IELTS

What IELTS band do I need for Canada, the UK or Australia?

Short answer

It depends entirely on the route, and the commonly quoted numbers are a starting point rather than a rule. As a rough guide: Canadian Express Entry needs at least CLB 7, which is 6.0 in each skill on General Training; UK student visas at degree level usually need 5.5 in each on IELTS for UKVI; Australian skilled migration treats 6.0 in each as competent and 7.0 in each as proficient. Confirm your exact route before booking, because the wrong test version is not accepted even with a good score.

Requirements change, and they differ by visa stream, university and regulator. Treat the tables below as orientation, then confirm on the official IRCC, UK Home Office, Home Affairs, university or regulator page that applies to you. A number from a forum or a YouTube video is not a source.

The mistake that costs more than a low score

Before the numbers: there is more than one IELTS. Booking the wrong version means your score is rejected outright, however high it is, and you pay to sit again.

IELTS Academic for university study and most professional registration.
IELTS General Training for immigration to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and for UK settlement.
IELTS for UKVI is a separate booking for UK visa purposes. Same content, but taken at an approved centre under extra identity checks. A standard IELTS sitting is not accepted for a UK visa.

Canada

IRCC works in Canadian Language Benchmarks, not band scores, and converts your IELTS result. Express Entry requires General Training.

CLB	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
CLB 7 (usual minimum)	6.0	6.0	6.0	6.0
CLB 8	7.5	6.5	6.5	6.5
CLB 9 (strong points score)	8.0	7.0	7.0	7.0

One thing to know before you book: IRCC does not accept IELTS One Skill Retake for Express Entry. If a single section falls short, you sit the whole test again. CLB 7 in each skill is the usual floor for Federal Skilled Worker eligibility. CLB 9 is where the points jump meaningfully, which is why so many candidates are chasing a 7.0 in the three weaker skills and an 8.0 in Listening. Study permits are set by the institution instead, commonly 6.0 to 6.5 overall on Academic.

United Kingdom

Route	Level	Typically means
Student visa, degree level	CEFR B2	5.5 in each skill
Student visa, below degree level	CEFR B1	4.0 in each skill
Skilled Worker visa (new applicants)	CEFR B2	5.5 in each skill
Skilled Worker, extending from before 8 Jan 2026	CEFR B1	4.0 in each skill
NMC nurse and midwife registration	Set by the NMC	7.0 in Reading, Listening and Speaking, 6.5 in Writing, on Academic

The Skilled Worker requirement rose from B1 to B2 on 8 January 2026. If you are reading older advice that says 4.0 in each skill is enough for a Skilled Worker visa, it is out of date. B1 now applies only to people already on the route before that date who are extending.

Those CEFR levels map onto IELTS for UKVI as follows: B1 is 4.0 in every component, B2 is 5.5, and C1 is 7.0. Every component, not an average.

Universities routinely ask for more than the visa minimum, often 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, and some departments higher. The visa threshold and the offer threshold are different hurdles and you must clear both.

Australia

Standard	IELTS	Why it matters
Competent English	6.0 in each skill	Baseline for most skilled visas
Proficient English	7.0 in each skill	Additional points
Superior English	8.0 in each skill	Maximum points

For skilled migration, English is scored rather than just passed, so the difference between 6.0 and 8.0 is points on your application rather than a pass or fail. AHPRA registration for health practitioners sets its own bar, commonly 7.0 in each skill.

A practical way to read all this

Almost every route above asks for a minimum in each skill, not an overall average. That matters more than the headline number, because one weak section drags the whole application even when your overall is comfortable. Most people who miss do so on one skill, usually Writing.

So the useful question is not "can I get a 7". It is "which single section will fall short, and what specifically is capping it".

Find your weakest section first

Ten questions on how IELTS marks each skill, free and in three minutes, ending with which section is most likely to cost you.

Take the readiness check →