This is one of the questions our viewers ask most often: “My PTE score is good — is that enough for migration?” The precise, technical answer is given here by Dr Sirous Ahmadi, Australian migration lawyer, MARA registration number 0854826, based on the text of the Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 6D and the legislative instruments currently in force. In what follows, I draw a clear line — point by point, with sources cited — between a “mandatory legal requirement” and a “points-earning factor”.
The short answer
A language score on its own will never deliver an Australian visa. For the skilled visas — subclasses 189, 190 and 491 — what is mandatory is this: your nominated occupation must appear on the relevant skilled occupation list, you must hold a positive skills assessment from the competent assessing authority, you must be within the permitted age range, you must have at least Competent English, you must receive an invitation, and you must reach the 65-point threshold. Work experience is not a legal requirement — it only earns points. That means a young graduate with strong English can still reach the threshold. The non-points pathways (Student subclass 500, partner visas, 482/186) are not subject to a points test at all.
What the law says
The legal framework for this question sits in three layers, and each layer has its own source.
Layer one — the occupation list and skills assessment. For skilled visas, the nominated occupation must be on the relevant skilled occupation list. On its legislative instruments page for the skilled migration program, the Department of Home Affairs states that legislative instrument LIN 19/051 (specifying occupations and assessing authorities) governs the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) Points-tested stream, the Skilled Nominated visa (190) and the Skilled Work Regional visa (491). The skilled occupation list (SOL) summarises the occupations Australia needs in order to address skills shortages, and its scope covers subclasses 186, 189 (Points-tested stream), 190, 407, 482 (Core Skills stream), 485, 489, 491 and 494. The Core Skills Occupation List, introduced in December 2024, applies principally to the Skills in Demand visa (482) and the Direct Entry stream of the subclass 186 visa. An important point: the test is whether the occupation appears on the list, not whether it is a “professional” or degree-level occupation. Technical and trade occupations (welder, electrician, cook, for example) also appear on these lists, and their skills assessments are carried out by authorities such as TRA.
Layer two — the points threshold. The Department of Home Affairs makes clear that subclasses 189, 190 and 491 are all points-tested and that, to be invited, you must meet or exceed the 65-point threshold. That pass mark (pool/pass mark) is set by a legislative instrument. The points structure itself is set out in Schedule 6D of the Migration Regulations 1994 — “General points test for General Skilled Migration visas mentioned in subregulation 2.26AC(1)”.
Layer three — English language. The baseline level — Competent English — is defined in regulation 1.15C: the applicant must have sat a language test specified by the Minister in a written instrument and achieved the score specified in that instrument; for invited applicants the test must have been taken within the three years before the date of invitation, and in other cases within the three years before the date of application. Holders of passports from countries specified by the Minister are also taken to have Competent English. The instrument currently in force is the Migration (Specification of Language Tests, Test Scores and Passports) Instrument 2025, with the administrative reference LIN 25/016, which commenced on 7 August 2025 and replaced IMMI 15/005, specifying the tests and scores for Vocational, Competent, Proficient and Superior English. Sections 8 and 9 of that instrument specify the requirements for Proficient and Superior English respectively, with the required scores set out in the items of the table in Schedule 2.
Mandatory requirements versus points-earning factors
(a) What your case cannot proceed without (eligibility requirements):
- A nominated occupation on the skilled occupation list relevant to that particular subclass — under LIN 19/051 for 189, 190 and 491.
- A positive skills assessment from the competent assessing authority for that occupation.
- Being within the permitted age range at the time of invitation — for the subclass 189 visa, aged 18 to 44 (inclusive).
- At least Competent English — in the Part 6D.2 table, the baseline level equates to IELTS of at least 6 in each of the four components and PTE Academic of at least 50 in each of the four components.
- Lodging an EOI and receiving an invitation, together with reaching the 65-point threshold.
- Meeting the health & character requirements.
(b) What earns points (optional, yet in practice decisive for an invitation):
| Factor (Schedule 6D item) | Points |
|---|---|
| Aged 25 to under 33 (6D12) | 30 |
| Aged 18 to under 25 (6D11) / 33 to under 40 (6D13) | 25 / 25 |
| Superior English (regulation 1.15EA) | 20 |
| Proficient English (regulation 1.15D) | 10 |
| Competent English (the mandatory floor) | 0 points |
| Doctorate (6D71) | 20 |
| At least an Australian bachelor degree or recognised equivalent (6D72) | 15 |
| Australian diploma or trade qualification (6D73 / 6D74) | 10 / 10 |
| Meeting the Australian study requirement (6D81) | 5 |
| State nomination for the subclass 190 visa (6D121) | 5 |
| Work experience outside Australia (Part 6D.3) and in Australia (Part 6D.4) | Points-earning, not mandatory |
This very structure shows why “work experience” is not a legal requirement: Part 6D.3 deals with work experience outside Australia and Part 6D.4 with work experience in Australia (with “employed” defined in subregulation 2.26AC(6) as paid employment of at least 20 hours per week) — and scoring zero in those parts does not prevent you from reaching the pass mark. A sample combination: aged 28 (30) + Superior English (20) + bachelor degree (15) = 65 points, without a single day of work experience. On the practical side, however, bear in mind that many skills assessing authorities (such as ACS, VETASSESS and TRA) require work experience of their own before issuing a positive assessment, and the real-world competition for invitations sits well above the legal floor; reaching 65 points is no guarantee of an invitation.
(c) Language scores after LIN 25/016. For tests sat before 7 August 2025, Proficient English was met with PTE Academic of at least 65 in each of the four components and Superior English with PTE Academic of at least 79 in each of the four components. For tests sat from 7 August 2025, the benchmarks are set component by component: Proficient English in PTE Academic: Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 69, Speaking 76 and Superior English in PTE Academic: Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85, Speaking 88. Before booking a test, check the current version of Schedule 2 to LIN 25/016; the test is always the score in each individual component, never the average.
(d) Pathways with no points test. Migration to Australia is not confined to the points-tested route. The Student visa subclass 500 (where a language score plays a central role and neither an occupation nor work experience is required), partner and family visas, and employer-sponsored visas — Skills in Demand subclass 482 in the Core Skills stream and the Employer Nomination Scheme subclass 186 — do not apply the Schedule 6D points test at all. And in none of these pathways does a “PTE score alone” create a right of residence; each pathway has its own independent criteria.
What this means for you
As Dr Sirous Ahmadi explains, the accurate way to put it is this: “English alone is not enough, but English is the strongest lever you hold.” You cannot change your age, and you cannot upgrade your qualification quickly; but the 20 points for Superior English are, in practice, the single largest improvable component of your profile, and in highly competitive occupations those 20 points are the difference between “waiting in the queue” and “receiving an invitation”. In addition, partner skills points require that your spouse or partner be an applicant for the same subclass, not be an Australian permanent resident or citizen, be under 50 at the time of invitation, have nominated a skilled occupation, hold a positive skills assessment, and have Competent English at the time of invitation — meaning your partner’s English also bears directly on your points score.
Your practical roadmap therefore has three steps: first, match your occupation correctly against ANZSCO and confirm it appears on the relevant list; second, map out the path to a positive assessment with the assessing authority for that occupation; and third, lift your English to Proficient or Superior level so that your profile sits a competitive distance above the 65-point floor. If your profile is not well suited to the points-tested route, the sponsored, student or family pathways are often the smarter option. Dr Sirous Ahmadi, Australian migration lawyer, MARA registration 0854826, carries out precisely this comparative assessment for your case, based on the text of the Regulations and the legislative instruments currently in force.
Sources
- MIGRATION REGULATIONS 1994 — SCHEDULE 6D (General Skilled Migration points table), AustLII — classic.austlii.edu.au
- MIGRATION REGULATIONS 1994 — REG 1.15C “Competent English”, AustLII — austlii.edu.au
- LIN 25/016 — Migration (Specification of Language Tests, Test Scores and Passports) Instrument 2025 (registered 6 August 2025, commenced 7 August 2025) — legislation.gov.au
- Explanatory Statement — LIN 25/016 — legislation.gov.au
- SkillSelect — Expression of Interest (the 65-point threshold), Department of Home Affairs — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Skilled occupation list, Department of Home Affairs — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Working in Australia legislative instruments (LIN 19/051 for 189/190/491), Department of Home Affairs — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- Procedural Instruction: Subclass 189 (Skilled – Independent) visa, document released under FOI — homeaffairs.gov.au
- [Sch6D] Schedule 6D general points test — policy/guidance document released under FOI — homeaffairs.gov.au
- Points-Based and Family Immigration: Australia (Library of Congress) — the pass mark set by legislative instrument — tile.loc.gov
- Specified Language Tests and The Test Scores Required for Australian Visas (LIN 25/016 score tables) — skilledmigrationgroup.com
- Points Test & Requirements for Australian Migration (reproduction of the Part 6D.2 and Part 6D.1 tables) — victorylaw.com.au
- Skilled Occupation List (introduction of the CSOL from December 2024) — racc.net.au
- Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189) — age range and the competitive nature of invitations — visaenvoy.com
- Subclass 189 Skilled Independent — summary table of English language points — australian.com
- Skilled Migration Points Assessment (partner skills points requirements) — myaustraliaimmigration.com
Let’s build your case properly — the first time
If your PTE score is ready but you don’t know which list your occupation sits on, which assessing authority will accept your case, or how many points you genuinely have with your current age and qualifications, a careful assessment can save you months of trial and error and a great deal of wasted expense. Dr Sirous Ahmadi, Australian migration lawyer, MARA registration number 0854826, will match your profile clause by clause against Schedule 6D and the legislative instruments currently in force, and tell you frankly which pathway is best — points-tested, sponsored, student or family. Contact us today to book a dedicated consultation and receive your personalised roadmap.
Frequently asked questions
Can I migrate to Australia on a high PTE score alone?
No. No Australian visa is granted on the basis of a language score alone. For the skilled visas — 189, 190 and 491 — your nominated occupation must be on the relevant skilled occupation list, you must hold a positive skills assessment, be within the permitted age range, meet at least Competent English, receive an invitation and reach the 65-point threshold (Department of Home Affairs, SkillSelect EOI page). English is one of these components — and the one you can most readily improve.
Is work experience mandatory for the subclass 189 visa?
Legally, no. Under Schedule 6D, work experience outside Australia (Part 6D.3) and in Australia (Part 6D.4) is a points-earning factor, not an eligibility requirement; scoring zero in those parts does not stop you reaching the pass mark. For example: aged 25 to under 33 gives 30 points, Superior English 20 points, and at least a bachelor degree (item 6D72) 15 points = 65 points. The practical caveat is that many skills assessing authorities require work experience of their own.
How many points does each English level carry?
Competent English is the mandatory floor and earns no points; Proficient English earns 10 points and Superior English 20 points. For PTE Academic, the Competent baseline is 50 in each of the four components (Part 6D.2 table). For tests sat before 7 August 2025, Proficient equated to 65 and Superior to 79 in each of the four components; for tests sat from 7 August 2025 onwards, the scores are set component by component.
What are the new PTE scores after 7 August 2025?
Under legislative instrument LIN 25/016, which commenced on 7 August 2025, Proficient English in PTE Academic is: Listening 58, Reading 59, Writing 69, Speaking 76; and Superior English: Listening 69, Reading 70, Writing 85, Speaking 88. What counts is the score in each individual component, not the overall average.
Are only degree-level occupations eligible for skilled migration?
No. The test is whether your occupation is listed on the skilled occupation list relevant to that particular subclass, and those lists also include technical and trade occupations. For 189, 190 and 491, the Department of Home Affairs has made legislative instrument LIN 19/051 (specifying occupations and assessing authorities) the governing instrument, while the Core Skills Occupation List relates mainly to the 482 and 186 visas.
If I can’t reach 65 points, what options are left?
Pathways with no points test: the Student visa subclass 500 (where a language score plays a central role and neither an occupation nor work experience is required), partner and family visas, and employer-sponsored visas such as Skills in Demand (482) and the Employer Nomination Scheme (186). None of these pathways is granted on a language score alone either.
This answer reflects the law and policy as verified on October 8, 2026. Immigration rules change frequently — confirm the current position before acting.
Dr. Sirous Ahmadi Registered Migration Agent 0854826
This article is general information only, current at the date shown, and is not legal advice. Do not rely on it for your own situation — immigration law and policy change frequently. Seek advice from a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer about your circumstances.