- What the 485 requires
- Overall 8 and the 6-per-component floor
- What the subclass 485 is
- Streams, stay lengths and cost
- Which CELPIP test, and where you must sit it
- One result, two countries
- How long the result stays valid
- Competent, Proficient and Superior
- Practise the four components free
What the 485 requires
The CELPIP bar on this visa is set as an overall figure plus a separate floor under each skill, which makes it easy to misread.
| Requirement | What DHA publishes for the 485 |
|---|---|
| Test accepted | CELPIP General (all four components) |
| Overall level | At least 8 |
| Per-component minimum | At least 6 in listening, reading, writing and speaking |
| Test date | Taken on or after 7 August 2025 |
| Where the test is sat | A secure test centre — online and at-home tests are not accepted |
| Applies to | Both the Post-Vocational Education Work and Post-Higher Education Work streams |
CELPIP General was added to DHA's accepted test list on 7 August 2025. Tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 can be used until 6 August 2028, and a qualifying test may be valid for up to three years depending on the subclass. For the 485 the requirement is pinned to tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, so check the official subclass page if you sat CELPIP earlier. See our CELPIP for Australian visas (DHA) page.
Overall 8 and the 6-per-component floor
CELPIP issues no single blended mark. It reports four separate component levels on a 1–12 scale, and those levels sit 1:1 against the Canadian Language Benchmarks, so CELPIP 8 is CLB 8 in that ability. CLB is measured per ability with no averaging. DHA's wording therefore reads as two conditions that must both hold:
| Condition | Published wording | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| Overall benchmark | At least 8 overall | Your result must reach the overall figure DHA publishes for the visa |
| Component floor | At least 6 in each component | Listening, reading, writing and speaking must each be 6 or higher |
| Combined effect | Both apply | A component below 6 sits outside the requirement, however strong the other three are |
The floor, not the overall figure, decides most outcomes: nothing pools the four skills, so three strong components cannot lift one below 6. Writing and Speaking carry most of the planning risk — Writing is two tasks in 53–60 minutes with no fixed split, Speaking eight recorded tasks in 15–20 minutes with no live examiner. Rehearse both under a clock. See our CELPIP test format breakdown and the CELPIP to CLB and CRS calculator.
What the subclass 485 is
The subclass 485, the Temporary Graduate visa, lets people who have recently finished study in Australia stay on to work. It is temporary and not points-tested, so English is an eligibility criterion, not a points-earner: a bar to clear rather than a table to optimise. DHA's published criteria include a course completed in Australia and registered on CRICOS, a Student visa held recently, an age limit printed on the official subclass page, and one stream chosen at application. A result far above the bar gains nothing; one component below the floor costs the application.
Streams, stay lengths and cost
The two streams cover different qualification levels and allow different stays. The CELPIP requirement is identical for both.
| Stream | Stay length | CELPIP General requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Post-Vocational Education Work | Up to 18 months | Overall at least 8, at least 6 in each component |
| Post-Higher Education Work | Usually 2–3 years; up to 5 years for Hong Kong or BNO passport holders | Overall at least 8, at least 6 in each component |
The charge starts from AUD 5,750 and is indexed, so check the current figure on DHA's page. Note that the longer stream does not have the softer English bar — both carry the same benchmark and the same floor — so clearing the requirement once clears it for either.
Which CELPIP test, and where you must sit it
Only CELPIP General satisfies the requirement. CELPIP General LS tests listening and speaking only, so a two-skill result cannot meet a four-component requirement.
The venue rule catches people out: DHA does not accept online or at-home tests, and its exclusion list names CELPIP Online, IELTS Online, LANGUAGECERT Academic Online, MET Digital (at-home), OET@Home and TOEFL iBT Home Edition. Your test must be taken at a secure test centre.
CELPIP General runs in one sitting of about three hours with no separate speaking appointment, and results arrive online in 8 business days, or 3 business days with express rating. Booking detail is on our CELPIP results, validity and cost page.
One result, two countries
CELPIP General is designated by IRCC for Canadian immigration as well as accepted by DHA, so one sitting can support an application to both countries — the main practical argument for this test over a single-country alternative. It travels because CELPIP is 1:1 with CLB per ability: the four levels on your score report are already in the benchmark Canada uses, with nothing to convert and nothing averaged. See our Express Entry score requirements.
How long the result stays valid
Two clocks run at once, and it is worth keeping them apart.
- The issuer's clock. CELPIP score validity is 2 years, per Paragon Testing.
- The department's clock. DHA applies its own age-of-test rules, which differ by subclass. Tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 can be used until 6 August 2028, and a qualifying test may be valid for up to three years depending on the subclass.
The rule that applies to you is the one on the subclass page you are applying under. If your result is nearing the end of either window, book a retake rather than risk it lapsing during processing; re-sit costs are on CELPIP results, validity and cost.
Competent, Proficient and Superior
The 485 sits at its own overall-8 benchmark, which is not one of the named English levels used across skilled migration. If you later move onto a points-tested visa, those levels apply, and they are set per component rather than as an average.
| DHA English level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Points on skilled visas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior English | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | +20 |
| Proficient English | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 | +10 |
| Competent English | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 (eligibility floor) |
| Vocational English | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Read the rows as per-component requirements: Proficient English is not "9 overall", it is 9 listening, 8 reading, 10 writing and 8 speaking, and Superior English puts its highest figure on writing. Competent English is the minimum on several skilled visas, so it works as an eligibility floor rather than a points-earner. For the lower-level purposes where it is used, Functional English corresponds to a CELPIP overall band score of at least 5.
One caveat belongs here: MET cannot claim Proficient or Superior English in Australia, because DHA does not publish those levels for MET, so the tests that can carry those points are CELPIP General, IELTS or PTE Core. To be clear about this visa: the 485 is not points-tested, so the comparison above is about your next application, not this one. Thresholds per subclass are on our DHA requirements by visa page.
Practise the four components free
Every PrepSettle practice set follows the published CELPIP General structure, with no login and no cost. Because the 485 turns on the weakest component, rotate all four rather than drilling one:
- CELPIP Listening practice — 6 parts, 38 questions
- CELPIP Reading practice — 4 parts, 38 questions
- CELPIP Writing practice — email plus survey
- CELPIP Speaking practice — 8 timed tasks
Start from the CELPIP practice hub, or go back to PrepSettle for the Australia and Canada visa guides.
Requirements come from Department of Home Affairs publications and are reproduced for study purposes; they are reviewed and can change. Check the official subclass 485 page and celpip.ca before you book or lodge. PrepSettle is independent and not affiliated with Paragon Testing Enterprises, CELPIP, IRCC, or the Department of Home Affairs.