Australia  Visa Evidence of Functional English Language Proficiency (Starting August 2025)

The proof of the understanding of the English language was made under the Migration Act 1958 and the Migration Regulations 1994. It's called the Migration (Evidence of Functional English Language Proficiency) Instrument 2025 (LIN 25/014). They want to make it clear what kind of proof is needed to show that someone can speak "functional English" in order to get certain Australian visas. Language skills are important because you need to be able to speak and understand English to get a visa, move to Australia, and settle down there.

What are the latest changes implemented in LIN?

On August 7, 2025, the new instrument, IMMI 15/004, will take the place of the old one. Even though the rules stay the same, LIN 25/014 makes it clearer how candidates can show they can use English correctly and changes the ways that are now allowed to test their English. The new device will be ready soon, but test results from the old one can still be used until then. People who took English tests between August 5, 2024, and August 6, 2025 under IMMI 15/004 can still move to a new country.

Under LIN 25/014, there are three main ways to show that you can use practical English –

• They must show proof that they have learned English, such as having finished a certain number of years of school in an English-speaking environment with good grades. People who study English for a long time can live and work in Australia because they have the useful language skills they need.
• Someone may speak English well enough to get by if they recently did well on an official English test. The Occupational English Test (OET), the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic), the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Programme General (CELPIP General), and the Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) are all tests that can be used. The instrument gives applicants more than one choice and takes into account global testing standards by including a list of approved foreign tests.
• People with a legal passport from the UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, or New Zealand are thought to fully understand and use English without any other proof. People in those countries speak the same language, so this rule makes things easy for the government.

The tool was made after talking to important people to make sure it fits with the policy's goals and meets the needs of candidates. Under the Legislation Act 2003, it is not possible to reject this type of legislative paper, and it does not need to say that it is in line with human rights.

Functional English norms are kept clear, consistent, and easy to understand by LIN 25/014 as a whole. This helps make sure that Australia's immigration system works well and increases the chances of arrivals staying.