Home/๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia/Visa 189 - Skilled Independent

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia ยท Department of Home Affairs (DHA)

IELTS Score for Australia Visa 189 - Skilled Independent - 2026 Requirements

Competent English (6.0 in each component) is the minimum to get the visa, but earns 0 bonus points.

Minimum IELTS scores required

6.0

Overall

6.0

Listening

6.0

Reading

6.0

Writing

6.0

Speaking

Competent English - required for visa grant

Want more points / stronger application?

Target band: 7.0+ - Proficient English = +10 migration points

L 7 / R 7 / W 7 / S 7

Key Facts - Visa 189 - Skilled Independent

  • Competent English (6.0 in each component) is the minimum to get the visa, but earns 0 bonus points.
  • Proficient English (7.0 in each component) earns +10 migration points.
  • Superior English (8.0 in each component) earns +20 migration points.
  • No "overall" band shortcut - every component must independently meet the threshold.
  • IELTS Academic only (General Training is not accepted for skilled migration).
Source: Department of Home Affairs (DHA). Requirements subject to change - always verify with the official body before submitting.

How to achieve these scores

Tips specific to reaching the 6.0 band for this visa.

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Getting every single skill to 7.0 is more valuable than an 8.0 overall - component floors matter more than averages.

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Prioritise your weakest skill to unlock the next tier - often Writing is the bottleneck.

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IELTS results used for migration are valid for 3 years.

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ For Indian applicants

Australia is the second most popular destination for Indian students after Canada. The Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) and the Skilled Independent Visa (189) together create the most popular pathway: study โ†’ graduate visa โ†’ PR nomination.

How close are you to this requirement?

Enter your current scores to find the single skill that gets you to Band 6.0.

Listening
6.5
Reading
6.0
Writing
6.0
Speaking
6.5

Current

6.5

+0.5 band to go

Target

7.0

Easiest path to Band 7

Improve Listening by +2.0 (6.5 โ†’ 8.5) while keeping others the same.

Dictation drills for Section 4, shadowing at 0.9ร— speed, and timed note-completion practice.

Single-skill path to Band 7

Listening

Currently 6.5 โ†’ need 8.5

+2.0

Reading

Currently 6.0 โ†’ need 8.0

+2.0

Writing

Currently 6.0 โ†’ need 8.0

+2.0

Speaking

Currently 6.5 โ†’ need 8.5

+2.0
Practice the skill you need to improve

Do this next

Stop spreading effort across all four modules. Your fastest route to Band 7.0 is Listening.

Students lose time when they "study harder" instead of fixing the exact skill blocking the next score jump.

Start Listening improvement now

Target: Band 6.0

Practice for this exact requirement

Take a free AI-graded mock test, see your current band by skill, and get paragraph-level feedback on exactly what is holding you back.

Frequently Asked Questions

The minimum overall IELTS band is 6.0. Competent English - required for visa grant Individual skill requirements apply - check the table above.

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