CELPIP for Australian visas: the Home Affairs English levels, test by test
Australia does not ask for a test score. It asks for one of four named English levels, and the Department of Home Affairs publishes the score that meets each level in every test it accepts. CELPIP General has been on that list since 7 August 2025. Every number on this page was read from the department's own pages, named beside each table, on the date at the foot of the page — and two visas, the 485 and the 500, publish score tables of their own, so those are here too.
The four levels, in each test
Home Affairs' Table 1 on each level page — tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. Each cell is the minimum in every component, in the order Listening · Reading · Writing · Speaking. The last column is the level's value on the points test for the subclass 189 visa.
| Home Affairs level | CELPIP General | IELTS (Academic or GT) | PTE Academic | TOEFL iBT | 189 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocational | 5 · 5 · 5 · 5 | 5.0 · 5.0 · 5.0 · 5.0 | 33 · 36 · 29 · 24 | 8 · 8 · 9 · 14 | — |
| Competent | 7 · 7 · 7 · 7 | 6.0 · 6.0 · 6.0 · 6.0 | 47 · 48 · 51 · 54 | 16 · 16 · 19 · 19 | 0 |
| Proficient | 9 · 8 · 10 · 8 | 7.0 · 7.0 · 7.0 · 7.0 | 58 · 59 · 69 · 76 | 22 · 22 · 26 · 24 | 10 |
| Superior | 10 · 10 · 12 · 10 | 8.0 · 8.0 · 8.0 · 8.0 | 69 · 70 · 85 · 88 | 26 · 27 · 30 · 28 | 20 |
Sources: the Home Affairs Vocational, Competent, Proficient and Superior English pages (each level name above links to its page) and the subclass 189 points table. The department also lists Cambridge C1 Advanced, LANGUAGECERT Academic, the Michigan English Test and OET at each level. Figures checked 6 September 2026.
How to read the CELPIP column
For Vocational and Competent, CELPIP behaves like the other tests: one number in every component, 5 and then 7. For Proficient and Superior the department sets a separate threshold per component — 9, 8, 10 and 8, then 10, 10, 12 and 10 — so a CELPIP result is checked skill by skill against four different numbers. Writing carries the highest bar: 10 for Proficient and 12, the top of the scale, for Superior. Paragon prints the same four figures on its own CELPIP–DHA comparison, alongside its calibration of CELPIP levels to the CEFR (12 to C2; 10 and 11 to C1; 7 to 9 to B2; 5 and 6 to B1).
On the Canadian side the same certificate is read one-to-one — a CELPIP 9 is a CLB 9 in every skill. The two governments read one score report in two different ways, and the practice that lifts a Canadian CLB does not necessarily lift the Australian level in the skill the department weights.
Which visa asks for what
Some visas name a level; two publish score tables of their own. Read from the department's pages for each subclass.
Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent, points-tested
The visa page requires competent English. The points table then awards 0 points for Competent, 10 for Proficient and 20 for Superior.
Subclass 485 — Temporary Graduate, Post-Higher Education Work stream
This visa does not use the level names. Its page publishes its own minimum scores, which must have been achieved in the 12 months immediately before the day you apply. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 (standard applicants; overall, then Listening · Reading · Writing · Speaking):
| Test | Overall | Each component |
|---|---|---|
| CELPIP General | 8 | 6 · 6 · 6 · 6 |
| IELTS (Academic or General Training) | 6.5 | 5.5 · 5.5 · 5.5 · 5.5 |
| PTE Academic | 55 | 40 · 42 · 41 · 39 |
| TOEFL iBT | 81 | 12 · 12 · 14 · 17 |
Holders of British National (Overseas) or Hong Kong passports have a lower table on the same page.
Subclass 500 — Student
The student visa page says you might need to give evidence of English when you apply, that the Document Checklist tool tells you whether you do, and that the department can ask for it at any time while processing. Where evidence is required, the minimum overall score depends on whether the main course is packaged with English-language tuition (ELICOS):
| Test | Course alone | With at least 10 weeks ELICOS | With at least 20 weeks ELICOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| CELPIP General | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| IELTS (Academic or General Training) | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| PTE Academic | 47 | 39 | 31 |
| TOEFL iBT | 67 | 51 | 37 |
Subclass 482 — Skills in Demand
The stream pagesstate that primary applicants must meet certain minimum standards of English proficiency unless exemptions apply, and point to the English-language requirements; the level is not printed on the stream page itself. Confirm it for your stream on the department's page before you book.
Three rules from the department's page
- Secure test centre only. Home Affairs does not accept tests delivered completely online, and names CELPIP Online and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition among the examples it will not accept.
- TOEFL has a registration pathway. A TOEFL iBT result counts for Australia only if you selected ‘Taking TOEFL for Australia’ when registering.
- The window depends on the visa. The level pages accept a score achieved in the three years before the application, depending on the subclass; the 485 requires the 12 months before the day you apply. Paragon states that a CELPIP score report is itself valid for two years from issue.
The CELPIP sitting, in Paragon's terms
Paragon describes CELPIP General as one computer-delivered sitting of under three hours with no separate speaking session: Listening 46–55 minutes, Reading 43–56, Writing 53, Speaking 15, with unscored items mixed into Listening and Reading that cannot be told from scored ones. Results are available online within 3–4 business days of the test date in Canada (its Australian page says 2–4), and the PDF score report is the official document. Paragon also states that CELPIP General is the version approved by the Australian and Canadian governments for immigration and visa purposes.
Questions people ask about the requirements
Which tests does Australia accept, and since when for CELPIP?
Home Affairs states that on 7 August 2025 the approved tests changed, and lists, for tests taken on or after that date: Cambridge C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic and General Training (including One Skill Retake for eligible visas), LANGUAGECERT Academic, the Michigan English Test, OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT. Tests must be taken at a secure test centre. Results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 remain usable until 6 August 2028 inclusive, depending on the visa.
Can I use CELPIP Online or the TOEFL Home Edition?
No. Home Affairs states that it does not accept evidence from tests delivered completely online, and names CELPIP Online, IELTS Online, LANGUAGECERT Academic Online, MET Digital taken at home, OET@Home and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition as examples. For the TOEFL iBT, the department adds that you must select the 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' pathway when registering; results not registered under it are not accepted.
How long is a result valid?
It depends on the visa. Home Affairs' level pages say a score must have been achieved in the three years before the visa application, depending on the subclass. The subclass 485 page is stricter: its scores must have been achieved in the 12 months immediately before the day you apply. Paragon, for its part, states that a CELPIP score report is valid for two years from the date it is issued.
Why does CELPIP need different scores in each skill for the higher levels?
Home Affairs sets the thresholds per test and per component. For Vocational and Competent, CELPIP is a flat 5 and 7 in every component; for Proficient it is 9 Listening, 8 Reading, 10 Writing, 8 Speaking, and for Superior 10, 10, 12 and 10. Paragon publishes the same figures on its own CELPIP–DHA comparison. The practical consequence is that Writing carries the highest CELPIP bar at the two upper levels.
Does the Skills in Demand (482) visa need Vocational or Competent English?
The subclass 482 stream pages state that primary applicants must meet certain minimum standards of English language proficiency unless exemptions apply, and refer to the English-language requirements; the level itself is not printed on the stream page. Paragon's site says CELPIP is accepted for the 482. Check the level for your stream on the department's page or with the Document Checklist tool before booking.
Is CELPIP-General LS accepted for Australia?
Home Affairs lists CELPIP General. Paragon describes the CELPIP-General LS test — Listening and Speaking only — as the test used for Canadian citizenship applications, and the Australian tables require scores in all four components.
Sources: Department of Home Affairs — English language and its Vocational, Competent, Proficient and Superior English pages; the subclass 189 points-tested stream and points table; the subclass 485 Post-Higher Education Work stream; the subclass 500 page; the subclass 482 stream pages. Paragon Testing Enterprises — Test Format & Scoring and its Australian visa pages. Checked 6 September 2026. Requirements change; confirm on the official page for your visa before you book or lodge. ExamStep is an independent practice resource and is not affiliated with Paragon, ETS, Pearson, IELTS or the Department of Home Affairs.
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