English language test for citizenship
One of the most contentious proposals put forward as part of the changes to the Australian Citizenship Test announced by the Federal Government in April is a standalone English language test. Under the proposal, permanent residents seeking citizenship will be required to achieve a 6-band score on the General International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.
Elements of the language test for citizenship
The new test will involve following components:
- reading
- writing
- speaking
- listening
The Federal government claims it is reasonable to expect English language proficiency from would-be citizens and denies claims that the new English test will be equivalent to tests required for academic admission to Australian universities because it is based on the general training stream, not the academic stream which contains texts of greater complexity. According to the ‘Strengthening the Test for Australian Citizenship’ paper, people currently exempt from sitting the Australian citizenship test – which includes those over 60 or who have a permanent mental or physical incapacity – will be exempt from English language testing.
Australian Citizenship Amendment Bill
There have been a number of protests against the Australian Citizenship Amendment Bill which will more than double the time it takes for permanent residents to become citizens due to the requirement for permanent residents to wait four years before they can apply, instead of the one year wait which currently exists. Additionally, opponents say the level of English required is too high, particularly for those learning the language as adults, and that the current citizenship test is sufficient. They believe the new English language test will prevent many permanent residents and migrants from ever becoming Australian citizens.
Additional questions and requirments
The number of applications for citizenship is expected to reduce by 20,000 each year due to the changes to the citizen test. In addition to the English test and extended permanent residency period, the citizenship test has an increased number of questions, and applicants will also be required to demonstrate they have taken steps to integrate into and contribute to the Australian community by for example, providing documentation showing volunteer work or that their children are enrolled in education.
The Australian Citizenship Amendment Bill was introduced to parliament on 17th June 2017. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection advised that citizenship applications received on or after 20th April will be processed according to the reforms and are currently on hold awaiting legislation to be passed.