Blog

Spend Valentines Day with your partner in Australia, not over Skype or email - get an Australian Partner Visa

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:52:00 GMT

Valentines Day - a day when we all think of love and romance. But for some Aussies it means thinking about their significant other in an overseas country and wondering if they can ever be together. There is a way.

There are three Partner visa options for people in relationships with Australian Citizens or permanent residents, and another option for those who have fallen in love with our Kiwi mates.

All have slightly different requirements and you can find some basic information here (http://www.australianmigrations.com.au/visa_spouse.htm).

Your love story may be the stuff of Hollywood scripts or TV soaps, but the thing to remember is that the Immigration process is nothing like the movies. It can be easy to fall madly in love, have a whirlwind romance and declare that you will be together forever, but getting a visa for Australia is a little more complicated.

Firstly, you need to be able to provide documents to show that you are in a genuine, committed relationship. A Marriage certificate on its own is not enough. The documents can be anything, including emails, phone records, Facebook/Skype chats, mail showing you live together and, of course, photos. Most documents need to be from independent sources, so while you may be able to provide 20+ statements from family and friends, you will need to look at other things you can provide.

Secondly, you need to look at the specific requirements for the type of Partner visa you are applying for. For instance, if you want to apply on the basis of a De Facto relationship (i.e. you live together but are not married), then you need to be able to show that you have been living together for a minimum of 12 months prior to lodgement. Unless certain circumstances apply, if you do not have the 12 months worth of documents, then you will not be successful with the application.

Another issue to consider when planning a wedding in Australia is the need to submit a ‘Notice of Intention to Marry’ document at least one month and one day before your desired wedding date. You will need to factor this in when planning for lodgement, particularly if your soon-to-be spouse’s visa is due to expire.

Finally, you need to consider where you want to be while the application processes, and where you can be during processing. Two of the Partner visas can be lodged with the applicant in Australia or overseas, but if you want to apply for a visa on the basis of your engagement and intention to marry, then you cannot be in Australia when this is lodged. It is possible to visit Australia on a Tourist visa during processing.

Every relationship is different and so every application will be different. If you are unsure of the process or if you meet the requirements then talk to a professional as they can put you on the right track or even prepare the whole application for you.

AMVL has a dedicated Family Residence Team who can provide advice or assistance with lodging your application for a Partner visa. Contact them today!

Blog written by Christel Dajcz, Registered Migration Agent (MARN) 1066568 at Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers.

1 July 2012 will bring signifcant changes to Australia's skilled migration program

Fri, 04 May 2012 02:32:00 GMT

We are now just over 5 months away from probably the most significant change to General Skilled Migration (GSM) since the introduction of the Migration Regulations in 1994. From 1 July 2012 you will no longer be able to apply for migration under GSM – you have to be invited by the government to apply. This will require that you lodge an expression of interest and then wait for up to 2 years in a pool of potential migrants - if you don’t get an invitation after 2 years, your expression of interest will lapse.

If you are thinking about lodging an application under the current legislation, you should get moving as soon as possible. Skills assessments are taking several months and then if you also need state sponsorship, time will be tight. This means that after the middle of February, we will be unlikely to be able to start the whole process with any certainty of lodging before the changes. So don’t delay and contact us now.

Blog written by Helen Duncan, Registered Migration Agent (MARN) 0003187 and Partner at Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers.

For advice or assistance with lodging your application for a skilled visa in Australia contact Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers today or complete our free online visa assessment here.

Migrants claim 81,000 new Australian jobs in the past year

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:39:00 GMT

The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown that migrants are officially "more employable than Australian-born job seekers", as reported by The Australian filling 81,000 new jobs in the past year.

According the The Australian;

A detailed analysis of the Bureau of Statistics jobs data shows that while immigrants account for less than 30 per cent of the labour force, they have claimed more than half the jobs created since the start of 2010.

Rather than struggling to fit in, as opposition citizenship spokeswoman Teresa Gambaro suggests, newly arrived immigrants are going straight to work and helping keep the economy growing. The figures for November, which are not seasonally adjusted, place the unemployment rate for Australian-born at 5 per cent and the overseas-born at 4.8 per cent.

Immigrants from Britain and Ireland had an unemployment rate of 2.8 per cent, Malaysia 3.8 per cent and The Philippines 4.8 per cent. The Chinese were on par with the Australian-born at 5 per cent, the New Zealanders above them at 5.4 per cent and the Indians at 6.8 per cent.

But the New Zealand- and India-born are still gaining jobs overall and their participation rates of 78.7 per cent and 76.9 per cent respectively are much better than the Australian-born figure of 68.1 per cent.

Vietnamese-born and the Lebanese-born have above-average unemployment rates of 9.7 per cent and 8.4 per cent, respectively, and below-average participation rates (58 per cent and 45.3 per cent).

The Vietnamese and Lebanese have traditionally suffered higher unemployment rates because their intakes contained large numbers of refugees who arrived during Australia's stagflation era in the 1970s and early 1980s.

The latest immigrant waves -- from old and new source countries -- have been greeted by a booming economy.

The big four overseas-born groups in Australia today are from Britain and Ireland, New Zealand, China and India. Between them, because of their sheer numbers, they claimed the bulk of the jobs in the 12 months to November.

The New Zealanders were the most popular with employers, with an extra 33,000 hired, the Chinese second with 23,700, the British and Irish with 21,400 and the Indians another 13,100.

To read the article in full, visit The Australian here (subscriber link).

Planning to migrate to Australia? Our friendly and professional Registered Migration Agents (RMA) are here to help, offering expert advice and assistance with temporary and permanent Australian visas. Complete our free online visa eligiblity assessment here or contact us to get in touch with one of our RMA's. Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers specialise in all visa categories.

Net Overseas Migration (NOM) and the Migration Program Explained

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:32:00 GMT

The following blog post written by Karen on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship's (DIAC) Skilled Migration Blog explains the difference between Net Overseas Migraton (NOM) and the Migration Program, and what they mean to Australia's population growth.

Did you ever wonder why the outcomes from NOM and the Migration Program do not look the same? Put simply NOM includes all long term temporary and permanent migration whereas the Migration Program only counts permanent migration.

Net Overseas Migration
Net Overseas Migration (NOM) is the net gain or loss of population through immigration to Australia and emigration from Australia. Overseas arrivals only count as NOM arrivals if they are inAustraliafor 12 months or more over a 16 month period. Conversely, overseas departures are subtracted from NOM if they are away for 12 months or more over a 16 month period. So the level of NOM is the balance of NOM arrivals minus NOM departures—easy!

This ‘12/16 month rule’ means almost all short term movements such as tourists do not count as either NOM arrivals or departures. It also means that people who are not permanent residents ofAustraliacan be counted as NOM arrivals so long as their residency stints add up to 12 months within a 16 month period.

Permanent Migration Program
The permanent migration program refers to the number of visas granted during a given year against specific visa streams. These streams are skilled, family and special eligibility. The permanent program provides visas to people who are not Australian residents and wish to live in Australia permanently. Of these visas granted 25% of family, 59% of skilled and 89% of special eligibility visas (for 2010-11) are granted to people currently inAustralia, that is onshore. Onshore grants of permanent visas are effectively NOM neutral as the applicant will already have been counted in to NOM after their initial temporary stay. So NOM arrivals are a combination of temporary and permanent migrants.

Why is NOM so important?
NOM is effectively how we measure migration’s contribution toAustralia’s population growth. For instance the March 2011 NOM was 167, 100 which accounted for 54% of our population growth of 1.4% for that 12 month period—the other 46% coming from natural increase (births minus deaths). NOM is a truer reflection on what is occuring in our communities and labour markets than permanent migration, particularly given our large temporary student and worker populations. NOM also captures long term New Zealander movements in and out ofAustralia, which are not covered under our permanent migration program. While the Migration Program hands out the prize of Australian permanent residency to individuals and has been and remains an important focus of our work NOM is a better measure of what is actually happening out there.

NOM and Permanent Migration Program: Back in Balance
For the first time in six years, DIAC forecast the level of NOM for the year ending June 2011 to be 171 200, well below the number of permanent residence visas granted during that year. This drop in NOM restores the long-run relationship where the number of permanent residence visas and NOM move roughly in tandem and corrects the previous spike in NOM for the year ending
December 2008 where NOM reached 315 700 and when temporary residents seemed to be staying longer term. Further reforms and strengthened integrity measures for our student and immigration programs have now restored the long term balance.

To follow DIAC's Skilled Migration Blog, click here.

Unlawful immigrants in Australia significantly outnumber asylum seekers

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:29:00 GMT

At last count, there are almost 60,000 unlawful immigrants currently living amongst us in Australia, a number that significantly overshadows the 4,700 asylum seekers who arrived by boat in 2010-11.

According to a report by the Herald Sun, this is enough unlawful immigrants to populate a large regional Australian city, a statistic which has prompted calls for a crackdown on those who have overstayed their visa periods in Australia.

Documents released to the Herald Sun under Freedom of Information also reveal the biggest groups of illegals are Chinese, Americans, Malaysians, Britons and South Koreans.

More than half have been here for five or more years; 20,000 for a decade or more; and two in three have evaded authorities for more than two years. (The figures do not include visitors who overstay visas by less than a fortnight.)

Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria chairman Sam Afra said illegal residents attracted little of the outrage associated with boat people, despite taking jobs and housing, using public services, and not paying tax.

He said it was far too easy to stay here if you knew how to "work the system".

"It's shocking," he said.

"To have one in three who have been here more than 10 years (suggests) something's wrong with the system."

Illegal immigrants have also been involved in drug cartels, sexual slavery, and fraud. Illegals accused of guarding marijuana crops in Melbourne and regional Victoria were among 43 people arrested last year in raids focusing on a $400 million crime syndicate.

To read more at the Herald Sun, click here.

If your temporary visa is due to expire soon and you would like to extend your stay in Australia, contact Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers. Our team of friendly and professional Registered Migration Agents specialise in all visa categories and can assist and advise you on your visa options in Australia.

Skilled Irish workers looking to Australia to find work

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 05:17:00 GMT

With the unemployment rate consistently hovering around the 14% mark in Ireland, Skilled Workers all over the country are looking to countries such as Australia, Canada and New Zealand to find work.

Australia alone has many thousands of jobs that need to be filled in the midst of its current resources boom, creating a significant skills gap that Australia simply cannot fill with Australian workers alone - we need skilled workers from overseas. Herein lies a wonderful opportunity for the above mentioned skilled workers from Ireland.

Less than a week ago Dublin hosted its second Working Abroad Expo for the year, with over 5,000 Irish men and women seeking opportunities abroad walking through its doors both days. The Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers (AMVL) Employment Network Team attended as an exhibitor and were overwealmed by the reponse to the 200+ jobs we currently have available to skilled workers within our network. Every job offered included an employer sponsored 457 visa at no cost to the employee, obviously a popular catch for those with dreams to live and work in Australia.

An article titled "Irish mob job expo to join NT boom" goes on to describe the situations in Ireland and Australia further, click here to read.

If you're in Ireland and are keen to learn more about migration in Australia and the jobs we have available, click here to see the details of our Employment Network's "Tour of Ireland".

Uni official jailed for taking bribes over IELTS results

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:48:00 GMT

The International English Language Testing Sysem (IELTS) is an internationally recognised English language testing system taken by over 1.4 million candidates each year to start their journeys in to international education and employment. Testing candidates' listening, reading, writing and speaking skills, achieving a sufficient IELTS score is a core requirement for a large portion of visas in Australia.

The following article from The Australian uncovers a story where a member of staff from a Western Australia university has been jailed for taking bribes from students who had failed the IELTS test, accessing the university's test centre computer system to manipulate students failed test results to pass levels.

A FORMER university staffer who took bribes to falsify English language test results to help foreign students applying for Australian residency has been jailed for two years.

Kok Keith Low, 32, was sentenced in the Perth District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to 15 counts of accepting a bribe as a public officer over a 10-month period in 2009-10.

He was employed at the time as an administrative support officer at Curtin University's English Language Centre which administered tests for the International English Testing System (IELTS).

The court heard that Low received about $25,000 in total for accessing the centre's computer system to change test results to pass levels for students who had failed the test.

Applicants to the Immigration Department for permanent residency and work or student visas must prove their competence under the IELTS with an average score of seven being a pass.

Low and eight others were charged over the scam following an investigation by Western Australia's Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC).

[Sentencing Judge Michael Bowden] said the public was entitled to expect public officers to act honestly and a jail term was necessary to deter other public officials from behaving corruptly.

Judge Bowden jailed Low for two years, making him eligible for parole after 12 months.

Eight other people face sentencing over the scam, including intermediaries who took larger cuts than Low from the thousands of dollars paid by foreign students to have their test scores changed.

CCC spokesman Trevor Wynn said yesterday outside court that Low's sentence reflected the seriousness of the offence.

``Mr Low essentially preyed on vulnerable people, there are a lot of people as we know who want very much to live in Australia,'' Mr Wynn said.

``He took advantage of that vulnerability for, essentially, profit and today he has received justice for his part in that.''

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship has been reviewing the residency status of those involved in the scam and those whose scores were fraudulently changed.

Supplying false documents or information can lead to residency, visas and citizenship being revoked.

To read the full article, click here.

Business Skills Program a niche category but an important category

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 05:19:00 GMT

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) Skilled Migration Blog recently included a post discussing the Business Skills visa program. The following excerpts from this blog explain the importance of the program and how it contributes to the Australian economy.

The current Business Skills visa program was introduced in March 2003 and aims to attract skilled and experienced business owners, senior executives and investors to migrate to Australia to enter into business or investment activity.

Business Skills is a niche category within Australia’s skilled migration program distinct from general skilled migration and the employer sponsored visa categories in that it directly creates business, and visa holders become business owners, rather than supporting existing businesses with a supply of skilled employees.

Small business forms a vital part of the Australian economy. The sector represents 96 per cent of all Australian businesses and accounts for 48 per cent of all private sector employment.

The objectives of the Business Skills program are to contribute to the growth of the Australian economy by:

generating employment
increasing the export of Australian goods and services
increasing the production of goods and services inAustralia
introducing new or improved technology
increasing competition and commercial activity
developing links with international markets
increasing the dispersal of business migrants across Australia through State and Territory Government sponsorship.

The program is largely a two-stage process whereby migrants enter Australia initially on a provisional (temporary) visa, generally valid for a period of four years. Once a provisional visa holder is able to demonstrate satisfactory evidence of a specified level of business or investment activity, they may apply for permanent residence.

To read the full post click here.

If you would like to learn more about the Business Skills visa program contact Australian Migration & Visa Lawyers and speak with one of our Registered Migration Agents.

Government to Crackdown on Employers of Illegal Workers

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 02:42:00 GMT

After a federal government report found that there are currently over 100,000 illegal workers misusing their business, student and holiday visas to be employed in Australia, the government has announced a decision to crackdown on employers hiring these workers. The following excerps from the Sydney Morning Herald explain further...

The failure of migration laws to stop the problem [of illegal workers in Australia] was sending the ''unmistakable message'' overseas that Australian authorities are toothless and ''you only have to get here'' to get work, says the independent review by the lawyer Stephen Howells.

The government will also announce today a crackdown on employers who hire illegal workers, including a $10,000 fine per worker caught.

Illegal workers, increasingly being caught in white-collar jobs, as well as shopping centre car parks, construction sites, restaurants and agriculture, are the real economic refugees denying Australians employment - not boat people, says the review.

''Refugees who arrive by sea and who claim asylum are not part of this problem; they are a very small number by comparison.''

The worst penalty illegal workers have faced is a taxpayer-funded flight home when caught, which is being exploited by organised rackets, the review said.

Employer groups had resisted fines for illegal workers caught under the Howard government, after a 1999 review warned of the growing problem.

''We now have very clear evidence that the previous approach of better education hasn't worked,'' said the Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen. ''The way to deal with skills shortages or labour shortages is not to embrace illegal labour.''

An online system, VEVO, now allows employers to check staff visas, and was used for 485,330 work checks last year. Mr Bowen said there was ''simply no excuse'' for employers not to use it.

Employers will be fined $10,000 per worker if they hire, refer or enter into a verbal contract to illegally hire a non-citizen.

The full article can be viewed at the Sydney Morning Herald here.

If you have concerns or queries regarding the legalities of hiring overseas workers, or if you yourself are an overseas worker and you are unsure of the working rights related to your visa, contact one of our friendly migration agernts for professional advice. Click here to see our contact details.

Perth to become a Regional City

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:48:00 GMT

The following article "Foreign worker solution for Perth" was recently published in The West Australian, outlining details about Perth soon becoming a "regional city" to up the potential for more sponsored visa places in the Western Australian capital.

Perth will be labelled a country town by the Federal Government as part of an extraordinary move to attract desperately needed workers to the city.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen will today announce that Perth will be reclassified alongside regional employment "hardship" areas such as Karratha and Port Hedland in the Pilbara.

The move will ease the way for businesses to bring in more skilled and semi-skilled foreign workers to fill occupations such as child care, aged care and scaffolding.

Adelaide is the only other major capital city to enjoy the nominal regional employment status.

The program will result in Perth being included in the Government's regional sponsored migration scheme, giving the city's employers access to a potential national pool of 16,000 sponsored visa places for foreign workers.

Workers coming to Perth under the program will be able to become permanent residents and businesses applying for the visa places will be given priority in the processing of their applications.

The scheme lowers the benchmark of English language requirement for eligible workers, while the demands on employers regarding salary thresholds are also lower than under other forms of skilled work visas.

The State Government has been lobbying Canberra to allow Perth's inclusion in the scheme, warning WA faces a shortage of up to 150,000 skilled workers by 2017 as major resource projects get underway.

The WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed the move, saying labour shortages were the top concern of local businesses.

"It will make it easier for many businesses to get the extra workers they need," CCI spokesman David Harrison said.

"While it won't single-handedly solve the problem, it is a welcome step in the right direction."

To read the full article at The West Australian, click here.

To learn more about the 457 visa program and how you can take advantage of the regional changes in Western Australia, contact us to speak to one of our friendly Registered Migration Agents today.

GSM Priority Processing Update

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 01:48:00 GMT

Priority processing arrangements apply to skilled migration applications. They determine the order in which the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) considers applications. Applications accorded a higher priority under the arrangements will be processed ahead of lower priority applications, regardless of when the application is lodged.

The DIAC website has a table of processing times for skilled migration priority processing, below is an outline of the latest changes:

• Priority 1: RSMS (Subclasses 119 and 857); Skilled Regional (Subclass 887) 5 - 8 months
• Priority 2: ENS (Subclasses 121 and 856) 5 – 8 months
• Priority 3: State Migration Plans (Subclasses 176, 475, 487 and 886) 12 – 24 months
• Priority 4: Nominated Occupation on the SOL – Schedule 1 (Subclasses 175, 495, 496, 861, 862, 863, 880, 881, 882, 883, 885 and 886) 18 months
• Priority 5: All other visas Will commence when all cases in priority groups 1-4 are finalised

DIAC has confirmed that Subclasses 176, 475 and 487 should also appear in Priority 4.

An overview of Skilled Migration to Australia (fact Sheet 24a - Priority Processing for Skilled Migration Visas) can be viewed by clicking here.

NZ Earthquakes Push Australian Migration Numbers Up

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 01:22:00 GMT

The following article featured in The Economic Times discussing increased migration to Australia from New Zealand since the Christchurch earthquakes -

New Zealanders are migrating to Australia in record numbers following the Christchurch earthquakes, official data showed Tuesday.

The net number of people leaving New Zealand for Australia in May this year was 3,300, Statistics New Zealand said, eclipsing the previous monthly high of 2,900 set in 1979.

Government statistician Geoff Bascand said a high proportion of the exodus came from Christchurch, with some 800 departing permanently in May, compared to 500 in the same month last year.

He said the number of departures increased after a devastating 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit New Zealand's second largest city in February, killing 181 people. The quake followed a 7.0-magnitude tremor in September.

"Since the earthquake on 22 February, the city has experienced 1,300 more departures and 400 fewer arrivals than in the same period of 2010," Bascand said.

New Zealand and Australian citizens enjoy reciprocal residency arrangements, meaning New Zealanders can move to Australia and find work without applying for visas.

Another factor attracting Kiwis across the Tasman Sea is the relative strength of Australia's resource-driven economy compared to its New Zealand counterpart, which has experienced muted growth in the past 12 months.

A study by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research last year found the average Australian family had NZ$18,000 ($14,600) more disposable income a year than its New Zealand equivalent.

The last mass migration of kiwis to Australia was in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the economy was reeling from global oil price shocks and high unemployment.

At the time, then prime minister Robert Muldoon famously quipped: "New Zealanders who emigrate to Australia raise the IQ of both countries."

The full article is also available by clicking here.

The Numbers Are In

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:54:00 GMT

The following article was recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics -

Almost 6 million migrants, born in over 200 countries, live in Australia. According to figures released on 16 June 2011 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 27% of Australia's resident population were born overseas, as at June 2010.

People born in the United Kingdom continued to be the largest group of overseas-born residents, accounting for 1.2 million people. The next largest group was born in New Zealand with 544,000 people, followed by China (380,000 people), India (341,000) and Italy (216,000).

Over the last decade, the proportion of those born in the UK declined from 5.9% of Australia's population in 2000 to 5.3% in 2010. In contrast, the proportions increased for people born in New Zealand (from 1.9% to 2.4%), China (from 0.8% to 1.7%) and India (from 0.5% to 1.5%).

The majority (76%) of overseas-born residents were of working age, 15–64 years at June 2010. Migrants born in Asia, America and Africa had proportionally larger young (0–14 years) and working age (15–64 years) populations compared to those from Europe.

In 2008–09, the net contribution of international students to the Australian population reached a record high of 122,400 students, contributing 27% of Australia's total population growth for the year. The top three countries of birth of these students were from India with a net of 43,000 students followed by China (24,700 students) and Nepal (10,500).

To read the full article click here.

Mining Boom - More Skilled Jobs in Australia

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:28:00 GMT

Mining boom Mark II brings an unprecedented level of investment and opportunity to Australia. The National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce conducted extensive research and consultation finding that there will be serious skills shortages in the resource industry.

The simple fact is this: there will simply not be enough Australian workers to get the job done. For example, there is $380 billion of new investment planned for resource projects – this is projected to lead to a shortage of 36 000 tradespeople by 2015. This impact will not just be felt in the outback of Western Australia and Queensland but also in our major cities as workers are attracted to jobs in mining.

To meet this important challenge, the government will implement all of the recommendations of the National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce report. One of these 31 recommendations is to introduce Enterprise Migration Agreements (EMAs).

These agreements will be one way to help the resource sector meet its skills needs in the coming years. EMAs are not a new visa, but an umbrella agreement to bring in temporary skilled workers from overseas.

Access to overseas workers under EMAs will help to ensure the workforce needs of these projects are met, ensuring economic and employment benefits for all Australians can be realised. This will be done without undercutting local wages.

This is because all overseas workers employed under EMAs will be on 457 visas. The 457 program is efficient for business without undermining local opportunities. Subclass 457 visa holders must be paid at least as well as an Australian doing the same job.

The average salary for a 457 visa holder working in the mining industry is $122 000.

This does not take into account any allowances or bonuses. Subclass 457 visa holders must be paid superannuation.

Click here for more information on EMAs on the Australian Government website.

IELTS Testing for Nurses - What do the Experts Say?

Mon, 16 May 2011 00:15:00 GMT

A review of the English language requirement for nurses and midwives has left students in limbo and may exclude competent people from the workforce capable of practising safely, experts say.

Under national rules, nurses must score at least 7 at one sitting in four components of the International English Language Testing System to be registered to practise.

Yet Joanne Gray, president of the NSW branch of the Australian College of Midwives and a member of its national midwifery education standards advisory committee, said the standard was too onerous. ''It's a crude measure that is preventing us mobilising our workforce as effectively as we could,'' Dr Gray said.

She said English language skills were essential. ''The bottom line is safety … Communication is key to what we do.''

But Dr Gray said it was hard to achieve a 7 (on a scale of 1 to 9) in all subjects on the same day, and repeated testing could undermine safety by delaying new graduates' entry into the workforce and prevent them from applying newly learnt skills.

Rhonda Griffiths, head of the University of Western Sydney's school of nursing and midwifery, said the standard was unrealistically high and many native English speakers would not meet it.
''We're all familiar with exam stress,'' said Professor Griffiths, adding that it could undermine performance on a single day.

Her school enrols students with a 6.5 score on IELTS on the basis that their English will improve while they study.
She called for the acceptance of scores in individual test components achieved on different occasions within an agreed time period.

Click here to read the full story at the Sydney Morning Herald.