On 1 April 2009, the government announced an increase to the minimum English language requirement from IELTS 4.5 to IELTS 5 for all Subclass 457 visa applicants in the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Major Groups 4 to 7 occupations and chefs and head chefs (ASCO 3322-11 and ASCO 3322-01), as one of the immediate measures to improve the integrity of the Subclass 457 visa program.
This change became effective on 14 April 2009 applies to all subclass 457 visa applicants in the categories above who lodge their application on or after that date.
This change in the English language threshold was introduced to address concerns about the exploitation of workers from non-English speaking countries and to align the Subclass 457 visa English language requirement with the minimum migration requirements for the employer sponsored permanent visa programs such as the Employer Nomination Scheme and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.
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