While student feedback literacy has received increasing attention in second language education, little is known about the role of writing proficiency in the development of student feedback literacy. This qualitative study examined the characteristics of high and low English writing proficiency (i.e., HP, LP) students’ feedback literacy in second language (L2) writing and identified the factors that shape these students’ feedback literacy. This study involved five LP and five HP students with data collected from semi-structured interviews, students’ drafts, teacher’s written corrective feedback and peer feedback. The results found that both the LP and HP students were cognitively prepared in terms of appreciating feedback value with distinct self-orientation in feedback process and emotionally ready in regulating their affect for gains from handling feedback. Yet, the LP students were found less prepared to benefit from their current feedback practice due to their passive perspective of learner roles. By contrast, HP students displayed their preparedness featured by proactive learner roles in feedback process, well-developed judgement criteria and broader revisions. The internal consistency across dimensions of feedback literacy was also identified for HP students but not for LP students. Factors contributing to the disparity include students’ perception of their writing proficiency, course engagement and their self-regulation ability. Pedagogical implications on enhancing feedback literacy for students with varied writing proficiency levels are provided.