New English Language Requirements for Australian Study Visa (Subclass 500)
  • Articles
  • New English Language Requirements for Australian Study Visa (Subclass 500)

New English Language Requirements for Australian Study Visa (Subclass 500)

Ipshita ghoshUpdated on 15 Oct 2025, 05:07 PM IST

The Australian government has recently increased the minimum English proficiency scores for international students who wish to study in Australia. The updated English language requirements of student visa for Australia (Subclass 500) to an IELTS score of 6.0 will ensure that they are confident enough to complete their studies and communicate in English without any hassles.

This Story also Contains

  1. New Minimum English Test Scores for Subclass 500 Student Visa
  2. Accepted English Tests for Australia Study Visa
  3. Tips to prepare for the new English language requirements for Australian study visa
  4. Important Considerations for English language tests required for Australian study visa
New English Language Requirements for Australian Study Visa (Subclass 500)
New English Language Requirements for Australian Study Visa

If students want to apply for a work visa in Australia (Subclass 485), they must score a minimum score of 6.5. Even the requirements (from 4.5 to 5.0 IELTS score) for English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) and the list of accepted English language tests have been updated. Additionally, the Department of Home Affairs also accepts the IELTS One Skill Retake (OSR) now. These new changes are applicable to visa applications made on or after 23 March 2024. Under the migration strategy of Australia, students have to meet the updated minimum IELTS score for an Australian study visa.

Read More: Australian Student Visa New Rules

New Minimum English Test Scores for Subclass 500 Student Visa

Here is a table that gives a comparison of the previous and new minimum score requirements for various English language tests in Australia.

Test

Previous Minimum Score

New Minimum Score (2025–26)

Notes / Validity

IELTS (Academic or General)

5.5 overall

6.0 overall

Must be taken within 2 years before visa lodgement

PTE Academic

42 overall

50 overall

Equivalent to IELTS 6.0

TOEFL iBT

£46

64

Minimum of 12 in Listening, 13 in Reading, 18 in Speaking, and 21 in Writing

Cambridge English (C1 Advanced)

162

169

Overall score must meet CEFR Level B2

OET (Occupational English Test)

B in each component

B in each component

Mostly for healthcare programs

CELPIP General

Not accepted earlier

Accepted (from Aug 2025)

Equivalent to IELTS 6.0

LanguageCert Academic

Not accepted earlier

Accepted (from Aug 2025)

Equivalent to IELTS 6.0

Michigan English Test (MET)

Not accepted earlier

Accepted (from Aug 2025)

Equivalent to IELTS 6.0

Accepted English Tests for Australia Study Visa

The Department of Home Affairs expanded the list of approved English tests for Subclass 500 effective from 7 August 2025.

These are the accepted English tests:

  • CELPIP General (Newly added)

  • LANGUAGECERT Academic (newly added)

  • Michigan English Test (MET) (Newly added)

  • IELTS Academic & General Training

  • PTE Academic

  • TOEFL iBT

  • OET

  • Cambridge C1 Advanced

Also Read:

Tips to prepare for the new English language requirements for Australian study visa

These are some effective ways to meet the new English language requirements for Subclass 500.

  • Appear for a diagnostic test to understand the sections where you lack.

  • Enrol in prep courses if you believe your English is below the standard level

  • Be clear about your score requirement, budget, and nearby centres while deciding which English language test to take

  • Practice IELTS sample papers and mock tests to know the different question types

You Might Also Like: IELTS Sample Questions and Free IELTS Mock Test

Important Considerations for English language tests required for Australian study visa

  • The English test you take should not be more than two years old.

  • The financial proofs and english proficiency tests you provide will depend on the specific requirements of the country you live in.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the IELTS score required for Australia 2025?
A:

Students must secure a minimum of 6.0 IELTS score overall and in each of the four sections as well. If they are able to meet these English language requirements, it demonstrates that they are competent to complete their studies and can communicate effectively in English.

Q: What is the processing time for subclass 500?
A:

The processing time for a Subclass 500 visa (Australian student visa) might differ based on the stream chosen, including higher education, vocational training, or postgraduate research. While half of the visa applications get processed within a month, 90% of applications also take up several months to get processed.

Q: What is the new English test for Australian immigration 2025?
A:

The newly added English tests for Australian study visas include: Cambridge C1 Advanced Test (C1 Advanced) Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program General (CELPIP General), in addition to the already accepted tests like IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, etc.

Questions related to

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to ?

Hi there

Yes you can try to learn various courses that are for approximately 3 months to 6 months in duration.

Yes you can learn before going to us. Learning skills definitively adds some value to the life of a candidate and also improves in getting good recognition in life..

Below i have mentioned some courses  that you can try before visiting us:

  • Social media marketing
  • Content writer
  • Content creation
  • Video editing
  • Photography skills
  • Digital marketing
  • Stiching
  • Makeup artist course
  • Hairstyling course.

So these are some courses you can try.

Hope this answer will help you. Revert incase of any query.

Thank you and good luck:)

Hello Samarasimha,

YES, you can MS in UA after completing Bsc in Statistics. . All you have to do is score good marks in your PG and prepare for GRE. You should also decide upon the country and the university in which you are going to study.

Furthermore, the requirements to pursue MS in USA are as follows :

  • 3 to 4 years bachelors degree in relevant field.
  • 3.5 or higher GPA, equivalent to 87% in bachelors.
  • GRE score of 330 or above.
  • Statement of Purpose.
  • Research Internships/ Published Research Papers.
  • Project work/Seminars.
  • 2-3 Letter of Recommendation.
  • Social & Leadership Activities.

Further, requirements for Software jobs in USA are as follows :

  • Enroll in a software development program. The first step to becoming a software engineer is to enroll in a software development degree program. ...
  • Gain internship experience. ...
  • Choose your specialty. ...
  • Pursue industry certifications. ...
  • Continue your education.

I hope that this will help.

Dear aspirant hope you are doing well..

To study at foreign universities/abroad in U. S , the admission process will require the candidate to give one language exam and one standardized exam. However, depending on the country, course, college, or university you are applying for you may be exempted from standardized exams. The language test will showcase your English proficiency skills. These exams are required for pursuing almost all courses abroad. Different countries have different language exams such as

  • TOEFL exam for getting admission to the universities in the US and Canada. The score of this exam is valid for two years after the declaration of results
  • There are plenty of universities abroad where you can apply to do master-level course, MSc in statistics, MSc in Operation Research, and Applied Mathematics, MSc in Mathematical Modeling, etc are some of the Master level Course in Mathematics that are available abroad. Students who have completed their graduation or bachelor's degree in Mathematics can apply for these courses. Foreign universities like Uppsala University, Dublin City University, Oxford Brookes University, University of York, University of Liverpool, etc offer all the above-mentioned courses in mathematics.

Top university of The USA for master degree courses

  • John Carroll University
  • Missouri University of Science and Technology
  • Michigan State University
  • West Virginia University
  • Rhode Island College
  • University of Arkansas
  • Vanderbilt University
  • DePaul University
  • Delaware State University
  • Texas A&M University-Commerce
  • University of South Florida
  • California State University Northridge

You can get the detailed information about the process how to apply for MS in USA. read the given article. Link is given below

https://studyabroad.careers360.com/articles/how-apply-for-ms-in-usa/amp

Hope it's helpful for you..

Thank you

There are many ways to choose your university such as fees, the ranking of the university, which state it is located and scholarships. My suggestion is to choose your research focus and write academic papers. In the US, PhD in Commerce admission into the university depends on what you want to study (your area of research) and your already completed research papers. You can begin your research by searching online for US universities offering PhD in Business Administration. One example is University of California Los Angeles (https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/degrees/phd-program/admissions#app-req) .


Hello  Student

You are aBHM means Bachelor in Hotel Management so after doing BHM,to gain a bright future  inthis trade you have to do MSc in Hotel Management,post graduation in Hospitality Management,Master degree in travel and tourism management,or MBA in hotel management,AFter doing post graduation in Hotel management or travel and tourism management will give you the best return in employment opportunity.

Hope this will help.