English tests and exemptions for the subclass 500 student visa: LIN 25/090

The Migration (English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visas) Instrument 2025 is dated 5 August 2025 and was made under subclause 500.213(3) of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994. It commenced on 7 August 2025 (section 2) and repealed the 2024 instrument, LIN 24/022 (Schedule 4). The current text is Compilation No. 0, the instrument as made.

The explanatory statement describes its purpose as specifying the approved tests, the required scores, the period in which the scores must be obtained, and the applicants exempt from testing, following the Department’s Request for Expression of Interest process that commenced in July 2022. It summarises subclause 500.213(1) as requiring an applicant, if required by the Minister in writing or by an online computer program, to give evidence of English proficiency meeting these requirements.

Approved tests and test window

Section 6(1)(a) approves nine tests: C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, LANGUAGECERT Academic, MET, OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT. Under section 6(1)(b) the test must have been taken in the 2 years before the visa application, if the evidence is provided with the application, or otherwise in the 2 years before the decision to grant or refuse the visa.

Schedule 1 has three score columns. Column 2 is the standard score (section 6(2)). Column 3 applies to an applicant enrolled in at least 10 weeks of ELICOS accompanying a principal course, a standard or extended foundation program, or an eligible pathway program (section 6(3)). Column 4 applies to an applicant enrolled in at least 20 weeks of ELICOS accompanying a principal course (section 6(4)). The ELICOS and principal course must be intended to commence after the application was made. C1 Advanced is not accepted for columns 3 and 4.

Schedule 1 – required minimum English language test scores

Test	Column 2: standard	Column 3: 10 weeks ELICOS, foundation or pathway program	Column 4: 20 weeks ELICOS
C1 Advanced	Overall 161	Not accepted	Not accepted
CELPIP General	Overall 7	Overall 6	Overall 5
IELTS Academic	Average 6.0	Average 5.5	Average 5.0
IELTS General Training	Average 6.0	Average 5.5	Average 5.0
LANGUAGECERT Academic	Overall 61	Overall 54	Overall 46
MET	Overall 53	Overall 49	Overall 44
OET	Overall 1210	Overall 1090	Overall 1020
PTE Academic	Overall 47	Overall 39	Overall 31
TOEFL iBT	Total 67	Total 51	Total 37

Schedule 1 sets one overall, average or total score for each test, with no separate minimum for listening, reading, writing or speaking.

Eligible pathway programs

Schedule 2 lists 166 registered courses that are eligible pathway programs, each with its CRICOS course code, course name, institution and destination university. Item 1 is the Diploma of Business Studies at Charles Darwin University (0100739), item 50 the Diploma of Art and Design at Monash College leading to Monash University (045084G), and item 166 the Diploma in Design Extended Graphic Design (Pathway to Teaching Secondary) at Western Sydney University (096999J). The full list is in the instrument.

Applicants exempt from testing

Under section 7, subclause 500.213(1) does not apply to:

• a citizen holding a valid passport issued by Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America;
• an applicant whose only course is one registered to be delivered in a language other than English, an ELICOS, a registered school course or a registered post-graduate research course;
• a Foreign Affairs student, a Defence student or a secondary exchange student;
• an applicant who, in the 2 years before applying, completed a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education in Australia in English, or a substantial component of an Australian Qualifications Framework course at Certificate IV level or higher in Australia in English while holding a student visa; and
• an applicant who has completed at least 5 years of study in English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America.

Tests taken before 7 August 2025

Section 8 accepts five older tests for an application made on or after 7 August 2025 where the test was taken before that day and no more than 24 months before the application or, if the evidence is not provided with the application, before the decision. The same three columns apply.

Schedule 3 – tests undertaken before 7 August 2025 (section 8)

Test	Column 2	Column 3	Column 4
Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)	169	162	154
IELTS	Overall 6.0	Overall 5.5	Overall 5.0
OET	B in each component	B in each component	B in each component
PTE Academic	50	42	36
TOEFL iBT	64	46	35

Which applications it applies to

Section 9 applies the instrument to a visa application made on or after its commencement on 7 August 2025.