Government is introducing new requirements for partner visa applicants and their permanent resident sponsors to make reasonable efforts to learn English.
English is national language and is critical to getting a job, fully participating in our democracy and for social cohesion. Only 13 per cent of those with no English skills are in work compared to 62 per cent of those who speak English well.
Without sufficient English language skills, migrants are particularly vulnerable to family violence and other exploitation and are less likely to know how and where to seek assistance.
In the past decade, the number of people in Australia not speaking English well or at all has risen sharply and is reaching a million people, with about half of those being of working age.
The Government announced the removal of limitations on migrants‘ access to free English language classes through the Adult Migration English Program (AMEP). Migrants can now access as many hours as they need to reach vocational English.
From late 2021, new partner visa applicants and permanent resident sponsors will be required to have functional level English or to demonstrate that they have made reasonable efforts to learn English.
People will be able to demonstrate this through, for example, the completion of 500 hours of free English language classes through the AMEP.
Most partner visas are a provisional visa of two years before becoming eligible for a permanent visa. The requirement will have to be met at the time of the granting of the permanent visa.
New Requirements for Partner Visa Applicants added by Indian newspaper Sydney on
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