New English requirements for subclass 482 – Skills in Demand visas from 13 September 2025

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After the changes to the English language test and scores for all other skilled visas and student visas early last month, the same will happen for subclass 482 – Skills in Demand visas from 13 September 2025. The Department of Home Affairs previously forewarned this in a news article.

The new legislative instrument operates similarly to the instrument that amended what minimum scores meet the definition of functional, vocational, competent, proficient, and superior English.

This includes:

  • Introducing new tests: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program General (CELPIP General), LANGUAGECERT Academic Test (LANGUAGECERT Academic), and Michigan English Test (MET).

  • Clarifying that IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training are effectively the same.

  • Accepting scores from tests taken before the instrument is in effect, provided they are still valid (within 3 years of lodging the visa application).

Importantly, the exemptions from the current instrument are replicated in the new instrument, and the minimum scores for each test all match the definition of vocational English.

The concern now is determining the necessary English for 482 visa applications under the Labour agreement stream. This is because English language requirements can differ in a labor agreement and because the new instrument does not list any minimum overall band score for each test, or other guidance.

Many labour agreements have a threshold of either an IELTS overall band score with no minimum score for each of the four test components, or an IELTS overall test score, with a minimum score in each of the four test components (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) or equivalent.

How can an equivalent score be benchmarked to an IELTS score when there is no overall band score but only individual test components?

For example, what is the equivalent of 5.0 for an IELTS overall test score under a Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)? The previous instrument lists an overall band score of 36. The new instrument does not state an overall band score but lists: 33 for listening, 36 for reading, 29 for writing, and 24 for speaking.

Clarity will be necessary.