Category Archives: AES Information

Changes to acceptable English tests and minimum English language test scores for subclasses 457

Commencing from 18 April 2015, in addition to IELTS and OET, DIBP will also accept TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic and Cambridge CAE results Temporary Work (Skilled) visa Subclass 457 visa application purpose.

Furthermore, the Subclass 457 visa applicants (other than those requiring higher level of English language proficiency for grant of registration, licence or membership) will be allowed a lower English language test score to enable this visa to be more responsive to Australia’s labour market conditions. This change will allow applicants to apply with an overall minimum English language score and a minimum score for each of the four English test components.

Minimum required overall test score and the minimum required scores for each of the test components:

Australians show overwhelming support for migration

9 in 10 Australians think immigrants improve Australian society and many think the migration levels should be increased or kept the same at least.

A poll of 1200 Australian adults in March this year has found that an overwhelming number of Australians believe that immigrants improve Australian society, according to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald today.

The figures from the annual poll conducted by the Australian National University also found that over 80 per cent of Australians think immigrants are good for the economy.

Less than a third thought immigrants take jobs away from people born here and a similar number felt immigrants increased crime levels.

The main area of objection is with illegal immigrants. Under half of those polled felt that the current measures against illegals are inadequate and agreed that Australia should take “stronger measures to exclude illegal immigrants”.

About a third however disagreed on the need for stronger measures.

The poll also asked questions about what it means to be Australian. People were actually quite flexible about this.

“Those polled thought that respecting Australian laws and political institutions (96 per cent), being able to speak English (92 per cent) and feeling Australian (87 per cent) were more important than being born in Australia. They also had notions of identity that went beyond the nation. While 90 per cent said they felt close to Australia, 48 per cent said they felt close to Asia/ Oceania” according to the report.

Despite looking to Asia, many Australians are also continuing to look to Great Britain, with 44 per cent of those polled saying the Queen and Royal Family are very or fairly important to Australia.

Support for a republic has dropped from 66 per cent before the referendum in 1999 to 54 per cent today.

Source: Migration Alliance

ACS changes to IELTS requirement for Professional Year Program

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has made important changes to the 485 Temporary Graduate visa requirements.  Effective 18th April 2015, the following changes have been made to English language requirements;

• an overall score of at least 6, with nothing below 5 in each of the four test components (speaking, reading, listening and writing) in an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test
• a score of at least ‘B’ in each of the four test components (speaking, reading, listening and writing) of an Occupational English Test (OET)
• a total score of at least 64, with nothing below 4 for listening, 4 for reading, 14 for writing and 14 for speaking, in a Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT)
• an overall score of at least 50 with nothing below 36 in each of the four test components (listening, reading, writing and speaking) in a Pearson Test of English Academic

an overall score of at least 169 with nothing below 154 in each of the four test components (listening, reading, writing and speaking) in a Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test taken on or after 1 January 2015.

Accordingly, ACS will now accept an IELTS score of 6, with no band below 5 (or the above equivalents) for entry into the ACS IT Professional Year Program, effective immediately. 

For more details or any esquires, please feel free to call us for booking appointment with our migration consultants for free consultation.

AES hotline: 03 9654 3409

AES address: level 4, 258 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne 3000

INTRODUCING DEAKIN COLLEGE – Deakin and Navitas rebrand successful pathway college

Deakin University and leading education provider Navitas are pleased to announce plans to extend their long and successful partnership by renaming the pathway college, the Melbourne Institute of Business and Technology (MIBT), to Deakin College.

Via MIBT, Navitas has successfully collaborated with Deakin University since 1996, providing pathway courses for both domestic and international students. In that time more than 14,000 students have successfully progressed to degree programs at Deakin.

Deakin College will integrate more closely with the University to enable further growth of international and domestic enrolments across Deakin University campuses in Melbourne and Geelong.

The refreshed physical context and teaching and learning approaches of the College will reflect recent developments in teaching and learning, physical spaces, digital technologies and course offerings at the University.

The new College will also provide an improved student experience and superior student outcomes as well as reflecting the enhanced standing and reputation of the University.

Deakin University and Navitas will transition to operation of the renewed Deakin College from July 2015.

DIBP closed 27 April 2015; TIS National unaffected

The Department will be closed on 27 April 2015 as agreed in their Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.

The Translation and Interpreting Service (TIS National) will still operate as usual on this date.