The three-year clock on an English result starts on the test day. Not the re-sit day, not the lodgement day and not the day the offer was signed. We put that date in the offer letter for every sponsored hire, because it decides whether the evidence still stands when the Department reads it. A result that lapses while the nomination waits invites a request for information nobody needs.
This note sets out the English position for subclass 482 applications in 2026. It covers who is exempt, which tests count, how the single-component re-sit works and where the dates belong in the contract.
In short: Most 482 applicants must meet the component score for an approved test, with IELTS requiring 5.0 in each of the four components. Results last three years from the test day, and for tests taken from 13 September 2025 a single component can be re-sat.
Does the worker need a test at all?
Which describes the applicant?
The approved tests and their scores
The English instrument that commenced on 13 September 2025 names seven approved tests. Each carries its own minimum for listening, reading, writing and speaking. Every component must clear its line, and a strong overall score does not rescue a weak component.
| Test | Minimum in each component |
|---|---|
| IELTS Academic or General Training | 5.0 in each of the four components |
| PTE Academic | Listening 33, reading 36, writing 29, speaking 24 |
| TOEFL iBT | Listening 8, reading 8, writing 9, speaking 14 |
| CELPIP General | 5 in each component |
| LANGUAGECERT Academic | Listening 41, reading 44, writing 45, speaking 54 |
| Michigan English Test | Listening 49, reading 47, writing 45, speaking 38 |
| OET | B in each component |
The instrument applies to 482 applications lodged on or after 13 September 2025. Almost every current application falls under it. Applications lodged before that date stay with the earlier instrument and its single-sitting rule.
The single-component re-sit
For tests taken on or after 13 September 2025, an applicant who meets the score in three components can re-sit only the fourth. The provider must offer a single-skill retake as an official product, such as the IELTS One Skill Retake. The Department then reads the original test day and the re-sit day together.
Two limits apply. The flexibility does not reach tests taken before 13 September 2025, which must satisfy the older single-sitting rule. And the re-sit does not restart the three-year clock. Validity runs from the original test day, so a late re-sit buys a pass, not extra time.
Can components from two different tests be combined?
No. The combined evidence rule pairs an original test with a single-skill re-sit from the same provider and the same test type. An IELTS listening score cannot sit beside a PTE writing score. A change of provider means a full test again. OET is approved for the 482 visa, but most providers accept only health-sector candidates, so applicants outside health use one of the other six tests.
When the evidence is given
The test day must fall within three years of the day the evidence is given. Where the result goes in with the application, the relevant day is the lodgement day. We treat lodgement as the deadline, because a result that is fine today and lapses next month creates avoidable questions.
The requirement is assessed at decision, so evidence can follow lodgement. A missing result, though, invites a request for information and delays the decision. If the Department asks for the evidence later, the three years run to the day it is provided. The lodgement day no longer matters.
The subclass 186 visa asks for a higher level of English than the 482 visa. A worker who sits the higher level once avoids a second test two years on. Secondary applicants over 18 without functional English at the 186 stage may face a second instalment of $4,890. Our two-year plan for the 482 to 186 transition puts the English step on the calendar.
Figures verified against Home Affairs visa pricing as at 1 July 2026.
Where the dates belong in the contract
English evidence is the worker's requirement, but the employer carries the cost of a delay. A nomination approved while the visa waits on a re-sit gains nothing. So our commercial practice writes the English step into the offer letter rather than leaving it to chance.
Commencement is conditional on grant of a visa permitting the work. The offer records the test date the worker has relied on, and the day it will pass three years. Where a re-sit is planned, the offer fixes a date by which the combined result must be provided. If the employer pays for the test, the contract records it as a benefit, separate from the assured salary. Our note on employment contracts for sponsored staff sets out the full clause.
Where English sits among the other requirements
English is the sixth of seven requirements, and the one most often booked too early or too late. Too early, and the result may lapse before the nomination is decided. Too late, and the visa waits on a test date while the nomination sits idle. Our note on 482 eligibility in order shows where it belongs in the sequence.
If a worker's result is borderline on scores or dates, send it to us before the nomination is lodged. The contact page has the details.
Frequently asked questions
Can the employer pay for the English test?
Yes. Paying for the worker's test is not a prohibited recovery of sponsorship costs. Record it as a benefit outside the assured salary, and do not seek to claw it back if the worker later leaves.
Can a result used for a graduate visa be reused for the 482?
Yes, provided three things hold. The test is one of the seven approved tests. Every component meets the 482 score. The test day is within three years of the day the evidence is given. Check the date carefully, because graduate visa results are often older than people think.
Should the start date wait for the English result?
Yes. The visa cannot be granted without the English requirement being met, and the worker cannot lawfully start without the visa. We fix commencement by reference to grant rather than to a calendar date.
Does the worker's partner need English for the 482?
No. The 482 requirement attaches to the primary applicant only. A partner included as a secondary applicant does not sit a test at this stage. The 186 stage, though, can carry a charge for adults without functional English.
Our worker sat the test in August 2025 and missed one component. Can they re-sit just that one?
No. The combined evidence rule applies only where the original test was taken on or after 13 September 2025. A test from August 2025 must meet the single-sitting rule, so a full re-test is needed.
General information as at 2 September 2026. Not legal advice. The English instrument sets the legal requirements, and eligibility turns on the facts of each case, so obtain advice before acting.