There have recently been some major changes in English testing requirements in Australia’s Department of Immigration. This post deals with changes to Functional English changes, and Student Visa english requirement changes.

1. Functional English

Functional English proficiency can be demonstrated if the applicant can provide evidence of:

• having completed all years of primary education and at least 3 years of secondary education at educational institutions in which all instruction was conducted in English; or
• having completed at least 5 years of secondary education at institutions in which all instruction was conducted in English; or
• having achieved an IELTS average band score of at least 4.5, based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening in a test conducted:
  • not more than 12 months before lodging the relevant application to migrate; or
  • at the time of the processing of the relevant application to migrate; or
• having successfully completed, in Australia, at least 1 year of full-time study or equivalent part-time study towards a degree, higher degree, diploma, or
• associate diploma, at an institution or institutions where all the instruction was conducted in English.
• having achieved a Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) total band score of at least 32, based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening in a test conducted:
  • not more than 12 months before lodging the relevant application to migrate; or
  • at the time of the processing of the relevant application to migrate; or
• having achieved a Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) overall band score of at least 30, based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening in a test conducted:
  • not more than 12 months before lodging the relevant application to migrate; or
  • at the time of the processing of the relevant application to migrate; or
• having achieved a Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) overall score of at least 147 based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening in a test conducted
  • not more than 12 months before lodging the relevant application to migrate; or
  • at the time of the processing of the relevant application to migrate; or
• holding valid passport issued by the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland, to a citizen of that country; or
• evidence that:
  • the person holds an award (being a degree, a higher degree, a diploma or a trade certificate) that required at least 2 years of full-time study or training; and
  • all instruction (including instruction received in other courses for which the person was allowed credit) for that award was conducted in English;

This commences on 1 January 2015.

2. English Language Tests for Student Visa Purposes

A new piece of legislation specifies which English language proficiency tests may be used as an alternative to the IELTS test, in which countries, and the scores that must be achieved by an applicant.

The alternatives to the IELTS test are:

(a) the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Paper-Based test;

(b) the TOEFL internet-Based test (also known as TOEFL iBT);

(c) the Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test (also known as Certificate in Advanced English);

(d) the Pearson Test of English Academic; and

(e) the Occupational English Test.

The TOEFL Paper-Based test is available to be taken by an applicant only in a certain foreign country or countries specified in Schedule 1. Those countries are:

Belarus; Ecuador; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Kyrgyzstan; Mali; Moldova; Solomon Islands; Suriname; Tajikistan; Tanzania; Uganda; Uzbekistan.