test centrePTE Academic or IELTS. The result counts for the visa for 2 years from the test date.
- Read the score against the three levelsPTE Academic 47 or IELTS 6.0 needs no English course. PTE 39 or IELTS 5.5 needs at least 10 weeks of ELICOS. PTE 31 or IELTS 5.0 needs at least 20 weeks.
- The college packages the English course with the main courseThe college issues a CoE for the English course and a CoE for the main course. Both go on one student visa.
- The main course sets the English evidenceIn a package applied for from outside Australia, the last course is the main course. It sets the English and funds evidence for the whole visa.
- One visa application, charged by the passportAUD $2,500 for most passports; AUD $2,050 for ten Southeast Asian passports; AUD $745 for Pacific Island and Timor-Leste passports. The AUD $2,050 rate for an English course alone applies only when the ELICOS is the whole enrolment, not to a package.
Sources: LIN 25/090, Schedule 1; Department of Home Affairs, Student visa (subclass 500) page; Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1, item 1222(2) and (5A), Compilation No. 289. Read 2 November 2026.
The second route is a second sitting. Studyaway gives students a PTE Academic study guide. The Department of Home Affairs accepts any approved test taken within the 2 years before the application.2
The Eligibility Checker asks for your test and score and reads it against these rules. The English line of the result says which score to reach, PTE Academic first, and when an English course first lets a lower score count.
Does the course ask for a higher English score than the visa?
Often, yes. The visa score is the minimum the Department of Home Affairs accepts. The college and, for some professions, the registration body set their own score, and the college asks for it before it issues the CoE.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), through AHPRA, sets the English score for nurses. For tests taken on or after 23 April 2026 it requires IELTS Academic 7 overall, with 6.5 in writing and 7 in listening, reading and speaking. The PTE Academic equivalent is 63 overall, with listening 58, reading 59, writing 60 and speaking 76. The result can come from one sitting, or two sittings within 12 months.3 Nursing degree providers ask for this score before entry, so the visa score alone is not enough for a nursing degree.
Other degrees set a score between the two. The early childhood degrees and the Master of Social Work on this site set IELTS 6.5 to 7, or PTE Academic 56 to 63, as each course page shows.5 AHPRA, like the Department, accepts only a test sat at a test centre.3
Common questions about the English score
Is IELTS 5.5 enough for an Australian student visa?
Yes, with at least 10 weeks of an English course (ELICOS) before the main course, or a foundation or eligible pathway program.1 The same level in PTE Academic is 39.
Does the Department of Home Affairs accept PTE Academic?
Yes. PTE Academic 47 meets the student visa for the main course alone, 39 with at least 10 weeks of ELICOS, and 31 with at least 20 weeks.1
How long is an English test valid for the student visa?
The Department of Home Affairs requires the test to be within the 2 years before the visa application.2
This article is general information only, not migration advice. Figures and rules were read at source on 2 November 2026 (the sources are listed below). In Australia, immigration assistance may only be provided by a registered migration agent or Australian legal practitioner - Studyaway provides all students with access to a Registered Migration Agent.
Sources
- Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, clause 500.213; LIN 25/090, sections 6, 7 and 8 and Schedules 1 and 3 (in force 7 August 2025). Read 2 November 2026.
- Department of Home Affairs, Student visa (subclass 500) page (last updated 22 October 2026). Read 2 November 2026.
- AHPRA, Accepted English language tests (page reviewed 23 April 2026) and Transition arrangements policy, changes to minimum scores and requirements for accepted English tests (April 2026), Table 2. Read 2 November 2026.
- Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 1, item 1222(2) and (5A) (the visa application charge), Compilation No. 289 (2 October 2026). Read 2 November 2026.
- Studyaway course pages, the English entry requirement shown on each course page. Read 2 November 2026.
Checked and updated 2 November 2026.
