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English test for Australia from Kenya: what Home Affairs accepts and what it does not

Tips · 2026-11-01 · 7 min read

A Kenyan passport does not let you skip the English requirement for the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). Home Affairs exempts only passport holders from Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. If you are in Kenya, you show English with an approved test score or with at least 5 years of full-time study taught mostly in English, backed by documents.

Why speaking English every day is not the same as English evidence

Many people in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu or Nakuru use English at work every day. That is real skill, but a visa officer cannot see it. They need paper evidence in a form the visa accepts.

The Home Affairs Competent English page names five citizenship-and-passport routes that show Competent English without a test. Kenya is not one of them. So a Kenyan applicant uses an approved test score or another route on that page, whichever the visa allows.

Start with your visa's own English page, because the rule differs from visa to visa. If you are still choosing a visa, read our guide to moving to Australia from Kenya on a Skills in Demand (482) visa first.

The two ways a Kenyan applicant usually shows English for the 482

For the 482, Home Affairs describes two main ways, and you need only one of them.

• An approved English test. You sit a test on the Home Affairs list and reach the minimum score for the stream.
• At least 5 years of full-time study in a secondary school or higher institution where most classes were in English.

The second route is worth checking if you went through a Kenyan secondary school, a TVET institution or a university where teaching was in English. Do not assume it works, though. Home Affairs asks you to prove it with documents, and the next section lists them.

Which English tests Home Affairs accepts

For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, Home Affairs accepts C1 Advanced, CELPIP General, IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, LANGUAGECERT Academic, Michigan English Test (MET), OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT taken at a secure test centre. Tests delivered entirely online at home, such as IELTS Online, OET@Home and TOEFL iBT Home Edition, are not accepted.

If you choose TOEFL iBT, select "Taking TOEFL for Australia" when you register. Without it the result is not valid for Australian visa purposes.

Minimum scores for the 482 Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams

These apply to tests taken on or after 13 September 2025. Always check the official page before you book, because scores and rules can change.

LANGUAGECERT Academic and the Michigan English Test also have component minimums on the Home Affairs sufficient English page. For the 482 the test must be taken within 3 years before you apply.

If you plan to sit PTE or IELTS, practise under timed conditions first. A site such as PractiseNow offers English test practice, and it is only practice: it is not an official test and does not replace one.

What to prepare for the 5-year study route

Home Affairs asks you to show the institution, the level of study, an official transcript, the contact hours per week in English and the years of study. Kenyan documents are already in English, so translations are rarely the problem. The harder part is proving that most classes were taught in English.

1. List every school, college or university you attended, with dates, from secondary level onwards.
2. Request official transcripts and your KCSE result slip or certificate, plus any KNEC, TVET or degree certificates.
3. Ask each institution for a letter, if it will give one, that says the language of instruction and the weekly contact hours.
4. Count the years of full-time study and check that the total is at least 5.
5. Compare your evidence with the Home Affairs page before you lodge, and keep copies of everything.

If any step is unclear, it is usually cheaper to sit a test than to risk a refused evidence claim. A registered migration agent can look at your actual documents.

New Zealand has its own English rule

If your goal is New Zealand, the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) has a different rule. Applicants whose job is at skill level 3 to 5 must show they can speak and understand English, and test results must be no more than 2 years old. Jobs at skill level 1 or 2 do not need this. Read our AEWV guide for Kenyans before you book a test, because the test you sit for Australia may or may not suit the New Zealand rule.

Employers and registration bodies can ask for more

Passing the visa test is one hurdle. The bigger question for many Kenyan graduates is whether the role matches their level of skill, and our post on graduates working below their skill level in Australia is a useful reality check before you spend money on a test. The wider visa guides on this site show where English fits in each pathway.

Visa rules are one layer. An employer may set its own English standard, and registration bodies for health and other regulated jobs often have their own. A visa test score does not replace them. Ask the employer in writing what they need.

It also helps to see what employers ask for. Open current jobs in Australia and New Zealand and read how roles describe communication. If you cook for a living, a job such as Senior Cook / Chef shows the kind of everyday English a kitchen team uses.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a Commonwealth country gets an exemption. The list names five countries only, and Kenya is not on it.
• Booking an online at-home test. Home Affairs does not accept tests delivered entirely online.
• Using an old result. For the 482 the test must be within 3 years before you apply.
• Forgetting the TOEFL setting. Not choosing "Taking TOEFL for Australia" can make the result invalid for the visa.
• Claiming 5 years of English study without proof. Home Affairs wants transcripts and contact hours, not a statement.
• Paying someone for a score or certificate. Nobody can promise a result, and a bought certificate can end a visa application.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Kenyan passport exempt me from the English test for the 482 visa?

No. Home Affairs exempts passport holders from Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Kenya is not listed, so you use a test score or the 5-year study evidence.

Can I use my KCSE and degree instead of a test?

Possibly, if you have at least 5 years of full-time study at secondary level or higher where most classes were in English. You must prove it with the institution, level, transcript, weekly contact hours and years of study.

Which English tests does Home Affairs accept?

For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025 the list includes IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET, CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic, MET and C1 Advanced at a secure test centre. Online at-home tests are not accepted.

How recent must my 482 English test be?

For the 482 the test must be taken within 3 years before you apply. Check the date on your result before you pay for a visa application.

Does the visa test satisfy my employer or my professional body?

Not automatically. Employers and registration bodies can set their own English rules, so ask them what they need before you book.

Key takeaways

• A Kenyan passport is not on Home Affairs' list of five passports that show English without a test.
• You can show English for the 482 with an approved test score or at least 5 years of full-time study taught mostly in English.
• Book a secure test-centre test: online at-home tests are not accepted.
• Check the date and the scores against the official page before you book.
• Employers and registration bodies may ask for more than the visa does.

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