Subclass 189 Hong Kong stream: Functional English evidence and the second instalment
Check functional English separately for each applicant. For the subclass 189 Hong Kong stream, a person who was 18 or older when they applied and cannot demonstrate functional English generally needs to pay the second instalment if Home Affairs requests it. A dependant under 18 generally does not need to provide functional English evidence.
Make an evidence list for each adult
Record each person's age at lodgement and the evidence they intend to use. One partner's test result cannot establish the other person's English. If someone is approaching their 18th birthday, check the actual lodgement date before deciding what evidence or budget to prepare.
A passport that meets the Hong Kong stream requirement does not by itself establish functional English. Home Affairs publishes separate passport, education and test options. If using education, check the type and duration of study and the language of instruction. An English-language graduation certificate alone may not show that all instruction was in English. Ask the institution for records that establish those details where needed.
Check the applicable test table and date
Australia changed the approved tests and scores on 7 August 2025. Check the official functional English table for the date and type of test you took. Home Affairs lists a 12-month period before application for the test evidence route. Recheck the date if lodgement is delayed. The points-tested subclass 189 English rules address a separate stream.
Budget the second instalment separately
As checked on 6 November 2026, Home Affairs lists AUD 4,885 for each applicant to whom the second instalment applies. Pay only when requested. Budget it separately from the first instalment and external costs such as translations or examinations. Schedule 1 also lists a nil amount for some applicants who satisfy specified secondary criteria, so check the applicable provision and the department's notice.
For a review with 卓越移民 Premiervisa Group, bring each applicant's age at lodgement, available education records, test dates and a list of evidence you still need to confirm.
Official sources checked on 6 November 2026.
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