Subclass 494 English test scores: IELTS, PTE and test dates
For the subclass 494 Employer Sponsored stream, the main applicant must have at least Competent English to be granted the visa. An overall test score is not enough to check this: the Department’s thresholds apply separately to listening, reading, writing and speaking. Your test date also matters because approved tests and score thresholds changed on 7 August 2025.
IELTS and PTE: check every component
Test date | IELTS Academic or General Training | PTE Academic |
On or after 7 August 2025 | At least 6 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking | Listening 47; reading 48; writing 51; speaking 54 |
On or before 6 August 2025 | At least 6 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking | At least 50 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking |
The old and new PTE thresholds are not interchangeable. The test still carries the name PTE Academic, but the Department says the version used from 7 August 2025 and its required scores are different from the earlier test. Use the date you actually sat the test, not the date you booked it or received the result, to find the right row.
A high overall score cannot make up for a low skill score
Compare each result with the matching minimum. For example, a strong listening result does not compensate for a writing score below the required threshold. Keep the score report and confirm that it shows all four components. If one component is below the threshold, check the Department’s accepted test options and the relevant visa rules before booking another test.
Check how long the result can be used
Home Affairs says the test generally needs to have been taken within the three years before the visa application, with the applicable period depending on the visa subclass. Results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 may be used until 6 August 2028 inclusive for visa purposes, but this still depends on the particular visa. Do not assume that an older score remains valid just because it appears on a test provider’s account.
If you sat a test close to the three-year limit, compare the test date with the planned visa lodgement date and check the subclass-specific rule. A new test may be needed if the old result falls outside the permitted period by the time the application is lodged.
Other accepted evidence has its own conditions
The Department also lists other approved tests, including Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, MET, OET, LANGUAGECERT Academic and TOEFL iBT. Each has its own component scores and test-date rules. TOEFL iBT applicants must select “Taking TOEFL for Australia” when registering; a test registered under another pathway is not accepted for Australian visa purposes. OET scores taken before the 2025 change are shown differently from the newer numerical scale. Check the Department’s current table rather than converting a result yourself.
Some applicants may instead meet the competent-English evidence rule as citizens holding a valid passport from Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States. Check that both the citizenship and passport requirements apply to you before relying on this route.
A short check before lodging
Confirm that you are checking the 494 Employer Sponsored stream, not another visa stream or a family member’s separate requirement.
Write down the test name and the date you sat it.
Compare listening, reading, writing and speaking separately against the table for that date.
Check the result-validity period against your expected lodgement date.
Save the official score report and recheck the Department’s page before lodging.
This guide summarizes the Department’s published rules checked on 21 October 2026. English evidence rules may differ between visa streams and can change. The Department decides whether evidence meets the requirement; an English test score does not guarantee a visa grant.
Official sources and review date
21 October 2026
Comments