English Language Test Suggested for Australian Visa (Courtesy of Breaking News English)

Visa requirements in Australia just got a little tougher. Foreign partners of existing residents who want a permanent residence visa must soon have to pass an English language test. Australia’s government says it is important that people prove a predetermined level of English proficiency before they are granted a permanent visa. The prerequisite could be in place from the middle of 2021. Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said: “We will require an applicant and a sponsor to have met a functional level of English or to have at least made reasonable efforts to learn English.” He said such efforts would entail about 500 hours of free English classes on a government-run language programme.