Indian students applying for Australia’s *Subclass 500 Student Visa* are not included in a passport-based exemption that allows citizens of five English-speaking countries to avoid submitting English-language test scores with their visa application.
According to Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, applicants who are citizens and hold passports from the *United Kingdom, United States, Canada, New Zealand or Republic of Ireland* are among those who do not normally need to provide an English test score as evidence for the Student Visa. India is not included in this passport category.
However, the rule should not be interpreted to mean that every Indian applicant must necessarily take an English test. Other exemptions are available in specified circumstances, including certain sponsored or exchange students, postgraduate research students, and applicants with qualifying previous study in English.
India remains one of Australia’s largest international student markets. According to figures cited in the report, Australia had *145,012 students from India in 2025*, compared with 196,957 from China and 71,177 from Nepal.
Australia also revised the English-language tests accepted for visa purposes from *August 7, 2025*, expanding the list of approved secure-centre tests.
