Australian Visa English Test Requirements Raise Concerns

The Australian government’s recent English language testing requirements for visa applicants have drawn concern from the immigrant community. Even applicants who have lived in Australia for many years and for whom English is a native language are required to repeatedly take language tests. Since test certificates have a limited validity period, each test costs around AUD $400, which can be a significant expense for many immigrants.

For example, Apsara Raj from Malaysia has lived and worked in Australia for 13 years, and English is her native language, yet she still has to take multiple English tests. She said, “I’ve already spent nearly AUD 3,000 just to take English tests,” questioning why she must continuously prove her English proficiency to the Australian government when her skills have always been high.

In addition, Dominic Dagbanja, a senior law lecturer at Curtin University, pointed out that these tests place financial pressure on immigrants and lengthen visa processing times. He believes the government should reassess the requirements, taking applicants’ actual situations into account. Although the government has begun accepting results from more testing providers and has adjusted scoring standards, the immigrant community still hopes for more flexible and humane policies to ease their burden.