English requirement for partners of 186 visa applicants

Amasha
September 16, 2025
14 min read
186 english partner.png

What is the English language requirement for dependents of the 186 visa?

Fulfilling the English language requirement for the 186 visa is mandatory for both the 186 visa applicant and their dependents who are 18 years above. The department requires the dependents over 18 years for the 186 visa to have Functional english. Functional English is lower than Competent English that is expected from the 186 visa applicants. Functional English is 4.5 average score for IELTS. And if the dependents over 18 or the partner cannot fulfill this requirement then they will have to pay a second installment

How to fulfill the English language requirement?

There are various ways in which you can fulfill the English language requirement as a partner or a dependent above 18 for a 186 visa.

  1. Be a passport holder of certain countries
  2. Have completed a higher qualification
  3. Have studied in certain education institutes
  4. Have completed an English language test

1. Be a passport holder of certain countries

Have a valid passport from the following countires:

  • Canada
  • New Zealand
  • Republic of Ireland
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain
  • Northern Ireland
  • United States of America.

British National (Overseas) passports are not accepted as evidence of functional English

2. Have completed higher qualification

You must have completed a 

  • Degree
  • Higher degree
  • Diploma
  • Trade certificate 

The institution that the dependent or the partner got the above qualifications from can be in or outside Australia. However the qualification must have required at least 2 years of full-time study or training and all instructions must have been in English.

3.Having studied in certain educational institutions

The dependent or the partner must be able to fulfill one of the requirements below 

r

Educational institutions

A primary school and secondary school, in or outside Australia, where all instruction was in English

Study times

Study times

Must have studied all years of primary and at least 3 years of secondary education

y

A secondary school, in or outside Australia, where all instruction was in English

e

Must have studied at least 5 years of secondary education

e

An institution in Australia, where all instruction was in English, towards one of the following awards:

  • a degree
  • a higher degree
  • a diploma
  • an associate diploma.

e

  • Must have At least 1 year of full-time study towards an award, or
  • The part-time equivalent of 1 year of full-time study towards an award

e

4.Have completed an English language test

Must have gotten one of the following test scorers within the last 3 years. 

If the partner or the dependent has done the English language tests after the 7th August 2025 then they should fulfill one of the test scores below.

w

An overall band score of at least 38 

c

An overall band score of at least 1020

e

An overall band score of at least 38

r

An overall band score of at least 24

w

If the partner or the dependent has done the English language tests before the 6th August 2025 then they should have sat for the tests within the last 12 months and fulfill one of the test scores below.

t

Test

e

Scores

r

A total band score of at least 147 

An average band score of at least 4.5

An average band score of at least 4.5

q

A total band score of at least 30

The types of tests that is not accepted

English language that are completed completely online are not accepted. Such examples are:

  • IELTS Online
  • LANGUAGECERT Academic Online
  • OET@Home
  • CELPIP Online
  • MET Digital (taken at-home)
  • TOEFL iBT - Home Edition

Exemptions for the English language requirement for the partner of the 186 visa applicant

If the partner or the dependent is unable to fulfill the English language requirement, then an extra payment called tthe second installment will have to be paid. The second installment is priced at AUD 4,890.

186 visa applicant

186 visa applicant

Competent English

IELTS- 6.0 for each of the test components

PTE:

  • 47 for listening
  • 48 for reading
  • 51 for writing
  • 54 for speaking

Dependent/ partner of 186 visa applicant

Dependent/ partner of 186 visa applicant

Functional English

IELTS- an average band score of at least 4.5

PTE- an overall band score of at least 24

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