IELTS or PTE for Australia from Pakistan: how to pick based on your English skills

Tips · 2026-10-16 · 9 min read

A man wearing headphones studies on a laptop at a home desk with an open notebook and pen beside him.

Both IELTS and PTE Academic are accepted by Australia's Department of Home Affairs for skilled and employer-sponsored visas, including the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), so the choice usually comes down to which test format suits you, not which one Home Affairs prefers. If your job offer is in New Zealand instead, Immigration New Zealand does not name specific tests the way Home Affairs does; it only asks whether you can speak and understand English, and only for jobs at certain skill levels. More than 89,633 Pakistan-born people were counted in Australia at the 2021 Census, and many of them moved on a visa that required proof of English, so this is a step most applicants from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other cities will need to plan for.

Which English tests Home Affairs accepts

For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, Home Affairs accepts nine English tests sat at a secure test centre: C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, LANGUAGECERT Academic, the Michigan English Test (MET), OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT. Full details are on Home Affairs' English language requirements page. IELTS and PTE Academic are simply the two most familiar names to most applicants from Pakistan, and both lead to exactly the same visa outcome once you reach the score you need.

One rule applies no matter which test you pick: Home Affairs does not accept a test delivered entirely online at home. Versions such as IELTS Online, OET@Home and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition do not count, even when the same organisation also runs an in-person version that does. Always book a seat at a physical, secure test centre.

IELTS or PTE for the subclass 482 visa: the score you need

If your pathway is the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) Core Skills or Specialist Skills stream, and your test was taken on or after 13 September 2025, the minimum scores on the subclass 482 visa's sufficient English page are set out below.

Component	IELTS Academic or General Training	PTE Academic
Listening	5.0	33
Reading	5.0	36
Writing	5.0	29
Speaking	5.0	24

Both score sets lead to the same visa outcome: once you reach the number in the row for your test, that requirement is met. There is no single average score for the 482 visa; each of the four components above has to be reached on its own.

If you are aiming for the subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa

The subclass 189 visa has its own rule, set out on the subclass 189 points table: you must be aged under 45 when you are invited to apply, and you must have at least competent English at the time of that invitation. Check SkillSelect and the current points table before you book a test, because the points-tested programme is reviewed separately from the 482 visa's sufficient-English rule above.

If your job offer is in New Zealand

Immigration New Zealand's Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV), covered on Immigration New Zealand's AEWV page, works differently. If the job is at ANZSCO or NOL skill level 3, 4 or 5, you must show you can speak and understand English, and your test result cannot be more than 2 years old. If the job is skill level 1 or 2, there is no English requirement at all. Immigration New Zealand's page does not set out named tests and scores the way Home Affairs does, so always check directly with your employer which evidence they expect for your specific role. Our guide to New Zealand's AEWV covers the rest of the accreditation route.

How long your test result stays valid

For the subclass 482 visa, your English test must have been taken within 3 years before you apply. For the AEWV, the limit is 2 years. Plan backwards from when you expect to lodge your application or start the job, not from when you begin studying, so your result is still valid on the day you need it.

Booking your test in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad

IELTS and PTE Academic each publish their own test centres and dates on their official booking pages. Check for your nearest centre, whether that is in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad or elsewhere, and book and pay directly with the test provider rather than through a middleman. Many of the roles that ask for a verified English score are office and technical jobs, such as these IT and technology jobs or administration jobs advertised on JobsAbroad Pakistan right now.

Choosing between IELTS and PTE based on how you work

If you prefer to write by hand and talk with a live examiner face-to-face, IELTS Academic's speaking test and paper-based writing task may feel more natural. If you are faster and more confident typing, and prefer a fully computer-based test where the speaking section is recorded rather than face-to-face, PTE Academic can suit you better. Neither test is judged easier by Home Affairs: the scores in the table above simply convert one test's scale into the other's, so the right test is the one that plays to your existing strengths, not the one your friends chose.

You can see what strong English looks like in practice on live roles such as this Account Manager position in Sydney or this Trainer and Assessor role in Perth, where clear written and spoken English is part of the job itself, not only the visa. If you want to practise before test day, a service such as PractiseNow has IELTS and PTE practice exercises you can work through at your own pace.

How to choose and book your test, step by step

Decide which pathway you are planning for: the 482 visa, the 189 visa, or a job offer under New Zealand's AEWV, because each one sets a different English rule.
Check the current score or requirement for that pathway on the Home Affairs or Immigration New Zealand page before you commit to a test date.
Pick IELTS Academic or PTE Academic based on the test format you are more comfortable with, not on rumours about which one is "easier."
Book your test at a secure, in-person test centre through the official provider's own website; never book an online-only "at home" version.
Keep your test date inside the valid window for your pathway: 3 years for the 482 visa, 2 years for the AEWV, counted back from when you expect to apply or start work.
Keep your official results report and booking confirmation together with your other visa documents.

Common mistakes

Booking an at-home or fully online version of a test, such as IELTS Online or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition, which Home Affairs does not accept for Australian visas.
Sitting the test too early, then letting the result age past 3 years before lodging a subclass 482 application, or past 2 years for the AEWV.
Reading a PTE score as if it sits on the same 0-9 scale as IELTS; they are different scoring systems, and the table above is the safest way to compare them.
Assuming a New Zealand job needs the same score table as Australia's 482 visa; the AEWV does not publish Australia's named-test scores, and its requirement only applies to jobs at skill level 3 to 5.

Frequently asked questions

Does Home Affairs accept IELTS Online or PTE taken at home?

No. Home Affairs does not accept English tests delivered entirely online at home, including IELTS Online, OET@Home and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition, even where the same provider also runs an in-person version that is accepted.

What PTE score do I need for the subclass 482 visa?

For tests taken on or after 13 September 2025, the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams of the subclass 482 visa ask for PTE Academic scores of at least Listening 33, Reading 36, Writing 29 and Speaking 24.

What IELTS score do I need for the subclass 482 visa?

For the same streams and test dates, the IELTS Academic or General Training minimum is 5.0 in each of listening, reading, writing and speaking; every component has to reach 5.0 on its own.

How recent must my English test be?

For the subclass 482 visa, the test must have been taken within 3 years before you apply. For New Zealand's AEWV, a result must be no more than 2 years old on the date it is assessed.

Do I need IELTS or PTE for a New Zealand job offer?

Immigration New Zealand does not require a named test; under the AEWV it only asks that you can speak and understand English, and only when the job sits at ANZSCO or NOL skill level 3, 4 or 5.

What English level do I need for the subclass 189 visa?

You must have at least competent English at the time you are invited to apply, as well as being aged under 45 at that point; check the current SkillSelect points table for how that level is assessed.

Key takeaways

IELTS Academic and PTE Academic both satisfy Home Affairs' English requirement for the 482 and 189 visas; pick the one that matches your strengths, not a rumour about which is easier.
Home Affairs never accepts an online, at-home version of any test, no matter which one you choose.
The subclass 482 visa needs your test within the last 3 years; New Zealand's AEWV needs it within the last 2 years and only for skill level 3 to 5 jobs.
The subclass 189 visa asks for at least competent English and an age under 45 at the time of invitation, assessed through SkillSelect's points table.
Book directly with the official test provider, keep your results and booking confirmation, and plan your test date around the pathway's validity window.

#ielts #pte #english test #subclass 482 #skilled migration visa #new zealand work visa #pakistan