Who can skip IELTS, CELPIP or PTE? English test rules by country

Exemptions by country at a glance

Sources: IRCC, Express Entry language test results (page details 16 October 2026); Home Affairs, Competent, Proficient and Superior English (read 22 October 2026); GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa: knowledge of English; Immigration New Zealand, English language requirements for skilled residence visas (read 22 October 2026). Other visas in the same country have their own rules.

Canada: no exemption for Express Entry

IRCC states that you must prove your language skills by taking an approved test, scheduling it with an agency approved by IRCC and entering the results in your Express Entry profile. The English tests it accepts are CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core. It does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry.

There is no nationality exemption and no exemption for studying in English on that page. Results must be less than 2 years old when you complete your profile and when you submit your application, so a test taken now can expire while you wait in the pool. Language scores feed straight into your CRS, so see the Canada PR points calculator, and for test preparation see our IELTS and PTE pages.

Australia: a passport only proves Competent English

Home Affairs says you can show Competent English with evidence that you are a citizen of, and hold a valid passport issued by, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States. Proficient and Superior English, the levels that earn 10 and 20 points, need a test result. UAE, Indian and Sri Lankan passports are not on that list.

These are the minimums for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, with every component at or above the figure. Other approved tests are on the Home Affairs pages. Results must be from the 3 years before your visa application, depending on the subclass. Other Australian visas, such as employer-sponsored ones, set their own English rules, so check the visa page. Your skills assessment body can ask for its own English evidence as well. More on points in the Australia skilled migration guide.

Source: Home Affairs, Competent English, Proficient English and Superior English (last updated 21 September 2026), read 22 October 2026.

United Kingdom: nationality, UK qualifications or an English-taught degree

GOV.UK says you will usually need to prove English for a Skilled Worker visa, and lists the ways: a UK school qualification you began under 18 (GCSE, A Level, Scottish National Qualification level 4 or 5, Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English), a degree from a UK institution, a degree from outside the UK that was taught in English, or a Secure English Language Test. For a degree outside the UK you apply to Ecctis, which gives you a code to confirm it is equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree or higher and taught in English.

You do not need to prove English if you are a national of one of the listed countries (see the question below), and doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and vets who have passed an assessment accepted by their professional body are also exempt. The required level is B2 on the CEFR scale. If you held this visa before 8 January 2026 and are extending or updating it, B1 applies and you do not need to prove English again. See the UK Skilled Worker visa page.

Source: GOV.UK, Skilled Worker visa: knowledge of English, read 22 October 2026 (the page shows no revision date).

New Zealand: citizenship, or a degree from six countries

For a skilled residence visa Immigration New Zealand lets the principal applicant show English through citizenship, work and study, or through a test. The citizenship route is for citizens of Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States, who must also have spent at least 5 years working or studying in one of those countries, Australia or New Zealand. The study route is a bachelor’s degree comparable with a New Zealand level 7, gained in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US with at least 2 years living there while studying, or a postgraduate qualification with at least 1 year.

A degree from a UAE campus, including a branch of a UK or Australian university, does not meet this rule as written, because you must have lived in one of the six countries while studying. The test route needs an in-person sitting at a test centre, with a result no more than 2 years old; at-home tests are not accepted. See our New Zealand skilled migration page.

Source: Immigration New Zealand, English language requirements for skilled residence visas, and the Skilled Migrant Category resident visa page, read 22 October 2026.

If you studied in English in the UAE

Passports from the UAE, the GCC states, India and Sri Lanka appear on none of the passport lists above. Studying in English in the UAE does not exempt you for Canada, Australia or New Zealand. The UK is the one route where a degree can count: a degree awarded by a UK institution counts even if you studied at its UAE campus, and any other English-taught degree counts after an Ecctis check. If you expect to qualify under one of these rules, get the evidence now: the passport page, degree certificate and transcripts, and the Ecctis reference where it applies.

Questions we get about English test exemptions

Can I skip IELTS if I studied in English?

For Canada, Australia and New Zealand, studying in English in the UAE does not exempt you; New Zealand only counts degrees gained in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US. For the UK Skilled Worker visa, a degree taught in English from outside the UK can count if Ecctis confirms it is equivalent to a UK bachelor's degree or higher and taught in English. Always check the exact visa page.

Is there an English test exemption for Canada PR?

IRCC's Express Entry language page lists none. It says you must prove your language skills by taking an approved test and entering the results in your profile, and the results must be less than 2 years old when you complete the profile and when you apply. Other programs may set their own language rules, so check the program you are using.

Which passports let me skip the English test for Australia?

Home Affairs accepts citizens who hold a valid passport from Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States as proof of Competent English. That level scores 0 points on the skilled points test, so you still need a test for Proficient English (10 points) or Superior English (20 points).

Which countries are exempt from the UK Skilled Worker English requirement?

GOV.UK says you do not need to prove your English if you are a national of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British overseas territories, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago or the USA. A UK school qualification or a UK degree also works.

Does New Zealand have an English exemption for skilled migrants?

Yes, in limited cases. Immigration New Zealand accepts citizens of Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States who have spent at least 5 years working or studying in those countries, Australia or New Zealand, or a bachelor's degree gained after living at least 2 years in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US, or a postgraduate qualification after at least 1 year.

How long are English test results valid?

Canada: less than 2 years old at profile and at application. New Zealand: no more than 2 years old when you apply, and sat in person at a test centre. Australia: taken within the 3 years before your visa application, depending on the subclass. The UK requires a Secure English Language Test at level B2 where you are not exempt.

Ask us whether you need an English test

Reviewed by the Cosmos case team, 22 October 2026. Cosmos Immigration is a private consultancy, not a government body. English rules, accepted tests and scores are set by each government and can change without notice. Cosmos works with affiliated lawyers and attorneys in every country we serve.

Sources

• IRCC: Express Entry, language test results (page details 16 October 2026)
• Home Affairs: Competent English (passport route; last updated 21 September 2026)
• Home Affairs: Proficient English (test scores)
• Home Affairs: Superior English (test scores)
• GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, knowledge of English (read 22 October 2026)
• Immigration New Zealand: English language requirements for skilled residence visas (read 22 October 2026)
• Immigration New Zealand: Skilled Migrant Category resident visa (read 22 October 2026)