The 186 visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, live and work in Australia permanently.
One of the criteria of 186 visa is that the applicant must meet the English requirements for the stream they apply under. The question that we often come across is what are the English requirements for my 186 Direct Entry or Transition stream visa.
In this article, we will explore these requirements based on the 186 visa stream you are applying under. The 186 visa has 3 streams:
- Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) Direct Entry stream
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Labour agreement stream
186 visa English requirements- Direct Entry stream
You must have at least competent English to be granted this stream of the visa.
To prove you have competent English, provide evidence:
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- that you are a citizen of and hold a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom*, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland, with your application. *British National (Overseas) passports are not acceptable as evidence of competent English.
-
- or
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- you have an obtained one of the following English language test results:
Specified test results
Test | Required score |
---|---|
International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic or General Training) | At least 6 for each of the 4 components |
Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) | At least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking |
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | At least 50 for each of the 4 components |
Occupational English Test (OET) | At least B for each of the 4 components |
Cambridge C1 Advanced test | At least 169 in each of the 4 components |
When to provide proof
When you must have taken your test and how long the test result is valid
Subclass | Applicant | When to provide | Validity |
---|---|---|---|
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) | Main/primary | By time of application | Test cannot have been undertaken more than 3 years before the date of application |
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) – Temporary Residence Transition Stream | Main/primary | By time of application | Test cannot have been undertaken more than 3 years before the date of application |
Business Innovation and Investment (provisional) subclass 188) (Entrepreneur stream) | Main/primary | By time of invitation | Test cannot have been undertaken more than 3 years before the date of invitation |
Skilled Independent (subclass 189)(Points tested stream) | Main/primary | By time of invitation | Test cannot have been undertaken more than 3 years before the date of invitation |
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) | Main/primary | By time of invitation | Test cannot have been undertaken more than 3 years before the date of invitation |
Skilled Regional (provisional) (subclass 489)(first provisional stream) | Main/primary | By time of invitation | Test cannot have been undertaken more than 3 years before the date of invitation |
Skilled Work Regional (provisional) (subclass 491) | Main/primary | By time of invitation | Test cannot have been undertaken more than 3 years before the date of invitation |
Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (subclass 494) | Main/Primary | By time of application | The test cannot have been undertaken more than 3 years before the date of application |
For the subclasses 189, 190, 489 and 491 if you are claiming partner points then your partner must also have Competent English at time of invitation.
186 visa English requirements Temporary Residence Transition stream
You must have at least Competent English as above.
From 16 November 2019, there is no exemption to the English language requirement for this stream of the visa.
See more about exemptions in the relevant:
English language requirement and exemption for 186 TRT
You must demonstrate that you have the required English language proficiency for the visa and stream that you are applying for unless you are exempt.
For the Temporary Residence Transition or Direct Entry streams, applicants are required to have at least competent English.
As a result, you must provide evidence of having achieved the required minimum test scores in a specified English language test that has been conducted within three years immediately prior to the date of your application unless you hold a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland as evidence that you are a citizen of that country.
186 visa Engish requirements Labour agreement stream
Applicants for the Labour Agreement Stream must demonstrate that they have English language skills that are suitable to perform the occupation to which the position relates. This will be the same level of English as for the other visa streams outlined above, unless otherwise specified in the labour agreement.
187 visa
187 visa English: If you are applying for the 187 RSMS Visa through the Temporary Residence Transition stream and have completed at least five years of full-time study in secondary or higher education where the medium of instruction was delivered in English. You must hold a Diploma or above to be eligible for this exemption.
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