IELTS score requirements
The scores regulators and immigration departments ask for, quoted from their own pages. Each entry links to the official source and shows the date we checked it; we re-check every source each month and flag any page whose source has changed.
United Kingdom
| Requirement | Test | Scores | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| NMC (nurses, midwives and nursing associates)Professional registration | IELTS Academic | Listening 7.0, reading 7.0, writing 6.5, speaking 7.0 | 23 Oct 2026 |
| GMC (doctors)Professional registration | IELTS Academic | Overall 7.5; 7.0 in each skill | 23 Oct 2026 |
| HCPC (allied health professions)Professional registration | IELTS Academic or General Training | Overall 7.0; 6.5 in each skill | 23 Oct 2026 |
| GPhC (pharmacists and pharmacy technicians)Professional registration | IELTS Academic | Overall 7.0; 7.0 in each skill | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker visasVisa and migration | IELTS for UKVI (Academic or General Training) | 5.5 in each skill; CEFR B2 in reading, writing, speaking and listening | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Student visaStudy | IELTS for UKVI, or a test your university accepts | CEFR B2 for degree-level study; CEFR B1 below degree level | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Family visa (partner or spouse)Visa and migration | IELTS Life Skills (speaking and listening) | CEFR A1 for a first application; A2 to extend after 2.5 years; B1 for settlement after 5 years | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Settlement (ILR) and British citizenshipSettlement and citizenship | IELTS Life Skills B1, or IELTS for UKVI | CEFR B1 in speaking and listening (B2 for settlement from 26 March 2027) | 23 Oct 2026 |
Canada
| Requirement | Test | Scores | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express Entry: Federal Skilled WorkerVisa and migration | IELTS General Training | 6.0 in each skill; CLB 7 in all four abilities | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Express Entry: Canadian Experience ClassVisa and migration | IELTS General Training | 6.0 in each skill; CLB 7 for TEER 0 or 1 jobs; CLB 5 for TEER 2 or 3 jobs | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Federal Skilled Trades ProgramVisa and migration | IELTS General Training | Listening 5.0, reading 3.5, writing 4.0, speaking 5.0; CLB 5 in speaking and listening; CLB 4 in reading and writing | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Canadian citizenshipSettlement and citizenship | IELTS General Training | Listening 4.5, speaking 4.0; CLB 4 in speaking and listening | 23 Oct 2026 |
Australia
| Requirement | Test | Scores | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled visas (competent, proficient and superior English)Visa and migration | IELTS Academic or General Training | 6.0 in each skill; Competent English (the minimum for most skilled visas) | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Student visa (subclass 500)Study | IELTS Academic or General Training | Overall 6.0 | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Nurses and midwives (NMBA, Ahpra)Professional registration | IELTS Academic | Overall 7.0; listening 7.0, reading 7.0, writing 6.5, speaking 7.0 | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Doctors (Medical Board of Australia)Professional registration | IELTS Academic | Overall 7.0; listening 7.0, reading 7.0, writing 6.5, speaking 7.0 | 23 Oct 2026 |
New Zealand
| Requirement | Test | Scores | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Migrant CategoryVisa and migration | IELTS Academic or General Training | Overall 6.5 | 23 Oct 2026 |
| Nurses (Nursing Council of New Zealand)Professional registration | IELTS Academic | Listening 7.0, reading 7.0, writing 6.5, speaking 7.0 | 23 Oct 2026 |
How we keep these right
Every figure is copied from the regulator's or government's own page, never from another website. A person confirms each entry at least every six months, and an automated check visits every source monthly to confirm the wording is still there. If a source changes, the page is marked as being rechecked until we have confirmed the new figures.
These pages summarise published requirements. They are not immigration or legal advice, and we cannot advise on individual cases.
IELTS is a registered trademark. IELTS Prep Studio is not affiliated with or endorsed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, or Cambridge Assessment English.