Since coming to Australia as an international student four years ago, Harleen Kaur Ahuja's English language proficiency has been tested several times.
Ahuja, now aged 23, arrived in Sydney from India's Punjab state on a student visa in 2019. After first studying health sciences, she later undertook a bachelor of nursing and is now a registered nurse.
After finishing her studies last December, she applied for a temporary graduate visa and, later, permanent residency, which was granted in July.
Throughout this process, Ahuja has been required to sit several English language tests, including the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test and the Pearson Test of English (PTE).
"I had to clear them off, bit by bit. Every entry course requirement or visa requirement asks you for a different score. We had to give tests on repeat," she told SBS News.
As the government announced increased English language requirements for student and graduate visas this week, she reflected on her own time as a student.
Australia's new migration strategy
On Monday, the government , which aims to significantly curb Australia's immigration intake. The strategy follows a review by senior public servant Martin Parkinson that found the immigration system was .
International students and graduates, who make up the largest share of "permanently temporary" migrants, were a focus of the strategy.
Among the strategy's key reforms are changes to English language requirements.
From 2024, those applying for a student visa will need a score of 6.0 (up from 5.5) from IELTS or an equivalent test of English language proficiency.
The test score required for a temporary graduate visa will increase from 6.0 to 6.5.
(left to right) Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Liam O’Brien, Immigration Minister Andrew Giles, Business Council of Australia CEO Bran Black and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil arrive to announce the government’s migration strategy in Canberra. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
"There is a skilful force out there ... which can contribute in their own ways to Australia's economy. How does this one English test, or just a 0.5-band [increase] make them proficient enough and sufficient enough to be successful in their careers in Australia?"
However, she said the changes "might lead to a huge emotional impact on the students waiting in different countries to come over here".
What are the IELTS or PTE tests?
English language requirements will generally apply to applicants who want to study or work in Australia.
As mentioned on its website, the Department of Home Affairs visa process involves several tests that are undertaken at a secure test centre.
These include the IELTS, PTE, Cambridge English (CAE) and the Occupational English Test (OET), which is developed for health professionals.
An IELTS test in Australia costs $410.
Agnes Bodis, a lecturer in applied linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Macquarie University, said such tests are used for admission, to ensure students have the English language proficiency to fulfil course requirements.
"If all degree courses and content are taught through the medium of English, this is understandable," she said.
"But language proficiency tests measure language skills, and these are to some extent more than just the test situation.
"We know that language use in the life of a university student is much more than just sitting down and reading and answering questions. It consists of various forms of interaction and communication."
Why were changes introduced?
The new migration strategy will see , with the government introducing strengthened integrity measures, lifting standards in international education and cracking down on "unscrupulous" education providers.
Forecasts show that net overseas migration is expected to have peaked in 2022-23 at 510,000, largely due to the return of international students and tourists following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government's strategy is expected to reduce migration to near pre-pandemic levels to 375,000 by next financial year, and to 250,000 in 2024-25.
"Our goal is to return migration to sustainable levels," Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil told reporters on Monday.
"We have to run a migration program that maintains the support of the Australian community."
The government says international students and graduates make up the largest share of "permanently temporary" migrants, with 108,00 having lived in Australia for five or more years.
Many of them will prolong their stay by shifting to another visa type.
The system currently means a graduate can stay in Australia for up to eight years by applying for various visas and waiting for them to be processed.
International students contribute $30 billion to the economy per year and international education is Australia's fourth-largest export.
The strategy states changes to English language requirements will have benefits for the sector, the migration system and the students themselves — including a better-quality educational experience and reduced risk of workplace exploitation.
"English language skills are a key determinant of how successful an international student will be," O'Neil said.
"What we have seen with students who are struggling with their English is that they are at a much higher risk of exploitation and that they are likely to gather in really low-paid work and not be able to move out of that over time in our country."
The government will also apply greater scrutiny to student visa applications from high-risk providers and shorten graduate visas to prevent migrants who are not prospective permanent residents from prolonging their time in Australia.
More than half of graduate visa holders are working significantly below their skill level —including some with degrees tied to skill shortages such as engineering and IT.
The government hopes to strengthen graduate visas and bolster the prospects of genuine international students.
"We are lifting standards for international students and ensuring that they are actually here to (learn) and not to work," O'Neil said.
"This is critical to restoring integrity and trust in the system."
International education sector's response to the migration strategy
Phil Honeywood, chief executive of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), said he broadly supports the package in its attempt to "focus on quality of students rather than quantity".
He said the 0.5-band increase to English language requirements "does not make a massive difference" and puts Australia in line with key competitor countries, such as Canada and the UK.
"It's not as though we are an outlier requiring exceptional English to come into the country," he said.
"However, there is a concern that it will have more English language [education] pushed offshore. When English language is taught well in Australia, it provides a great introduction to multiculturalism."
Honeywood welcomed any attempt to ensure better integrity checks "to focus on ensuring students are coming for the right reasons and are getting a quality education".
Shivi Bhalla is the chief executive of EnglishWise, a coaching institute that helps people prepare for English proficiency tests across the country.
He came to Australia in 2010 as an international student and completed his accounting course within two years.
Bhalla said undertaking the test required for permanent residency was a "turning point" for him.
In 2013, after tutoring some of his university friends, he set up the institute in Parramatta to help others.
"The test is important. I think it really tests ability. And I think it is a good parameter," Bhalla said. "I think it can increase opportunities in the country as well."
Bhalla said increasing the requirement by half a band "is quite reasonable" and will "help the country to get more genuine students".
"If [students and graduates] want to integrate into the Australian culture and workforce, it is important ... Raising the English language requirement is a good step."
But Bodis said it was difficult to tell whether the increase would make a difference.
"Raising the requirements might not always result in meaningful change," she said.
"It might, or it might not, and that's because of the complexity of language and all the other things that need to be done to have the meaningful change that students need in Australia."
She said language support to all students and staff was key, along with supporting students beyond graduation.
"One of the aims of the migration strategy was to improve the quality of experience for international students. It is more than just language testing and the way we set requirements."
'That 0.5 can make someone's life'
Shirin Lakhani has lived in Sydney for 14 years.
She came to Australia from the southern Indian city of Hyderabad in 2008 to complete a second master's degree in accounting.
Lakhani received permanent residency in 2012 — but says the journey to achieve that was "very hard".
She she sat the IELTS 33 times and spent $11,000 on fees alone before she was able to attain the score required to apply for permanent residency.
Lakhani said she has experienced falling short of the required score by half-a-band.
She believes the requirement change will have a "big impact" on incoming students and those here on temporary graduate visas.
"That 0.5 can make someone's life," she said. "I have seen how 0.5 can help or dissolve a life.
"I've seen my friends or colleagues who have left Australia because they could not get their permanent residency just for 0.5, where they couldn't meet the criteria of the points threshold."
Both Lakhani and Ahuja pointed to the financial pressures of the test — particularly for those who are required to retake it several times.
This might be to either achieve the required score or to fulfil requirements at various points in their studies, work and journey towards permanent residency in Australia.
"It actually builds upon emotional and financial pressure on your mind ... where you are asked to do this English test again and again, you are working and you are studying as well," Ahuja said.
"You feel like you are losing your own confidence."
The Home Affairs Department has been contacted for comment.
Since December 2022, the department has accepted IELTS tests that include One Skill Retake (OSR), which allows applicants to retake one of the four test components (reading, writing, speaking or listening) once only.
Applicants for visa subclasses 476, 482 and 485 are exempt from this and require scores from a single attempt, according to the Home Affairs website.
Warwick Freeland, managing director of IELTS at IDP Education, said in February after listening to test-taker feedback.
“IELTS One Skill Retake improves fairness by providing an opportunity to retake a single skill if the test taker feels their original performance was not representative of their language proficiency level,” he said.
A list of Australian test centres that offer the feature . The cost for an OSR is $259, which is less than a normal IELTS test.
With additional reporting by SBS Punjabi and the Australian Associated Press.
