Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil announced a new immigration strategy in December 2023, which included raising English language requirements and replacing the GTE requirement.
Request answers to questions
According to the announcement from the Australian Department of Home Affairs, from March 23, student visa applications will be assessed according to the Genuine Student (GS) requirements, replacing the previous Temporary Entry (GTE) conditions. This means that international students need to answer a series of specific questions in the online form and attach relevant documents to prove such as qualifications and resumes.
"General responses without supporting evidence will not be of significant value. We also consider the applicant's personal circumstances when assessing whether they are a genuine international student. Student visa applications lodged before 23 March will continue to be assessed under the previous GTE requirement," the Australian Department of Home Affairs noted.
The unit said that the questions required by the GS focus on four main contents, including: providing details about the candidate's current circumstances (relationship with family, community, employment, finances); explaining the reason the candidate wants to pursue the course in Australia with the education service provider; explaining how completing the course will benefit the candidate; providing details of any other relevant information.
All questions must be answered in English, with a maximum of 150 words per question. There will also be an additional question for applicants who have previously held a student visa or applied for a visa other than a student visa, the Department of Home Affairs said.
Vietnamese students learn about opportunities to study in Australia at a seminar held in August 2023
“All applicants must be genuine student visa applicants for entry. They must remain in Australia as a student and be able to demonstrate that studying in Australia is the main reason for applying for a student visa. The GS requirement is also intended to include international students who, after studying in Australia, will develop skills that Australia needs and go on to apply for permanent residence,” the Australian Department of Home Affairs noted.
Raising English requirements, why?
The Australian Department of Home Affairs has also increased English language requirements for student visas (subclass 500) and temporary graduate visas (subclass 485) from 23 March. For temporary graduate visas, the minimum IELTS score will increase from 6.0 to 6.5, with no band below 5.5 (or equivalent). In addition, applicants will need to provide evidence of having completed an English test within 1 year of the application date, instead of 3 years as before.
For student visas, the requirement increases from IELTS 5.5 to 6.0 (equivalent to PTE 42-50). Study abroad combined with English courses increases from 4.5 to 5.0 (PTE 30-36), while university preparation and university transfer programs providing English training require a minimum IELTS 5.5 (PTE 42). It should also be noted that Australia does not currently accept TOEFL iBT test results, and only accepts Cambridge C1 Advanced results in paper-based format.
According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, the decision to raise English language requirements is to ensure international students have a positive educational experience in Australia, while also preparing them to become skilled workers in the country after graduation. Before the change, Australia had argued that its English language requirements for visa issuance were lower than some similar countries such as Canada.
Mr. Peter Pham, CEO of PTE Magic, in a lesson at the center
Mr. Peter Pham, CEO of PTE Magic, explained that contrary to popular belief, finance is no longer the deciding factor when studying or working in Australia, but the most important factor is English proficiency. This will help reduce the number of cases of abusing student visas for other purposes. "Student visa applications with English certificates will be given priority for consideration," Mr. Peter affirmed.
Mr. Peter added: "If you are poor at foreign languages, it will be very difficult for you to keep up with the pace of your studies and not be able to integrate into life, which will lead to undesirable consequences such as dropping out of school, staying behind or suffering from mental illness. In addition, with higher English requirements, schools are also forced to be more selective in the admission process before issuing a Certificate of Enrollment (CoE)."
The director also noted that students should prepare for the English test as early as possible, ideally 6 months to 1 year before the start of the school year to meet admission requirements as well as have enough time to apply for a student visa before the start of the school year. "In addition, choose the right test early," Mr. Peter noted, adding that PTE is a popular certificate for Vietnamese students who want to study in Australia.
According to statistics from the Australian Department of Education, by the end of 2023, there will be 786,891 international students studying in Australia. Of these, Vietnam has nearly 33,000 international students, ranking 6th after China, India, Nepal, Colombia and the Philippines. To live in Australia at the present time, the Australian Department of Home Affairs advises international students to ensure finances of about 25,000 USD (600 million VND) per year.
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