Australian Immigration Daily News

The TOEFL® program provides a paper testing alternative to the TOEFL iBT® test in areas of the world where internet access is unreliable. A very small number of candidates—less than 3%—take the paper version of the TOEFL test.

In 2017, the TOEFL Paper-based Test (PBT) was replaced with a new paper test called the revised TOEFL Paper-delivered Test, which was first administered on 14 October 2017. The new test has three sections – reading, listening and writing – with the same types of questions as the TOEFL iBT test, and the same score scale of 0-30 for each section.

TOEFL PBT scores remain a valid option for student visa applicants until 2 years from the test date. The last valid scores will expire in 2019.

Immigration SA have announced the re-opening of their nomination application system for the 188 and 132 business stream visas.

What's needed

• Valid for applications made from 3pm on June 7 2018
• The applicant must have evidence they previously visited SA
• The applicant must lodge the application online

Important points

Application positions will be confirmed when the application is lodged. Places are limited, so if payment is requested, the ‘processing place’ for the application is secured.  If not applicants need to wait until the new processing round in July.

TOEFL-PBT no longer accepted as evidence of English Student Visa Applicants

The ‘Test of English as a Foreign Language Paper-Based test’ (TOEFL-PBT) previously accepted by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) for Subclass 500 (Student) visa applications, for establishing an applicant’s English language proficiency has been removed by a legislative instrument released on 5 June 2018. 

On 14 October 2017, the TOEFL-PBT was revised by an external agency and the TOEFL-PBT no longer includes a measurement of speaking. Testing of English language speaking skills is a requirement for assessment of an applicant to establish they have the required English language proficiency. The Testing of English language speaking skills is designed to ensure applicants can communicate effectively in face–to–face situations within Australia.  As a result of the change to the TOEFL-PBT, the instrument IMMI 18/015 does not specify TOEFL-PBT as an accepted English language test due to its inability to measure the English language speaking skills of an applicant.  Therefore, the purpose of the revised instrument is to remove the TOEFL-PBT as one of the specified tests for establishing an applicant’s English language proficiency accepted by the Department for Subclass 500 (Student) visa applications. 

We have just read the Law Council of Australia submissions to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration. *

Law-Council-Submission.pdf

Now we understand why our inboxes are full of emails from RMAs who are calling this a 'power grab' and are very critical of the motivations underpinning this submission.

We think it is fair to say that whilst the Law Council of Australia's (LCA) submissions are pitched towards higher standards and the exclusion of RMAs from the representing applicants for review at the AAT, what surprises us is that apart from the general statements and concerns there is simply no real evidence to support the recommendations made by the Council.

We for one do not buy into general statements about competence or incompetence or the conduct of RMAs concerning their clients.

The Law Council of Australia has recently published (on 11 May 2018) a set of submissions to the Australian Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Migration regarding the efficacy of current regulation of Australian migration agents.

These submissions from the Law Council will be of interest to lawyers practising in the field of migration law as well as to Registered Migration Agents, as it is possible that these submissions may result in or influence future changes to the regulatory regime governing the practice of RMAs.

The submissions from the Law Council can be accessed by clicking on this link, while submissions from other interested persons can be accessed here.