407 Training Visa English Requirements: What Score Do You Actually Need?

The subclass 407 Training visa requires functional English. The simplest way to show it is an IELTS average band score of at least 4.5 (Academic or General Training) or a PTE Academic overall score of at least 24 for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025. There are no minimums for individual bands at this level.

That’s the lowest English level Home Affairs uses. Most people who’ve worked or studied in English for a while can reach it with a few weeks of targeted practice. But “lowest” doesn’t mean “automatic”, and the details trip up more applicants than you’d expect.

The 407 English requirement in one table

You might have seen “PTE 30 to 36” quoted for the 407 elsewhere. That figure comes from before the August 2025 PTE reset. If you sit PTE today, 24 overall is the number that counts for functional English.

Notice the word average. Functional English is the one level where Home Affairs looks at the overall result, not each band. An IELTS candidate with 5.5 in Speaking, 5.0 in Listening, 4.0 in Reading and 4.0 in Writing averages 4.625, which rounds to 4.5 in IELTS scoring and clears the bar. At competent or vocational level, that same 4.0 in Reading would be a fail.

Do you need an English test at all?

Maybe not. Home Affairs lets you show functional English in several ways, and a test is only one of them (full list here). You may not need a test if you:

• hold a valid passport from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland
• completed a degree, diploma or trade certificate that needed at least two years of full-time study, taught in English
• completed certain primary or secondary schooling in English, or studied at specified Australian institutions

The two-year study option helps a lot of 407 applicants from India, Nepal and the Philippines, where degrees are often taught in English. You’ll usually need a letter from your institution that confirms the language of instruction. A transcript on its own often doesn’t say it.

If you’re not sure your study counts, a test result removes the doubt. Functional English is a low bar, and a PTE booking is cheaper than a request for more information from a case officer.

What the 407 visa is for (and why English still matters after the visa)

The Training visa (subclass 407) lets you take part in workplace-based occupational training, or a professional development program, in Australia. You need an approved sponsor, and the training has to fit one of the categories Home Affairs recognises, such as training needed for occupational registration, training to improve your skills in your current occupation or field of study, or a structured professional development program.

People on 407 visas we meet at our Sydney CBD campus mostly work in hospitality, childcare, aged care, admin and the trades.

Here’s something the visa requirements won’t tell you. Functional English gets you the visa. It doesn’t get you through the training.

A trainee chef at 4.5 IELTS can follow a demonstration. They’ll struggle when the head chef explains food safety rules at speed during a Friday dinner rush. A childcare trainee at PTE 24 can read a simple roster. Incident reports, parent conversations and regulatory paperwork are another story. Your sponsor may also ask for higher English than the visa minimum, and some registration bodies set their own requirements. Check with your sponsor before you assume 4.5 is enough.

PTE or IELTS for the 407?

At functional level, both tests are realistic. The choice usually comes down to speed and comfort.

PTE Academic suits you if you want results fast (usually within a few days), you’re comfortable on a computer, and you’d rather speak into a microphone than to an examiner. Because functional English only looks at the overall score, strong Speaking and Listening results can carry weaker Reading and Writing.

IELTS suits you if you prefer paper-style tasks and a face-to-face speaking interview. IELTS General Training is fine for the 407; you don’t need the Academic version. (Not sure which? Read our guide to IELTS Academic vs General Training.)

Either way, book a test centre. Home Affairs doesn’t accept English tests delivered completely online (source).

How to prepare for functional English in 2–4 weeks

Most 407 applicants have a start date set by their sponsor. That makes preparation a scheduling problem as much as an English problem.

Step 1: test yourself before you book anything

Take a free English level test or a PTE mock. If you’re already scoring in the high 20s in a PTE mock, you probably need one or two weeks of strategy work. If you’re under 20, plan for longer and think about a General English course first.

Step 2: go after the high-value question types

In PTE, a handful of tasks affect several skills at once. Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence feed into Speaking and Reading/Listening scores. Write from Dictation feeds into Listening and Writing. When the target is an overall score, these “cross-skill” tasks give you the best return for each hour of practice. Our PTE speaking tips cover Read Aloud and Repeat Sentence in detail.

Step 3: practise with work vocabulary

Read your industry’s material in English: food safety guides if you’re a chef, childcare framework summaries if you’re an educator. It builds the reading speed you need for the test and gives you a head start on the training itself.

Step 4: sit two timed mocks, then book

Aim for a mock score comfortably above 24 (30+ gives you room for test-day nerves). Then book. Our guide to booking the PTE test in Australia explains the steps.

Mistakes we see 407 applicants make

Using old score charts. “PTE 30” was the functional English score for tests taken up to 6 August 2025. The number is now 24.

Assuming the sponsor’s requirement matches the visa’s. Some sponsors, particularly in healthcare and childcare, want a higher level. Ask them in writing.

Relying on the study exemption without a letter. A degree certificate that doesn’t mention the language of instruction won’t prove anything on its own.

Stopping at 4.5. You’ll spend up to two years training in an English-speaking workplace. A few extra weeks of practice before you start makes that time a lot easier. And if you later look at an employer-sponsored visa such as the 482 Skills in Demand visa, you’ll need vocational English: 5.0 in every IELTS band, with no averaging.

Frequently asked questions

What English level is needed for the 407 Training visa?

You need functional English. You can show it with an IELTS average of 4.5, a PTE Academic overall score of 24 (for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025), an eligible passport, or qualifying study in English.

What PTE score do I need for a 407 visa?

For PTE Academic tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, you need an overall score of at least 24. For tests taken on or before 6 August 2025, it was 30.

Is there a minimum score for each band for the 407?

No. Functional English is based on the overall or average score, not each individual band.

Can I use IELTS General Training for the 407 visa?

Yes. Both IELTS General Training and IELTS Academic are accepted for functional English.

Can I show functional English without a test?

Yes, in some cases. Passport holders from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland qualify. So do people who completed at least two years of full-time study in English for a degree, diploma or trade certificate, among other options Home Affairs lists.

Does my sponsor need a higher English score than the visa?

Sometimes. The visa sets a minimum, but sponsors and registration bodies can set their own requirements. Check with your sponsor before you book a test.

Get test-ready around your work hours

Boston Institute’s PTE and IELTS classes run from our campus at Level 1 & 2, 208 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD. New intakes start every Monday, with weekday and weekend options plus 24/7 access to our online practice portal.

Book a free demo class and we’ll tell you plainly whether you need two weeks or eight. Our visa English guide also lists the scores for every other visa, in case your plans change.