AUSTRALIA is to lift the bar on English language tests for skilled migrants after finding many fail to land jobs in sectors experiencing severe labour shortages.
A wide-ranging study has revealed migrants in Australia often miss out on jobs because they have a poor grasp of English. Research has also found overseas students who complete their degrees in the country are among those who find it difficult to find work relating to their skills.
"In a globally competitive system, we need to ensure we are still going to get a significant proportion of migrants who have excellent chances of not just getting work, but skilled work," said Hawthorne, one of three academics advising Australia's Immigration Department.
English language training was a "critical issue", she said, "A lot of employers have higher expectations than the level set by the Immigration Department. One of the questions we are asking is, have we set the English requirements at the right level?"
The law is clear. To become an Australian citizen, migrants must have had residency in the country for at least two years, be of good character, and they must be able to speak basic English.
But there are so many migrants getting around the system. Despite speaking English being a legal requirement, no formal language testing was done to new migrants in Australia. Immigration officials simply took a person's word for it, that they knew enough English to get by in Australian society.
Recent research by Monash University in Melbourne has shown Australians were more accepting of the need for immigration than ever before. But out on the streets, most argued English should be a basic requirement.
In the UK, migrants have to pass a written English language test before they become a British citizen. If they haven't passed, they have to undertake citizenship classes before sitting the test again. In the US, migrants have to pass a written English test, and also a test about America's history and political system, before they can become naturalized.
Australia's Immigration Department deputy secretary Abul Rizvi said changes to the English language test were not intended to drive people away. "We're doing it because we want more people who have the skills and experience that an Australian employer wants."
