What IELTS score do you need for the 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa?

Minimums in each skill, from the Competent English page. IELTS and MET results that include a One Skill Retake or Single Section Retake are accepted for eligible visas; check the visa page. For TOEFL iBT you must select 'Taking TOEFL for Australia' when you register.

For tests taken on or before 6 August 2025, Competent English was IELTS 6 in each component, PTE Academic 50 in each, TOEFL iBT 12 listening, 13 reading, 21 writing and 21 speaking, OET B in each, or Cambridge C1 Advanced 169 in each. Those results may be used until 6 August 2028, inclusive, depending on the visa.

The Competent English page counts a citizen holding a valid passport from Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States as having competent English, and says test scores must be achieved in the 3 years before the visa application, depending on the subclass. The 186 stream pages we read do not state a different window.

Any family member aged 18 or older who applies with you and has less than functional English triggers a second instalment charge of AUD4,890, invoiced after you have met all other requirements (Direct Entry, TRT). Our Functional English guide lists the scores that avoid it.

Home Affairs changes these rules, sometimes at short notice. Confirm the current scores on the Home Affairs 186 Direct Entry page before you book a test or lodge an application. This guide restates the department's pages; it is not migration advice.