Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa December/ January 2018/2019 | Page 63

AUSTRALIA EMIGRATION
W
ould-be emigres to Australia have many hurdles to
clear before they obtain a visa, but it’s the English
Language Test that catches most by surprise and
often trips them up.
Australian emigration expert Sam Hopwood from Sable
International explains: “It is a stumbling block - People often
say, ‘but I speak English, my home language is English, I was
taught English,’ or, ‘I have a British passport; surely I don’t
have to do the English language test?’ , but unfortunately, the
English language test has been built into the system because
it’s a point scoring mechanism, and you need to pass the test in
order to score enough points to qualify for a visa.”
In essence to gain some Australian visas, applicants need
to demonstrate their English abilities to the Department of
Home Affairs. The international English Language testing
System (IELTS) is one of the world’s most popular high stakes
English language tests with over 3 million tests taken in the
past year. It measures the language proficiency of people who
want to study or work in a place where English is the language
of communication. The test is used by educational institutions,
professional associations and employers in Australia.
The test uses a nine-point scale to identify levels of
proficiency. The points-based system has been structured so
that only those with the most points will qualify and the bar
for acceptance is set high.
“There are so many people applying for visas at the moment,
the test is designed to skim off the cream of the applicants.
A couple of years ago, as an accountant you would qualify
on 60 points, but now as an accountant you will only qualify
on 80 points or more. The English language test component
has become the determining factor for a lot of people as to
whether or not they are going to qualify for a general skilled
migration visa and it favours more academic applicants,” says
Hopwood.
“We’ve seen in the ‘general skilled migration category’ that
the government is issuing less visas, the quota of visas available
has come down and the demand of the amount of people
applying is going up.”
Hopwood says preparing for the test is critical for the
success of the overall application, there are a range of online
resources that applicants can use to prepare specifically for the
test.
“Those who don’t use writing skills on a daily basis struggle
with the tests more than others. Our trade/artisan cliental
probably struggle more with the tests than a person who works
in an office and is writing emails every day. An accountant
usually does well on the test, they’re the type of person who
has been through an academically structured qualification and
has built those skills within their own skillset.”
Hopwood says that applicants need to take the test seriously,
brush up on their grammar skills and prepare well: “Sable
International has had clients who took the test lightly and
thought they’d pass first time round and didn’t – many clients
will take the tests at least twice. Most people will improve
quite a bit on the second test. I do find that sometimes it’s
the structure of the test that throws people off the first time.
There are five different types of test available, people should
shop around for the test that suits their circumstances the best.
“Ironically, most newcomers will be hard-pressed to
understand the Aussie slang, but they have to know how to
speak the Queen’s English first.”
Australian visa options include:
Sponsored visa: Your employer can sponsor you to live and
work in Australia
Skilled visa: If your occupation is listed on the Skilled
Occupation List, you might qualify to live and work in
Australia
Parent visas: Bring your parents to live with you in Australia
Partner visas: If you are in a relationship with an Australian
citizen, a permanent resident of Australia or an eligible New
Zealand citizen, you might qualify
Working holiday visa: If you’re looking for an adventure,
this visa will let you live and work in Australia for 12 months
SOURCE: Sable International
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SA Real Estate Investor Magazine DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019
61