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IELTS Requirements for Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)

Australia · DHA + state governments

Minimum Required

6Overall
6L
6R
6W
6S

Same as 189 but state nomination adds 5 points

Recommended For Best Outcomes

7Overall
7L
7R
7W
7S

Proficient English = +10 points on top of state nomination

Key Facts

  • State nomination adds 5 migration points, which combined with Proficient English can make a decisive difference.
  • Each state has its own occupation list and requirements separate from the federal IELTS bar.
  • NSW, VIC, QLD have the most popular streams and are most competitive.

Tips

  • If your current band is 6.0-6.5, target a state with a less competitive nomination list while you improve your IELTS.
  • South Australia and Tasmania often have lower competition for similar occupations.

Processing time: 8-18 months

🇮🇳 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 → graduate visa → PR nomination.

A counsellor's honest guidance

Think of your IELTS score as the key that unlocks admission - and the admission letter is what actually makes your Visa 190 - State Nominatedpossible. If you do these four things in order, you'll avoid the mistakes that cost students a year:

  1. 1.

    Confirm the exact band your course needs.The number on your own program's admissions page is the one that counts - not a general figure you read online.

  2. 2.

    Plan the money early. A Australia student visa asks you to show you can fund tuition and living costs, so build a realistic budget before you fall in love with a city. See Australia cost of living →

  3. 3.

    Compare your routes.If one visa path doesn't fit your situation, another might suit you better. All Australia IELTS requirements →

  4. 4.

    Practise against the real bar, not a guess. Take a scored mock test so you know your current band by skill before you book the real exam.

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 → 8.5) while keeping others the same.

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

Single-skill path to Band 7

Listening

Currently 6.5 → need 8.5

+2.0

Reading

Currently 6.0 → need 8.0

+2.0

Writing

Currently 6.0 → need 8.0

+2.0

Speaking

Currently 6.5 → 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

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Australia Visa Types

Visa 189 - Skilled IndependentStudent Visa 500TSS Visa 482

Compare other countries

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