How Long Is a NAATI CCL Credential Valid?

Quick Answer:

A NAATI CCL credential issued on or after 9 August 2022 is valid for five years from the date it was issued. Credentials issued before that date carried a three-year term, and NAATI cannot extend them which means that in practice every CCL credential still live today is on the five-year term. The five points a CCL credential earns toward a skilled migration points test have not changed; what changed is how long you keep them.

The Credentialed Community Language test is a small piece of a points-tested visa application that people worry about out of proportion to its size partly because the expiry rules were rewritten, and partly because a lot of what is written about it online still describes the old three-year term. Here is the current position, and what it means for the timing of your Expression of Interest.

The rule

NAATI changed the CCL validity period to bring it into line with the Community Language Aide credential, so that both of its non-professional tests carry the same term. The change is not retrospective, and NAATI has said plainly that it cannot amend the expiry date of a credential that has already been issued.

Where to find your expiry date

Your expiry date is on the credential letter NAATI emailed you when you passed, and it is visible in your my NAATI account. It is calculated from the issue date, not from the date you sat the test and because NAATI issues results individually as they are finalised, two people who sat on the same day can hold credentials with different issue dates.

Results are emailed within four to six weeks of the test, so if you are planning backwards from an EOI, count that gap in.

What this means for your points

A CCL credential is worth five points on the skilled migration points test, under the credentialed community language item. That figure has not changed. What the longer validity changes is your runway.

The points test rewards a combination of factors that move at different speeds. English, age, skilled employment and qualifications all shift over time, and most applicants are waiting on one of them. Under a three-year CCL term, a slow-moving component elsewhere in your profile could outlast your credential and force a resit purely on timing. Five years largely removes that problem.

Should you resit to convert a three-year credential into a five-year one?

No, and not because it is a bad trade, but because it is not a trade that exists. NAATI cannot rewrite the expiry date on an issued credential, and a resit does not extend the old one. It produces a new credential, at full cost, with a new five-year term running from its own issue date.

So the question is only ever the ordinary one: do you need a valid CCL credential at the point your invitation is likely to arrive? If yes, and yours has expired or will expire before then, sit the test again. If no, resitting buys you nothing.

The CCL test fee is AUD $814, so this is not a decision to make casually or twice.

If your credential has expired

There is no renewal, no extension and no grace period. You sit the test again, at your own cost, and you receive a new credential. Two things are worth knowing before you book:

• Bookings close one week before the test date. After that the session is no longer available, so a date you have been watching can disappear while you decide.
• Tests run at least four times a year per language, and monthly for high-demand languages. Dates are released per language through the my NAATI portal rather than as a single national calendar, so check your own language rather than a general schedule.

To pass, you need a total of 63 or more out of 90, with at least 29 marks in each of the two dialogues. A total of 63 with one dialogue below 29 is a fail, which catches people out you cannot carry a strong first dialogue over a weak second one.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a NAATI CCL credential valid?

Five years from the date of issue, for credentials issued on or after 9 August 2022. Credentials issued before that date were valid for three years and have all now expired.

Can NAATI extend my three-year CCL credential to five years?

No. NAATI has stated it cannot amend the expiry date of a credential that has already been issued. The change was not retrospective. If your credential has expired and you still need the points, you sit the test again.

How many points is a NAATI CCL credential worth?

Five points on the skilled migration points test, under the credentialed community language item. This is unchanged by the validity extension.

Does my CCL credential need to be valid when I lodge, or when I am invited?

For points-tested skilled visas the points are assessed against your circumstances at the time of invitation. Confirm the timing for your specific visa subclass with a registered migration agent or the Department of Home Affairs.

How much does the NAATI CCL test cost?

AUD $814. A review of test results, available if you fail with a score of 58 or higher, costs a further AUD $187.

How long do CCL results take?

NAATI emails results within four to six weeks of the test. Results are issued individually as they are finalised, so candidates who sat on the same day may receive theirs on different days.

Next step

Open your my NAATI account and read the expiry date on your credential. If it falls before the point you expect an invitation, book a test date now rather than after the EOI goes in the four-to-six-week results wait is the part that catches people.