Australia immigration law to require ‘English test’ for partner visas

Australia will require partners of existing residents to pass an English language test before gaining a permanent visa, its government says.

The controversial immigration requirement, if approved by parliament, would apply from mid-2021.

It would also force the partners of applicants to prove a level of English proficiency, reports the BBC. 

Critics have called the change "discriminatory", but the government says it will build "social cohesion".

"We will require an applicant and a sponsor to have met functional level English or to have at least made reasonable efforts to learn English," Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said.

In recent years, Australia's conservative government has called for prospective migrants to face mandatory, rigorous testing on their English language skills.

More than one-fifth of Australia's population speaks a language other than English at home, with the figure above 35 per cent in the largest cities of Sydney and Melbourne.

Why has the government announced this?

Mr Tudge said there were about one million people living in Australia with poor or no English skills, which he argued limited their work and social skills.

He said the new changes would also help protect vulnerable immigrants from controlling partners.

"In some cases, the husband will not want his partner or wife to learn English. And in part that's for control reasons," he said.

He said "reasonable efforts to learn" would constitute an applicant taking about 500 hours of English classes which would be available under a free government programme.

What's been the reaction?

The Labor opposition said the partner visa changes "take us back to the 1950s".

"English proficiency isn't a test of someone's love," said Andrew Giles, shadow minister for multicultural affairs.

Couples facing the partner application process have told local media the requirement is an "additional burden" to the existing two-stage application process.

Currently there is a two-year waiting period for permanent partner visas, and applications start from A$7,715 (£4,260; $5,500).

About 40,000 visas were granted in 2017-2018 according to the most recent figures, and there were double that number in pending applications.

The new requirement has also sparked public criticism in a nation where over 300 languages are spoken.

Australia is forecast to see its first drop in net overseas migration since World World Two due to the coronavirus pandemic.