491 Functional English: Adult Family Evidence and the Second Instalment
For a 491 family application, separate the principal applicant's English eligibility from the Functional English or second-instalment position of adult family members. Home Affairs requires the principal applicant to have at least Competent English at invitation. The payment option described for relevant family members is not a way for the principal applicant to buy out of that requirement.
Three checks belong on separate lines
First, establish the principal applicant's English eligibility. Second, verify any English or partner points claimed in the expression of interest. Third, review the English evidence and possible second instalment for each relevant adult family applicant. A partner being eligible for inclusion does not establish a points entitlement or settle the household's charges.
List each person's role, age, evidence and application stage. Keep the original records together with a note identifying the question they answer. An English result that supports one person's points claim is not evidence for every other adult in the application.
An adult child's ability to join the application also needs a family-unit assessment. Willingness to pay an additional charge does not establish dependency or resolve another eligibility issue. Do that review before treating the child as a confirmed accompanying applicant in the budget.
Review existing evidence before booking a test
The Functional English guidance provides passport and citizenship, qualifying English-medium education, and test-result routes. Education has specific completion, duration and language requirements. Work conducted in English or an English title on a certificate does not by itself establish that a listed route is met.
Ask the institution to identify the award, course duration, completion and teaching language. Compare its response with the actual official category instead of asking for a generic letter saying that the student speaks English. Where records are incomplete, identify the gap before spending money on translations or making an application-date assumption.
Likewise, a passport pathway requires the specified citizenship and valid passport. Living in an English-speaking country is a different fact. Confirm the actual category rather than relying on where a person currently works or travels.
Check the test date and the standard being proved
The Functional English page sets out application-related timing, including qualifying tests taken within the twelve months before application. Do not automatically import the validity period used for a principal applicant's different English requirement or another visa process.
For tests from 7 August 2025, the current table includes an IELTS average of at least 4.5 and PTE Academic overall of at least 24. The department does not accept completely online, at-home English tests for this purpose. Confirm the relevant test product and current visa requirements before booking.
These average or overall thresholds must not be confused with the component scores for Competent English. Keep the test report, test date and applicable source together. If a family member has only an older report, identify what it proves now rather than assuming the same test name means the same scoring rules and validity.
Build the budget person by person
The 491 page distinguishes the second instalment from the ordinary application charges. It also warns that the Visa Pricing Estimator excludes the second instalment and other costs. A household can therefore complete an estimator calculation while still missing a material budget item.
Create separate entries for the main application charge, accompanying-applicant charges, any applicable second instalment, and non-visa expenses. Assessments, examinations, police certificates, translation and professional services are different categories. A quote should identify what is included and who receives each payment.
For each relevant adult, record the evidence available, what remains to be checked and whether an official payment request has arrived. Do not copy a charge from a186 or National Innovation Visa article into a 491 calculation. Use the applicable current charge and the actual departmental request; an old receipt from another family is not your invoice.
Pay only through the applicable official process
The 491 guidance says to pay the second instalment only when asked, and that the department asks for it when it is going to grant the visa. That does not justify paying an unverified intermediary or describing an additional payment as a guarantee that every other requirement is satisfied.
If a representative assists, establish whose charge is being handled, the notice, deadline, payment destination and evidence of completion. Keep government charges separate from the representative's service fees. A transfer to a service provider alone does not prove that the government received the payment.
Prepare the next review with a clear household summary
Record each adult's role, age, existing passport or education evidence, test version and date, and unresolved documents. Add the proposed application stage and intended timing so that the evidence and budget reviews use the same facts.
This guide concerns adult family members in the main 491 application. A person joining a 491 holder after grant needs the relevant subsequent-entrant review. For an enquiry with 卓越移民 Premiervisa Group, start with the household summary and agree a private channel for detailed documents. Confirm the service scope and the qualifications of the person providing Australian migration advice.
Official information checked: 2 November 2026.
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