Hello,

The IELTS exam is valid for two years after your exam appearance. It is necessary to be fully knowledgeable about all four IELTS modules—Listening, Writing, Speaking, and Reading.

If your intake is in January, your visa application process will likely begin a few months beforehand, and unless I'm mistaken, you must have your IELTS results in hand before the application process can begin.

Hope this helps.