Zollege is here for to help you!!

Need Counselling

PTE Score for Spouse Visa: UK, Australia, Canada and USA Requirements

Content Curator | Updated On - Oct 6, 2026

The PTE requirement for a spouse depends on the country and visa route. A first UK family-visa applicant using PTE Home needs a pass at A1 or above. For Australian applications requiring functional English, PTE Academic tests taken from 7 August 2025 need an overall score of at least 24.

PTE Home gives a pass/fail result, while PTE Academic and PTE Core give numerical scores. The accepted test, level and result-validity period differ across family, student-dependant and economic-immigration applications.

PTE Requirements by Visa Route

There is no single PTE cutoff for all spouse visas. The UK family route uses a CEFR level, Australia specifies scores for the relevant English category, and Canada's spousal-sponsorship guide sets no general PTE minimum.

The visa name matters as much as the destination. Joining a partner settled in the UK is a different application from joining a Student visa holder. Similarly, an Australian application asking for functional English has different requirements from one asking for competent or proficient English.

PTE Home, Academic, UKVI and Core: Which Test Fits?

Test	Relevant use	Result format
PTE Home	UK family/settlement routes at the required approved level	Speaking and listening; pass or fail
PTE Academic UKVI	UK routes requiring the approved Academic UKVI SELT	Four skills; numerical scores
PTE Academic	Applicable study and migration routes, including Australian English evidence	Four skills; numerical scores
PTE Core	Accepted Canadian economic-immigration routes such as Express Entry	Four skills; scores mapped separately to CLB

PTE Home is taken at a test centre. It assesses speaking and listening and reports a pass or fail at A1, A2 or B1. There is no PTE Home score of 30 or 59.

PTE Academic UKVI shares the PTE Academic four-skill format, with the secure reporting required for the relevant UK visa application. PTE Core is the Pearson test accepted for Canadian Express Entry.

PTE for a UK Spouse or Partner Visa

Applicants proving English through a test for the UK family route need the level for their application stage:

Application stage	English level	Pearson option
First UK family visa application	At least A1	PTE Home A1, or an accepted higher-level result
Extension after 2.5 years after using A1	At least A2 in speaking and listening	PTE Home A2 or an accepted higher-level result
Settlement language evidence	B1 under the currently published family guidance	PTE Home B1; other settlement conditions remain separate

An approved higher-level result can meet a lower-level requirement. For example, an accepted B1 result can satisfy the A1 requirement for a first application and may be reused for settlement if it remains approved and the certificate has not been withdrawn.

Can a degree replace the test?

An English-taught degree is another way to prove English. A qualifying UK-awarded degree needs the degree certificate. For a degree awarded outside the UK, Ecctis must confirm UK degree equivalence and English-medium teaching.

English exemptions cover specified circumstances, including applicants over 65 and people whose physical or mental condition prevents them from meeting the requirement. A previous successful application may also allow reuse of English evidence. An individual exemption dispute is a matter for UKVI or an authorised immigration adviser.

PTE Score for a Spouse Included in an Australian Application

Where the Australian visa subclass requires a spouse or family member to show functional English, PTE Academic is one accepted option. The score depends on the test date.

PTE Academic test date	Functional-English score	Time condition
On or after 7 August 2025	Overall score of at least 24	The stated test-evidence window is the 12 months before the visa application.
On or before 6 August 2025	Historical threshold: 30	The published transitional end date was 6 August 2026, subject to the visa.

The old 30-point threshold applies to tests before 7 August 2025; its transitional period ended on 6 August 2026. Tests taken from 7 August 2025 use the 24-point threshold for functional English.

English-medium education can also qualify. One route is a degree, higher degree, diploma or trade certificate requiring at least two years of full-time study or training, with all instruction in English. Home Affairs also lists separate school-study, Australian-study and passport routes. Entirely at-home tests are not accepted.

PTE for Spouses Moving to Canada or the USA

Canada: family sponsorship is not Express Entry

Canada's spousal-sponsorship guide sets no general PTE cutoff for sponsored spouses. This application focuses on the sponsor, relationship and admissibility requirements.

Express Entry uses PTE Core, with each skill mapped to Canadian Language Benchmarks. These language requirements belong to economic immigration, not the spousal-sponsorship process.

USA: the F-2 route follows the student's status

The US student-visa guidance sets no PTE minimum for an F-2 spouse. Each dependant needs an individual Form I-20 and relationship evidence. The F-1 student's university English cutoff does not become the spouse's F-2 cutoff.

How Long Can You Use a PTE Result?

Purpose	Relevant timing
New UK SELT evidence	Normally awarded within the two years before application.
UK family extension or settlement reuse	Previous accepted results can be reused in the specified circumstances; level and approval conditions still apply.
Australian functional-English test evidence	The stated window is the 12 months before application.
Canadian Express Entry	Results must be less than two years old at both profile completion and permanent-residence application.

For a UK family-visa extension after 2.5 years, an applicant who used A1 must pass at least A2 in speaking and listening. A previously accepted A2 or higher result can be reused if the certificate has not been withdrawn. For settlement reuse, the test must also remain on the approved list.

PTE Booking and Result Documents

Select the PTE product and level accepted for your visa route.
Book an approved test centre, including an approved SELT location where required.
Use the name on your passport or other accepted identity document.
Check the product-specific price for your test country before payment.

If you plan to book under a married surname, update the accepted identity document first. A booking under a different name can cause an identity-check problem at the test centre.

Pearson shows the test fee for the chosen product and country during booking. PTE Home and PTE Academic can have different charges; the visa-application fee is paid separately.

A PTE Home result includes a SELT Unique Reference Number (URN). Enter that reference in the UK application for electronic result verification.

A PTE Academic score report contains an overall result and separate skill scores. Australian functional-English evidence uses the applicable overall threshold; other English categories can require individual-skill scores.

Can a Student Take Their Spouse Abroad?

The Student dependant route has its own eligibility rules, separate from a family spouse visa.

UK: eligible groups include specified government-sponsored students and qualifying postgraduate research students. A taught master's course starting under the newer rules generally does not qualify a student to bring a partner through this route.

USA: the spouse of an eligible F-1 student may apply for F-2 status with a dependent I-20 and relationship evidence. F-2 status does not provide an independent right to work.

Canada: accompanying a temporary student differs from permanent-residence sponsorship by an eligible citizen or permanent resident. The family-sponsorship language guidance applies to the latter.

What do you need right now?

Quick Navigation REQUIREMENTS

PTE products
UK levels
Australian functional English
Canada and USA

Choose the Correct PTE Test

−

Product	Use	Result
PTE Home	UK family/settlement routes at the required approved level	Speaking and listening; pass or fail
PTE Academic UKVI	UK routes requiring the approved Academic UKVI SELT	Four skills; numerical scores
PTE Academic	Applicable study and migration routes, including Australian English evidence	Four skills; numerical scores
PTE Core	Accepted Canadian economic-immigration routes such as Express Entry	Four skills; scores mapped separately to CLB

UK Family Visa: Level by Stage

−

Stage	Required level	Test option
First UK family visa application	At least A1	PTE Home A1, or an accepted higher-level result
Extension after 2.5 years after using A1	At least A2 in speaking and listening	PTE Home A2 or an accepted higher-level result
Settlement language evidence	B1 under the currently published family guidance	PTE Home B1; other settlement conditions remain separate

Degree evidence, exemptions and permitted reuse can affect whether another test is needed.

Australia: Functional-English Scores

Test date	PTE Academic overall
From 7 August 2025	At least 24
Before 7 August 2025	Historical: at least 30

Apply this only where functional English is the relevant requirement. The stated test window is 12 months before application; the old-score transitional date ended on 6 August 2026.

Canada and USA: Route Differences

Route	What to establish first
Canadian spousal sponsorship	Relationship, sponsor and application eligibility; no blanket PTE minimum in the sponsorship guide.
Canadian Express Entry	Accepted test is PTE Core; assess each skill against CLB.
US F-2 spouse	Dependent I-20 and relationship evidence, not the student's university PTE cutoff.

Result Age and Reuse

Application evidence	Timing check
UK new SELT evidence	Normally within two years.
UK permitted family-route reuse	Previous level, acceptance and non-withdrawal conditions.
Australian functional English	Test in the preceding 12 months.
Canadian Express Entry	Less than two years at profile and application stages.

English-Evidence Records

Evidence route	Record to identify
UK PTE Home	Pass at the required level and SELT URN.
UK overseas English-taught degree	Degree and required Ecctis assessment.
Australian functional-English study route	Records proving the specified study duration and English instruction.
Claimed exemption	The particular exemption and its supporting evidence.

Before You Pay for the Test

Visa route and application stage identified.
Exact test product and level selected.
Approved SELT location where required.
Booking name matches the accepted identity document.
PTE test fee, separate from the visa application fee.
Result will meet the route's timing rules.

Student Dependant Routes

Destination	Key distinction
UK	Student dependant eligibility is not the UK family spouse-visa A1 rule. Course type and sponsorship matter.
USA	F-2 follows the eligible F-1 student and needs a separate dependent I-20.
Canada	Temporary student-family applications differ from citizen/permanent-resident spousal sponsorship.

PTE for Spouse Visa FAQs

Test Choice and Scores

Is a PTE score of 30 enough for a spouse visa?+

Thirty was the older Australian functional-English threshold for PTE Academic tests before 7 August 2025. Newer tests require at least 24 where functional English applies. The UK PTE Home test uses CEFR pass/fail levels instead of a numerical cutoff.

Do I need 59 in PTE for a UK spouse visa?+

The UK family route does not have a blanket PTE 59 requirement. Applicants using PTE Home need a pass at A1 for a first application, A2 for the relevant extension, or B1 for settlement language evidence, subject to accepted higher-level results and exemptions.

Can PTE Academic and PTE Home be used interchangeably?+

No. PTE Home assesses speaking and listening at a CEFR level, whereas Academic tests all four skills. The approved UK SELT options include PTE Home and PTE Academic UKVI; the accepted choice depends on the visa requirement.

Does PTE Home mean an online test from my house?+

No. PTE Home is taken at an official test centre. It is the name of the speaking-and-listening test, not an at-home delivery option.

UK Evidence and Reuse

Can I take PTE Home B1 for my first family application?+

Yes, an accepted B1 result can satisfy the A1 requirement for a first family application. It can also be reused for settlement after the qualifying period if the test remains approved and the certificate has not been withdrawn. Passing B1 does not shorten that residence period.

Does my English-medium Indian degree remove the test requirement?+

An English-taught Indian degree may provide an alternative to the test. Ecctis must confirm that the qualification meets the required UK degree level and was taught in English. The assessment, rather than the English-medium label alone, supports this evidence route.

Can I reuse A1 when extending after 2.5 years?+

If you used A1 for your first family visa, you need at least A2 in speaking and listening for the relevant extension after 2.5 years. Previously accepted A2 or higher results can be reused if the certificate has not been withdrawn.

What if I booked using my married name but my passport has my old name?+

The test booking must match the accepted identity document. Contact Pearson before the appointment to resolve an existing mismatch. For a new booking under your married surname, update the identity document first.

Other Countries and Application Steps

Does Canada accept PTE Academic for Express Entry?+

Express Entry accepts PTE Core, with each skill converted to CLB. It does not use PTE Academic. Spousal sponsorship is a separate application and has no general PTE cutoff in its guide.

Does PTE Home test reading and writing?+

PTE Home assesses speaking and listening. Reading and writing scores are not part of its pass/fail result. PTE Academic and PTE Core are four-skill tests, so their format and score reports differ.

How does UKVI check my PTE Home result?+

Pearson supplies a SELT Unique Reference Number with the PTE Home result. Enter that reference in the visa application so UKVI can verify the result electronically.

Can I use a two-year-old score for Australian functional English?+

The Home Affairs functional-English test route requires a result from the 12 months before the visa application. A two-year-old result is outside that window, even if you can still access the score report.

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.