- Two tests, two different jobs
- What CELPIP General covers
- Canada: minimum levels and CRS points
- Australia: CELPIP General for a visa
- The registration side: where CELBAN fits
- PR only, registration only, or both
- Ordering the two tests
A nurse planning a move to Canada meets two English tests with similar names: CELPIP General and CELBAN. They are not rival versions of the same thing. CELPIP General is an immigration test, designated by IRCC for Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs and citizenship, and accepted for Australian visas since 7 August 2025. CELBAN is a separate nursing-specific English test used for Canadian nursing registration. Which you need depends on whether your goal is the visa or the licence.
Two tests, two different jobs
Keep them apart by asking who sets the requirement. Immigration authorities decide what you must score for a visa or permanent residence: IRCC in Canada, DHA in Australia. Nursing regulators decide what you must show to be registered to practise. CELPIP General answers to the first group; CELBAN belongs to the second.
An immigration result and a registration result are not interchangeable, so needing both outcomes can mean needing both tests, while a nurse who only wants permanent residence may never need CELBAN. Because CELBAN's requirements sit outside the immigration system, this page does not quote its scores, fees or format.
What CELPIP General covers
CELPIP General tests all four abilities — listening, reading, writing and speaking — in one sitting of about three hours, with no separate speaking appointment, and results online in 8 business days, or 3 with express rating. Scores run 1–12 and map one-to-one onto the Canadian Language Benchmark: a CELPIP 7 is CLB 7 in that ability, an 8 is CLB 8, 10 or above is CLB 10. CLB is measured per ability with no averaging, so for a nurse one weak ability can fail a whole requirement.
The CLB score guide explains the descriptors; the CLB and CRS calculator totals your points. CELPIP General LS covers listening and speaking only: it is used for Canadian citizenship, not for immigration points, and is not accepted for Australian visas (CELPIP General vs General-LS). For another provider, see CELPIP vs IELTS.
Canada: minimum levels and CRS points
Canada sets a minimum in each ability rather than an average, and it depends on the program.
| Program | Minimum requirement | How it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) | CLB 7 in all four abilities, which is CELPIP 7 in each | The usual route for an applicant outside Canada |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC), TEER 0 or 1 | CLB 7, which is CELPIP 7 in each | Your Canadian experience must be TEER 0 or 1 |
| Canadian Experience Class (CEC), TEER 2 or 3 | CLB 5, which is CELPIP 5 in each | Your Canadian experience must be TEER 2 or 3 |
| Federal Skilled Trades (FST) | CLB 5 speaking and listening, CLB 4 reading and writing | Rarely used for a health profession |
Above the minimum, points come from the Comprehensive Ranking System, awarded per ability.
| CLB level | CELPIP General | CRS points per ability, with a spouse | CRS points per ability, without a spouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 10 or more | 10, 11 or 12 | 32 | 34 |
| CLB 9 | 9 | 29 | 31 |
| CLB 8 | 8 | 22 | 23 |
| CLB 7 | 7 | 16 | 17 |
| CLB 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| CLB 4–5 | 4 or 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Maximum across all four abilities | 128 with a spouse, 136 without | ||
Totals add up ability by ability: CLB 9 in all four abilities is 116 points with a spouse or 124 without; the 128 and 136 ceilings need CLB 10 or above everywhere. A second official language is scored separately — 1 point per ability at CLB 5–6, 3 at CLB 7–8, 6 at CLB 9 or above — capped at 22 with a spouse and 24 without. Note two details: the FSW selection grid is separate from CRS (4 points per ability at CLB 7, 5 at CLB 8, 6 at CLB 9 or above, maximum 24), and job-offer points were removed from CRS on 25 March 2025.
Australia: CELPIP General for a visa
DHA added CELPIP General to its accepted list on 7 August 2025 and publishes the levels in CELPIP terms, component by component.
| DHA level | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Points on the skilled visa test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior English | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | +20 |
| Proficient English | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 | +10 |
| Competent English | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0, the eligibility floor |
| Vocational English | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Competent English is the floor for the points-tested skilled visas and carries no points itself; Proficient English adds 10 and Superior English adds 20. Functional English is an overall band score of at least 5.
| Australian visa | CELPIP General requirement |
|---|---|
| 189 Skilled Independent | At least Competent English (CELPIP 7 each) at time of invitation |
| 190 Skilled Nominated and 491 Skilled Work Regional | At least Competent English |
| 485 Temporary Graduate | Overall level 8, at least 6 in each component, for tests from 7 August 2025 |
| 482 Skills in Demand (Core Skills) | Minimum 5 in each component, for tests from 13 September 2025 |
Two restrictions matter overseas. DHA does not accept online or at-home tests, and CELPIP Online is named on that excluded list, so the test must be taken at a secure test centre. DHA also publishes no Proficient or Superior requirement for MET, so a MET result cannot claim either level. Subclass detail is on CELPIP for Australia (DHA visas); the MET side is in MET for nurses and healthcare visas.
The registration side: where CELBAN fits
CELBAN is a separate nursing-specific English test used for Canadian nursing registration. Its requirements are set by the nursing regulator that asks for the test, not by an immigration department, and they can differ by province or territory. The honest answer to "what do I need on CELBAN?" is whatever your regulator requires.
Put three questions to the body you intend to register with:
- Is a nursing-specific test required on my route at all, or is another English result accepted?
- What is the current requirement, how long does a result stay valid, and how must it be submitted?
- Could a CELPIP General result satisfy it in my case, or do I need the nursing test as well?
The last point is the regulator's determination, not one an immigration page can settle, so treat any figure for CELBAN quoted elsewhere as unverified until your own regulator confirms it, and ask whether any exemption applies to your profile. For the parallel question in the United States, see MET for US nursing requirements.
PR only, registration only, or both
Most nurses fall into one of four situations.
| Your goal | Test you need | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Canadian PR or work permit only | CELPIP General, or another IRCC-designated test | An immigration test is what IRCC assesses |
| Canadian nursing registration only | Whatever your nursing regulator requires, which may be CELBAN | Set by the regulator |
| Both: PR in Canada plus registration | CELPIP General for the visa, plus whatever your regulator requires | Two results, so plan both early |
| Australian visa only | CELPIP General, sat at a secure test centre | Accepted by DHA since 7 August 2025 |
The two tests are booked and sat independently: neither result unlocks the other.
Ordering the two tests
Validity matters more than sequence. CELPIP's own score validity is 2 years, and Express Entry goes further: results must be less than two years old both when you complete your profile and when you apply for permanent residence, so a result can expire while you sit in the pool. For Australia, where a subclass permits older tests, results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 are usable until 6 August 2028.
Ask your regulator about the validity window on the registration side too, since the two need not age at the same rate. A common sequence is to sit the immigration test first, as the visa is usually the longer critical path, and to treat registration as a separately booked exercise.
Sources: IRCC (canada.ca) language test equivalency tables and CRS criteria; Department of Home Affairs (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au) English level and accepted test pages. Nursing registration requirements are set by the relevant nursing regulator.
Last reviewed: 29 September 2026.