New English Language Test Providers for Student Visa English Language Requirements
2012-01-07
Some Student visa applicants are required to provide the results of an English language test. Currently, the main English language test accepted by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) for Australian visa purposes is the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
From 5 November 2011, the department will accept test results from the following specified English language tests for Student visa purposes taken in any country:
Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-Based test (TOEFL iBT)
Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic
Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test (also known as Certificate in Advanced English).
The department will continue to accept test results from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test and the Occupational English Test (OET) taken in any country.
Below are the test score equivalencies:
English Language Tests for Student Visas
Test Score Band
IELTS 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0
TOEFL iBT 31 32 35 46 60 79 94 102 110 115 118
PTE Academic 29 30 36 42 50 58 65 73 79 83 86
Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) 32 36 41 47 52 58 67 74 80 87 93
OET Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass
TOEFL PBT 433 450 500 527 550 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
DIAC will monitor the new English language test providers and a review will determine if they will be extended for use with other Australian visa programs.
Changes to the current Visa Application Charges
2012-01-07
From the 1st January, 2012, changes to the current Visa Application Charge (VAC) system will begin to take effect and will continue to be progressively introduced over the following 18 months. Some of the key changes are:
The VAC applicable to student visas will decrease by 5%. This is intended to improve Australia’s competitiveness in the international education sector.
The VAC for a range of Skills and Business visa subclasses will increase by a total of between 5% - 15%.
From July 2012, it is expected that a CPI increase will be made to the VAC amount on most Australian visa subclasses. A surcharge will also be introduced for optional services, such as visa labeling.
From July 2013, the VAC applicable to longer-duration visas, or to visa holders currently within Australia who are seeking further visa services, is expected to increase.
From July 2013, a fee will be included for any dependants of a primary visa applicant who are included in the application.
It is expected that some programs, especially the visitor visa program, will remain completely unaffected by these changes, to ensure that there is no adverse impact on Australia’s tourism industry.
It is unclear at this stage exactly which Australian visa subclasses will fall under the increased VAC from 1st January 2012. Bose Australia Migration Services will provide information regarding this as it becomes available.
Priority Processing Update for General Skill Migration
2012-01-07
DIAC has announced that it expects to commence allocating some General Skilled Migration (GSM) Priority Group 5 processing arrangements. Most GSM visa applications are subject to a Ministerial Direction which determines the priority in which they are considered. Under the Direction allocation of applications to a case officer for processing is done based on the priority of an application according to the Direction.
Each week around 1000 priority affected cases are allocated to case officers. These allocations are currently made up of all available applications from Priority Group 1 and 3, with the balance being Priority Group 4 cases. There are no GSM visa subclasses in Priority Group 2.
Based on the number of applications on hand and anticipated application rates for Priority Groups 1 and 3, the department expects to commence allocating some Priority Group 5 applications this program year. The number of Priority Group 5 applications processed this program year will ultimately depend on the number of higher priority applications received, and other factors including any change in the size of the Migration Program or variation of the Processing Direction.
There are currently approximately 27 347 applications lodged from in Australia and 15 284 applications lodged from outside Australia Priority Group 5 cases awaiting allocation. Applicants who are still waiting for allocation of a case officer for their priority Group 5 Applications might want to consider other options available.
For more details on Processing of Priority Group 5 applications or other options, please contact BAMS.
Priority processing sponsorship program for Australian Subclass 457 Visa program
2012-01-07
Australian Federal Immigration Minister Chris Bowen announced in November last year that under a new accreditation scheme businesses using the subclass 457 visa program can now gain access to priority processing and approval for six years rather than the current three. Under the new accreditation scheme,
The fast tracked 457 sponsorship program provides a fast and flexible process for the entry of overseas skilled workers to the accredited sponsors. Under the scheme, the employers will now be able to apply for an ‘Accredited Sponsor’ status with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). However, the businesses will need to meet certain additional benchmarks to qualify for accredited status, including being an active 457 visa sponsor for the past three years, lodging a high volume of good quality, decision-ready applications, an excellent record of compliance with relevant laws and a commitment to ensuring at least 75 per cent of their domestic workforce is Australian.
If the employer does not meet the characteristics for accredited status, the application for standard business sponsorship will still proceed and be assessed in the usual way under the usual processing timeframes and arrangements.
Testimonials :
1.Mr. Bose. David ? Brisbane, Australia.
Many thanks to Mr. D. Bose. being our agent, he is very professional and easy to talk to. He is very helpful and understands the needs of his clients. Me and my family and all my mates who became his clients highly recommends Mr. Bose as your immigration agent. Without his help and professionalism, we would still be waiting for ages for our permanent residency visa.More Details...
2.Raahul & Arti - Sunshine Coast, Australia .
Mr Bose is very easy to interact with. He makes himself available at all times. He made it look very easy. He knows the job & does it really well. Made the documentation a breeze. Didn't scare the daylights about changing immigration laws. Wasn't pushy. All in all .. very efficient .. & highly recommended... esply for doctors ! Heartfelt thanx More Details...
3.Daniel ? Guangzhou, China.
Thank you very much Mr. Bose. Highly recommended. My family's permanent Business Visa (subclass 892) granted in less than 3 months. Mr. Bose is very professional and without his help it would be impossible for us to handle the large volume of paperwork required for Business Skills permanent residency visa.More Details...
4.Dr Rahman, Saudi Arabia.
Many many thanks Mr bose. He was very professional from the begining. He is someone who will guide you in every step.Visa was approved in one month after application and only week after receiving all the document, Highly recommended. Thanks again .More Details...
5.Jérôme - France.
Highly recommended, very help full and professional. Obtain my permanent residency in 12 days (Time after sending application). Thanks again.More Details...
6.Suneetha, Hyderabad - India.
Mr Dhananjoy Bose is very professional, friendly and handles things very responsibly, I took Mr Bose help for my visa, and he gave me good direction for the paper work which was very helpful in getting visa quickly. I highly recommend Mr Dhananjoy Bose for any visa applications.More Details...
7.Deependra and sristy, Nepal.
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for all your best efforts you put on to get our PR. We really appreciate your clear guidance and your good work. We strongly recommend others to join Mr. Bose for any visa services as he is outstandingly helpful and has got excellent knowledge and experiences regarding migration laws.More Details...
8.Paul O'Malley, Ireland.
Mr Bose was very helpful and professional in organising my permanent residency. I highly recommend Mr Bose for any visa applications as he took care of everything including the forms and information needed for the application.More Details...
9.Chun ? Brisbane, Australia .
Being a 52 year old holding a subclass 457 temporary visa, I had very little hope to get Employer Nomination Scheme visa under subclass 856. I approached Mr Bose to help me. I am extremly happy that he lodged a Decision Ready ENS visa application for us and to our surprise residency was approved in just 18 days.More Details...
10.Ali Iftikhar, Brisbane ? Australia
Mr Bose advocated my case for a permanent residency visa. I got the visa in less than 12 months with no hassles or surprises during the whole process. I will highly recommend Mr Bose for all matters relating to migration due to his professionalism and sound knowledge of the tedious migration Laws of Australia. During the whole process, I only had to provide him with documents from time to time and everything else was taken care by Mr.Bose. Highly likely to use him again if a chance arises! More Details...
11.Ajay Kumar, Melbourne ? Australia
Mr Dhananjoy Bose is a very professional and friendly migration agent. He has handled my case and I strongly recommend Mr Bose for his services. He has excellent understanding and knowledge of Migration laws. In addition, he is flexible and appropriate in providing correct and honest advice. I will recommend any one and every one to take services from Mr Bose. He can be briefly described as a professional with honesty.More Details...
12.Ciara Denham, Ireland
I wholly recommend Dhananjoy Bose migration services. He provides personal and highly knowledgable assistance. His extensive insight into the workings of the migration process strive to achieve the best possible outcome to accommodate all circumstances. As a sole contractor he is extremely helpful and patient with each case, I was very lucky to have found his support for my successful 856 visa lodgment. More Details...
13.Dr Kaushik Basu, Brisbane - Australia
Honest and highly professional customer dedicated service is what Mr Bose has demonstrated while processing my visa application. I would highly recommend him to anyone seeking any migration related service in Australia or from abroad.More Details...
14.Viral Shah, Mumbai - India
Highly Recommended I must comment very positively on the professionalism and courtesy that you have demonstrated involving the 457 Visa for one of our employee.I am impressed with your customer-focus, knowledge and your efforts to secure the VISA and have a commercially balanced outcome for both Brisnorth Communications and yourself. Brisnorth communications is expanding and we will utilize the range of services that you would like to provide us. I can comfortably say that we will be doing more with you and your team as we streamline and grow our business requirements both nationally and internationally. Thanks again for your efforts to date.More Details...
15.Dr Vidhya, Bundaberg - Australia
Very professional and friendly service It was a pleasure to have someone like Mr.Bose look after our immigration paperwork. He is friendly, gives very good advice and is very prompt in his work. We were very pleased with his service.More Details...
16.Kiran, Brisbane ? Australia
EXCELLENT SERVICE. Instant response is his speciality. Wherever he may be he will respond to you (very nice of him). Mr. Bose is very friendly, polite, patient and helpful. I personally feel that he is the perfect migration agent I have ever ever seen.More Details...
17.Julie Kim, South Korea
PERFECT SERVICE It was really good to have Mr Bose as my agent. He is professional and experienced with a lot of migration stuff. Whenever I asked some questions, he kindly answered and helped me a lot. It was the best service ever and I strongly recommend Mr Bose if you are looking for someone who can give you kind, professional, perfect service about migration and permanent residency services.More Details...
18.Dr Khai Tan, New Zealand
Very approachable From our first interview to the final telephone call, Mr. Bose has been very friendly and approachable. He spent time discussing our personal circumstances and explained clearly the steps and timeframe needed for our applications to be successful. He has given us the right advice. We are happy. Thank you.More Details...
19.Adil Wain ? Toronto, Canada
Very professional My experience with Mr. Bose is rated excellent, the best thing I would say about Mr. Bose is his proffesioanl, polite and brotherly attitude. I always enjoyed talking to him and got my questions answered. I would say that his right advice made my application successful. I have already recommended Mr. Bose name to my couple of friends. Thanks ! .More Details...
20.Lance Wallis, South Africa
Top notch service It is really daunting for many potential immigrants to Australia in sifting through the many issues on Australian immigration law. After now being in Australia for almost 3 years and loving it so far. I must admit we would have really struggled initially if we did not get your help with the initial application to get over here. The assistance, information and help in setting up meetings with the QLD Government were priceless.More Details...
21.Vanessa & Ian, Ireland.
Mr Bose has been 100% helpful and accurate from start to finish. We were impressed with his professionalism and flexibility. You can imagine our satisfaction when our permanent residency application was approved in 4 days!!!!!! We have no doubt that Mr Bose's attention to detail and dedication assisted with such a fast decision. Will be recommending to anyone we know!.More Details...
22.Anujit ? Adelaide, Australia.
One of the best when it comes to Australian immigration. Mr Bose has been extremely helpful, gave prompt and accurate advice throughout my visa process. Everything was clear right from the start and it was a very smooth process in the end. For anyone who intends to move down under, I definitely recommend the service of Bose Australia Migration. Thank you so much for your support.More Details...
23.Dr Chandima & Dr Sudath ? Mackay, Australia.
True Professionalism, Highly Recommend for Everyone.......! We were very lucky to have Mr Bose as the immigration advisor. We realised during the very first telephone interview, Mr Bose is the right choice for us. He is very approachable, simple, very communicative professional body. He responded in seconds even during after hours, even during week ends. It was a dream for us to have the Australian PR. It would have been still a dream, without his guidance.Our dream became a reality with many thanks to Mr Bose.We strongly believe that, his vast experience and knowledge has done the difference for us. Thank you once again Mr Bose for your efficient work..............!.More Details...
