Take IELTS
Pave your way to Australia, UK and Canada
Australia, UK and Canada have been amongst the top destinations for Hong Kong migrants for decades. Three countries are predominately English-speaking communities and have clear guidelines for those who wish to stay for good in respect of their abilities to use the English language. If you are yet to make up your mind where to go, taking IELTS is something worth doing now because it is the only English proficiency test approved by nations.
IELTS for Australia visas and immigration
If you wish to migrate to Australia, the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection will require that you demonstrate your English abilities as part of your visa application. IELTS is the most popular English language proficiency test for migrants to Australia. It evaluates your English proficiency on a scale of 0 to 9 in each of four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Most Skilled Visas for immigration into Australia require that applicants achieve a minimum score on the Points Test, which award points for a number of different areas including English language ability. Different visas require varying degrees of English language proficiency, categorised as Superior English, Proficient English, and Competent English. The table below illustrates how IELTS results correspond to the Point Test.
| Points for English Language Ability | |
| English Language Ability | Points |
| Superior English - person has a score of 8 or more in IELTS in each of the four test components. | 20 |
| Proficient English - person has a score of 7 or more in IELTS in each of the four test components. | 10 |
| Competent English - person has a score of 6 or more in IELTS in each of the four test components. | 0 |
Work in Australia
If you wish to work in Australia, the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection will require that you demonstrate your English abilities as part of your visa application.
Most Skilled Visas for immigration into Australia require that applicants achieve a minimum score on the Points Test, which award points for a number of different areas including English language ability. Different visas require varying degrees of English language proficiency, categorised as Superior English, Proficient English, and Competent English. The table below illustrates how IELTS results correspond to the Point Test.
With IELTS, you can be confident that you are taking a test that is trusted by institutions and organisations throughout Australia. IELTS results are accepted by all professional associations in Australia that have set minimum language requirements for professional registration.
You have a choice of two tests, IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training. Your choice of tests will depend on the requirements set by the organisation. The tests evaluate your English proficiency on a scale of 0 to 9 in each of four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
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IELTS for UK visas and immigration
A highly sophisticated visa system is in place in the UK for people who wish to settle in the country for different reasons, with Tier 1 Investor Visa, Tier 1 Start-up, Tier 1 Innovator Visa and Tier 2 Work Visa being the most popular amongst Hongkongers. While Tier 1 Investor Visa imposes no specific English language proficiency requirements and aims to attract applicants who can bring in investment of no less than £2M, the other three visa types require people to demonstrate their knowledge of English by passing an approved English test, including IELTS.
- Tier 1 Start-up and Tier 1 Innovator Visa
Both visas are tailored for potential entrepreneurs who wish to start their business in the UK, but applicants should have at least the CEFR level B2 of English as part of their application.
- Tier 2 Work Visa
The release of the White Paper on Post-Brexit Immigration in 2018 by the Home Office has made it easier for the people of Hong Kong to look for long-term employment in the UK, though you still need to prove your knowledge of the English language by achieving at least CEFR level B1 in an approved English test.
This table summarizes respectively the minimum IELTS scores for applying Tier 1 Start-up, Tier 1 Innovator and Tier 2 Work Visas:
| Visa category | Minimum CEFR level required | Language skills tested | Basic IELTS scores you need for successful visa application (including overall band score and scores in individual papers) |
| Tier 1 Start-up | B2 | Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening | IELTS for UKVI* – band score: 5.5 5.5 in all 4 papers |
| Tier 1 Innovator | B2 | Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening | IELTS for UKVI* – band score: 5.5 5.5 in all 4 papers |
| Work | B1 | Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening | IELTS for UKVI* – band score: 4.0 4.0 in all 4 papers OR A pass in IELTS Life Skills B1 (Speaking and Listening) |
*The Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) is an international standard for describing language ability. Using a six-point scale from A1 for beginners up to C2 for those who have mastered a language, CEFR is widely accepted as the European standard for grading an individual’s language proficiency.
*IELTS for UKVI is available in two formats: IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training.
*Anyone who succeeds in securing a UK residence visa needs to live in the country for a specific period before an application for citizenship can be submitted.
- Family Visa
If you’re applying for a family visa, English language proficiency is one of the criteria that needs to be satisfied.
| Visa category | Minimum CEFR level required | Language skills tested | Basic IELTS scores you need for successful visa application (including overall band score and scores in individual papers) |
Family visa
|
A1 | Speaking, Listening | A pass in IELTS Life Skills A1 OR Score 4.0 in the Speaking and Listening components of IELTS for UKVI* |
Family visa (extension)
|
A2 | Speaking, Listening | A pass in IELTS Life Skills A2 OR Score 4.0 in the Speaking and Listening components of IELTS for UKVI* |
| Indefinite leave to remain or citizenship | B1 | Speaking, Listening | A pass in IELTS Life Skills B1 OR Score 4.0 in the Speaking and Listening components of IELTS for UKVI* |
New rules on UK work visas for international graduates
International students who choose to study a program at or below degree level in the UK can take the right format of IELTS to demonstrate their ability to use the English language. Following the announcement of new immigration policies by the British government in September 2019, international graduates with a bachelor’s degree or above from any UK sponsored institution are qualified for a two-year period to reside and work in the country, thus enhancing their chances of finding long-term employment and applying for PR eventually.
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IELTS for Canada visas and immigration
Most Hong Kong people planning to work and live in Canada will submit their applications through three popular programs, each of which has distinct requirements for the applicants’ abilities to use the English language. The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) is used to describe, assess and recognise the English language proficiency of non-native English speakers for immigration purposes. The CLB is not a test. Instead, it’s a descriptor of an individual’s communicative achievement and correlated clearly with the IELTS results.
- Federal Skilled Worker
Requirements of this category are set out by the federal government in Canada in line with the country’s overall development needs. As part of your application, you must provide evidence of high English-language proficiency reaching CLB7 level, which is equivalent to scoring 6 or above in all four IELTS General Training papers. - Provincial Nomination Program (PNP)
The PNP, also established by the federal government in Canada, involves selecting individuals based on manpower needs in specific provinces and welcome immigrants who are in occupations in high demand and with the right work experience. English-language proficiency requirements vary between provinces, but the applicant should have a reasonable command of the language and score 3.5 or 4 in all four IELTS General Training papers, which is comparable to CLB4. - Immigrant Investor Program
This program is designed to lure foreign investment and people with entrepreneurial skills which are beneficial to Canada’s economic development. It has the lowest English-language proficiency requirements, and the province of Quebec even has no specific requirement for applicants’ language abilities.
The following table shows how CLB standards equate to IELTS scores. It is noteworthy that only IELTS General Training results are accepted by Canada for applying permanent residency and citizenship, whereas IELTS Academic is the right test for students planning to study at any higher education institution.
| How IELTS General Training scores equate to CLB standards | ||||
| CLB standards | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking |
| 10 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| 9 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| 8 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 6.5 |
| 7 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| 6 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| 5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| 4 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
Our advice:
Take IELTS General Training test
If you’re still choosing between Australia, Canada and the UK as your destination, why not take the IELTS General Training test? It’s a mutually accepted English proficiency test regardless of your final decision.
While IELTS Life Skills A2 is available only in the UK，you may register for and take your IELTS General Training or IELTS Life Skills A1/B1 test at the British Council in Hong Kong.
More detail:
Immigrate to Australia
