If you are an international graduate planning to apply for the Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa, meeting the subclass 485 visa English requirements is one of the most critical steps in your application.
To help you avoid costly mistakes or visa refusals, here is a complete breakdown of the current Subclass 485 visa English requirements.
The table below outlines the exact scores required for the most common English tests accepted by the Department of Home Affairs. You only need to pass one of these tests.
(Note: Unless you are taking the OET, you generally must achieve these required scores in a single sitting).
| English Language Test | Overall Score | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| PTE Academic | 55 | 40 | 42 | 41 | 39 |
| IELTS (Academic or General) | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| CELPIP General | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| TOEFL iBT | 81 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 17 |
| OET | 1310 | 260 | 280 | 260 | 310 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 67 | 49 | 54 | 56 | 62 |
| MET | 58 | 53 | 51 | 51 | 43 |
Important Note on Cambridge Advanced (C1 Advanced): Under the newest schedules, the C1 Advanced test is generally not accepted for new Subclass 485 visa applications unless specific transitional rules apply.
Your English test must have been completed within the period of 1 year (12 months) immediately before the day you lodge your visa application. If your test result is older than 365 days on the day you apply, your visa will be refused.
If you hold a valid Hong Kong or British National (Overseas) (BNO) passport, the Department offers lower English threshold requirements to help you secure your Temporary Graduate visa:
| English Language Test | Overall Score | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
| PTE Academic | 47 | 33 | 36 | 29 | 24 |
| IELTS (Academic or General) | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| CELPIP General | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| TOEFL iBT | 67 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 14 |
| OET | 1210 | 220 | 240 | 200 | 270 |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | 61 | 41 | 44 | 45 | 54 |
| MET | 53 | 49 | 47 | 45 | 38 |
You do not need to take an English language test if you hold a valid passport issued by one of the following countries, and you are a citizen of that country:
If you hold a passport from any of these five nations, you automatically meet the Subclass 485 visa English requirements!
If your test was taken on or before 6 August 2025, your results will be assessed under the previous requirements, provided the test was taken within 12 months before you lodge your visa application.
If you’re unsure whether your English test meets the new 485 visa requirements, our migration team can guide you through the process.
Contact Migration Dreamz for personalized visa advice.
