English Language Requirement of Permanent visa – for Secondary Applicant

English Language Requirement of Permanent visa – for Secondary Applicant

In applying for permanent visa, there is an English requirement for secondary applicant who is family member 18 years old or older.

About “Functional English”

When you apply for permanent residency with Skilled Independent Visa(Subclass 189), Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa (Subclass 187), or Employer Nomination Scheme visa (Subclass 186), secondary applicant should meet “Functional English” requirement.

IELTs should be completed within 1 year before applying for the visa or you can achieved the score during your visa application process. You should achieve average band score of at least 4.5 for IELTs. However, you are also able to take alternative English test such as TOEFL or PTE instead of IELTs if you could achieve test scores benchmarked as against the IELTs.

What if you don’t have English score?

If you do not have English score, there are some ways for you.

One of the ways is to study hard in order to achieve score while your application is processed.

Otherwise, if you can meet one of the conditions as below, you are able to go next step with your primary applicant:

• Completed all years of primary education and at least three years of secondary education in an educational institution in or outside Australia and all instructions were in English; or
• Completed at least five years of secondary education in an institution in or outside Australia and all instructions were in English; or
• Successfully completed at least one year of full-time study or equivalent part-time study towards a degree, higher degree, diploma, or associate diploma in an institution in Australia and all instructions were in English; or
• The holder of valid passport issued by the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland;

If you cannot satisfy conditions mentioned above?

If secondary applicant cannot meet conditions mentioned above, you should pay $4,890 as “Secondary payment” in order to be granted visa. Since Australian government requires minimum English condition for you to live in Australia, if you pay secondary payment mentioned above, it will be used for you to study English by taking Adult Migrant English Program(AMEP) operated by Australian government. It seems that Australian government offers minimum English education for you by using secondary payment fee.

We will give you general information about Functional English provided by the Department of Immigration Border Protection as below:

Functional English

1. The applicant provides evidence of having completed all years of primary education and at least 3 years of secondary education at educational institutions in which all instruction was conducted in English; or
2. The applicant provides evidence of having completed at least 5 years of secondary education at institutions in which all instruction was conducted in English; or
3. The applicant provides evidence of having achieved an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) average band score of at least 4.5, based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing, and listening in a test conducted:
   1. Not more than 12 months before lodging the relevant application to migrate; or
   2. At the time of the processing of the relevant application to migrate; or
4. The applicant provides evidence that he or she has successfully completed, in Australia, at least 1 year of full-time study or equivalent part-time study towards a degree, higher degree, diploma, or associate diploma, at an institution or institutions where all the instruction was conducted in English.
5. The applicant provides evidence of having achieved a Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) total band score of a t least 32, based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening in a test conducted:
   1. Not more than 12 months before lodging the relevant application to migrate; or
   2. At the time of the processing of the relevant application to migrate; or
6. The applicant provides evidence of having achieved a Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) overall band score of at least 30, based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing, and listening in a test conducted:
   1. Not more than 12 months before lodging the relevant application to migrate; or
   2. At the time of the processing of the relevant application to migrate; or
7. The applicant provides evidence of having achieved a Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) overall score of at least 147 based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing, and listening in a test conducted:
   1. Not more than 12 months before lodging the relevant application to migrate; or
   2. At the time of the processing of the relevant application to migrate; or
8. The applicant provides evidence that he or she is the holder of a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland, to a citizen of that country.

If you have any question in regard to this matter, please feel free to contact us in the form below.