From November, the Test of English Language as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) internet-based test and the Pearson Test of English Academia (PTE-A) will also be accepted by the DIBP for the purposes of immigration.  Will the new tests make a difference? Have your say.

One thing that comes to mind on this matter is why hasn’t Australia developed its own English Language testing standard that is acceptable to DIBP and the Universities? After all, Australia is the world’s most popular destination for an education in English and even immigration.

Alternative tests of English have been available for some years now, but only for student visas. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Pearson Test of English Academic (Pearson) and the Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) from Cambridge ESOL (Cambridge) have been accepted tests for Student visa application purposes since 2011.

However, the takeup rate of the alternative tests in students visas have been low indicating that the IELTs stranglehold may continue for a while yet. A DIBP report on the matter states that whilst, the introduction of alternative English language tests has delivered more choice to Student visa applicants who need to prove language proficiency, the take-up rate of alternative English language tests has been relatively modest with alternative English language tested Student visa applicants representing 3 per cent of all Student visa applicants who submitted an English language test during the first 12 months of operation.

There are serious flaws in VEVO allowing people to create false read-outs as to their status in Australia.

When a search is made for the immigration status of a migrant, VEVO doesn't validate the name put into the system against the passport number and visa grant number and date of birth.

For example, this morning, one of my staff was checking VEVO for a client of ours who today has became unlawful.  My staff member mistakenly put our client's partner's name into the VEVO check instead of the client's name.  She also mistakenly put the client's partner's passport number (a 457 visa holder) instead of the client's passport number.  She then put the date of birth of the partner as well.

This is what the VEVO online system asks for:

10-May-2014-IELTS-Results-Delay-Communication-to-Candidate.pdf

See the above attachment which came with an email this morning from the Macquarie University IELTS Test Centre to a migration agent's client in Sydney, NSW Australia.

This is the wording inside the attachment along with the IELTS logo on the top:

A report by the ABC yesterday by Lyndy Kerin:

'Women are being trafficked to Australia and forced into a life of slavery under the partner migration program, a new report by the Institute of Criminology has revealed.

The report details the cases of eight women in Canberra and Sydney who have come to Australia with the promise of a happy marriage, but have ended up being exploited by their partners.

Samantha Lyneham, a research analyst from the Institute of Criminology, interviewed the women.

"The most severe case that I came across was one woman who - if she didn't obey her husband - would be locked outside of the house, especially during winter, she'd be forced to sleep in a backyard under a tree in freezing cold conditions," she said.
Audio: Listen to the full report (The World Today)

"During the day, she'd be forced to take a pair of scissors and to cut the lawn throughout the day, until it was mowed.

"If she didn't do that she would be beaten." '

To continue reading this story: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-21/women-trafficked2c-forced-into-slavery-under-partner-migration/5468334?section=act

Move over IELTS.    There will now be more choice in visa English language tests for Australia, writes Stefanie Balogh from the AFR.