Breaking Australian immigration news brought to you by Migration Alliance and associated bloggers.
On 21 August 2013 the DIAC released information on it's website about a new Australian visa application centre in Guangzhou. For more information on this please see this link:http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/new-visa-processing.htm
I hope the incoming Liberal Government, would review and overhaul the evidencing of competency in the English language . The use of IELTS is a big racket , a money making scheme. There are other ways that ought to looked at how a person can demonstrate his/her English language. This three year validity period for a IELTS certificates is a farce . Example, a student enters Australia undertake a four year formal professional course in a tertiary institution in Australia that uses solely English as the medium of instruction. At the time of entry to the course the student sits for IELTS and score 7 in each of the four components. Four years later the student lives in Australia and successfully completes the professional Degree course, all conducted in English using complex structure of the English language and when applying for subclass 485 the student is asked to sit for IETS all over again and demonstrate he has competency level , 6 in each of the 4 component, all over again . Now which idiot has arrived at the conclusion that within 4 years his English has deteriorated to level 6 , while in all logic it could have only have improved from his previous test 4 years ago while living and leading an active social and academic lifestyle in Australia. Please tell me is this not a money making Scam for the share holders of IELTS and their sponsors like the Migration Institute of Australia. Secondly does this not smack of cultural imperialism using the English language requirement in a multicultural language.
Can the Migration Alliance extract a commitment from the Liberal Party that when it takes over the government it will undertake a complete review and overhaul this obnoxious practice.
Cheers
Robert K Chellihiah