English Requirements for Employer Sponsored Visas

The English requirement for the primary visa applicant for Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187) visa is a time of application requirement.

For applicants needing to undertake an English language test to meet the English requirement, there are various acceptable English tests. There are certain exemptions available to meet the English requirement.

In terms of acceptable English tests, the more commonly used tests are IELTS General Training and Pearsons PTE Academic.

IELTS recognises both British and American English in terms of spelling, grammar and choice of words. It also incorporates a mix of native speaker accents from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and US in the listening component. Applicants must attend a testing centre over two days. Tests are usually on Saturdays or Thursdays. Results are issued 13 days after the test. A list of all IELTS test centres worldwide is available at www.ielts.org See http://www.ielts.org/test_takers_information/question_types.aspx

Pearsons PTE Academic assesses listening, reading, speaking and writing all via computer in a single 3 hour test session. The applicant must attend a Pearson test centre and will use a computer and headset to listen to, read and respond to questions. http://pearsonpte.com/test-takers/test/test-format/ See http://pearsonpte.com/test-takers/preparation/

As a result of upcoming changes to the visa framework in March 2018, availability of test dates, for both IELTS and PTE testing centres, is becoming increasingly difficult in certain locations. It is best to book early by visiting the links above to guarantee your place.