English Score Comparison Table by Visa Type

Overview of English bands in Australian migration

The Department of Home Affairs classifies English ability into five bands, from lowest to highest:

1. Functional English: A basic level, sufficient for some family visas.
2. Vocational English: Higher, required for certain specific visas.
3. Competent English: The most common level, required for most skilled visas.
4. Proficient English: Higher than Competent, and worth more EOI points.
5. Superior English: The highest level, equivalent to IELTS 8.0 in each band.

Understanding which band applies to the visa you are seeking helps you set a specific score target and avoid wasting effort on a score higher than you need.

Score comparison by English band — all tests

Below are the equivalent scores across the tests for each band:

Competent English:

• IELTS: Minimum 6.0 in each band across all 4 skills
• PTE Academic: Minimum 50 in each of the 4 skills
• Cambridge English: Minimum 169 in each of the 4 skills
• TOEFL iBT: Minimum 18 in each of the 4 skills
• OET: Minimum grade C in all 4 skills (grade B is often required in practice)

Proficient English:

• IELTS: Minimum 7.0 in each band across all 4 skills
• PTE Academic: Minimum 65 in each of the 4 skills
• Cambridge English: Minimum 185 in each of the 4 skills
• TOEFL iBT: Minimum 24 in each of the 4 skills
• OET: Minimum grade B in all 4 skills

Superior English:

• IELTS: Minimum 8.0 in each band across all 4 skills
• PTE Academic: Minimum 79 in each of the 4 skills
• Cambridge English: Minimum 200 in each of the 4 skills
• TOEFL iBT: Minimum 27 in each of the 4 skills
• OET: Minimum grade A in all 4 skills

Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) — English requirement

The subclass 482 requires Competent English as the minimum:

• IELTS: 6.0 in each band (not an overall score, but each skill individually)
• PTE Academic: 50 in each skill
• TOEFL iBT: 18 in each skill
• Cambridge English: 169 in each skill

Exception: Some Labour Agreements and a DAMA (Designated Area Migration Agreement) may allow a lower requirement — see the article on English in a Labour Agreement for more detail.

You don’t need Proficient or Superior for the subclass 482 as far as the visa requirements go, but an employer may require more in practice when hiring.

Subclass 186 (Employer Nomination Scheme) — English requirement

The subclass 186 also requires Competent English as the minimum, similar to the subclass 482:

• IELTS: 6.0 in each band
• PTE Academic: 50 in each skill
• TOEFL iBT: 18 in each skill

Notable exceptions for the subclass 186:

• Citizens of the English-exempt countries (the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand) do not need to submit a test result.
• People who have studied at least 5 years full-time at an educational institution in an English-speaking country may be exempt.
• The TRT (Temporary Residence Transition) pathway: if you have worked on a subclass 482 for long enough, there may be certain advantages, but you still need to meet the English requirement.

Subclass 189/190/491 (skilled independent and state-nominated) — EOI and points

This is an important difference: for skilled visas in the EOI stream through SkillSelect, you don’t just need to meet the minimum requirement — you also need to maximise your points.

The minimum requirement to lodge an EOI:

• IELTS: 6.0 in each band (Competent)

Bonus points for higher English:

• Competent English (IELTS 6.0 in each band): 0 bonus English points (this is the minimum, with no extra bonus)
• Proficient English (IELTS 7.0 in each band): +10 points in the EOI points test
• Superior English (IELTS 8.0 in each band): +20 points in the EOI points test

With current competition for EOI points (often needing 90–100+ points to receive an invitation), 10–20 bonus English points can be the difference between being invited and not. See the article on English points in the EOI for more detail on how points are calculated.

Nursing visas — a higher requirement

Nurses have a higher English requirement than other occupations because they need to register with AHPRA:

AHPRA requirements (separate from the Department’s visa requirement):

• IELTS Academic: 7.0 in each band (Proficient — higher than the visa minimum)
• PTE Academic: 65 in each skill
• OET Nursing: grade B in all 4 skills

This is the Proficient English level, higher than Competent. So nurses naturally meet the visa English requirement, but they must reach a higher level for professional registration.

A note on how scores are calculated — each skill individually

One thing that is often misunderstood: the Department does not use an average or an overall score. The rule is:

• You must reach the minimum score in ALL four skills (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing)
• A high score in one skill does not offset a low score in another
• For example: IELTS 6.0/6.0/6.0/5.5 does not meet Competent, even though the overall average is 5.9

This means you need to practise all four skills evenly, not focus on your strong skill and neglect your weak one.

Which test should you choose?

A summary of suggestions:

• Subclass 482/186, not a healthcare occupation: IELTS or PTE Academic, aiming for Competent (IELTS 6.0 in each band)
• Subclass 189/190/491, wanting to maximise EOI points: IELTS or PTE, aiming for Proficient (IELTS 7.0) or Superior (IELTS 8.0)
• Nurses: OET Nursing (grade B) or IELTS Academic (7.0 in each band) to meet both AHPRA and the visa
• Already have a TOEFL iBT result: Check the equivalence before deciding whether to re-sit