🇦🇺 Australia · DHA + state governments
IELTS Score for Australia Visa 190 - State Nominated - 2026 Requirements
State nomination adds 5 migration points, which combined with Proficient English can make a decisive difference.
Minimum IELTS scores required
6.0
Overall
6.0
Listening
6.0
Reading
6.0
Writing
6.0
Speaking
Same as 189 but state nomination adds 5 points
Want more points / stronger application?
Target band: 7.0+ - Proficient English = +10 points on top of state nomination
L 7 / R 7 / W 7 / S 7
Key Facts - Visa 190 - State Nominated
- State nomination adds 5 migration points, which combined with Proficient English can make a decisive difference.
- Each state has its own occupation list and requirements separate from the federal IELTS bar.
- NSW, VIC, QLD have the most popular streams and are most competitive.
How to achieve these scores
Tips specific to reaching the 6.0 band for this visa.
If your current band is 6.0-6.5, target a state with a less competitive nomination list while you improve your IELTS.
South Australia and Tasmania often have lower competition for similar occupations.
🇮🇳 For Indian applicants
Australia is the second most popular destination for Indian students after Canada. The Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) and the Skilled Independent Visa (189) together create the most popular pathway: study → graduate visa → PR nomination.
A counsellor's honest guidance
Think of your IELTS score as the key that unlocks admission - and the admission letter is what actually makes your Visa 190 - State Nominated possible. If you do these four things in order, you'll avoid the mistakes that cost students a year:
- 1.
Confirm the exact band your course needs. The number on your own program's admissions page is the one that counts - not a general figure you read online.
- 2.
Plan the money early. A Australia student visa asks you to show you can fund tuition and living costs, so build a realistic budget before you fall in love with a city. See Australia cost of living →
- 3.
Compare your routes. If one visa path doesn't fit your situation, another might suit you better. All Australia IELTS requirements →
- 4.
Practise against the real bar, not a guess. Take a scored mock test so you know your current band by skill before you book the real exam.
How close are you to this requirement?
Enter your current scores to find the single skill that gets you to Band 6.0.
Current
6.5
+0.5 band to go
Target
7.0
Easiest path to Band 7
Improve Listening by +2.0 (6.5 → 8.5) while keeping others the same.
Dictation drills for Section 4, shadowing at 0.9× speed, and timed note-completion practice.
Single-skill path to Band 7
Listening
Currently 6.5 → need 8.5
Reading
Currently 6.0 → need 8.0
Writing
Currently 6.0 → need 8.0
Speaking
Currently 6.5 → need 8.5
Do this next
Stop spreading effort across all four modules. Your fastest route to Band 7.0 is Listening.
Students lose time when they "study harder" instead of fixing the exact skill blocking the next score jump.
Start Listening improvement nowTarget: Band 6.0
Practice for this exact requirement
Take a free AI-graded mock test, see your current band by skill, and get paragraph-level feedback on exactly what is holding you back.