Partner Visa English Requirements for Australia | Free Guide
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Partner Visa Australia is an excellent option for those looking forward to reuniting with their partner in Australia. However, to apply for this visa, specific rules and regulations need to be followed. One of the significant areas that need to be taken care of is the English requirements for Partner visas.
The Department of Immigration has mentioned that applicants seeking to apply for a Partner Visa must prove their functional English or demonstrate that they have made reasonable efforts to learn English.
In other words, the applicants should display that they have secured the minimum score in any of the approved English Proficiency Tests, like IELTS, OET, TOEFL, or have completed 500 hours of free English language classes through the AMEP.
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What is Partner or Spouse Visa?
An Australian Partner or Spouse Visa allows the applicant to stay with their spouse or de facto partner temporarily or permanently. To apply for this visa, you need to be the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia.
There are basically two types of Australian Partner Visa- Temporary and Permanent Partner Visas. The different pathways of Australian Partner Visas are as follows:
– Partner visa (Temporary) – 820
– Partner visa (permanent) – 801
– Partner (provisional) visa – 309
– Partner (Migrant) Visa – 100
– Prospective Marriage visa – 300
The initial step to apply for an Australian Partner Visa starts with applying for a Temporary visa. After the temporary visa is granted, the applicant can try for a Permanent Visa. So, before you choose your visa pathway, you can read about Australian Partner Visas to learn in detail.
Why knowing the English language essential to moving to Australia?
The one question that may linger in your mind while applying for an Australian Partner Visa is why the English language is so essential?
English is the unofficial de facto language in Australia, which means that this language is in high practice in this country. Therefore, a person must know, at least, functional English to get admission in colleges/ universities, get into a job, participate in social programs and political arrangements, among others.
New English requirements to apply for Partner Visa
As per the latest announcement from the Australian government, from July 2021, the partner visa applicants will be required to meet the basic English requirements.
As we have already stated, initially, the applicant would need to apply for the temporary (provisional) Partner Visa of two years. However, according to the latest government news, the minimum language requirement will only need to be met once an application is made for Permanent Residency after two years of living in Australia.
As of now, you are required to meet the English language requirements to apply for student visas, skilled employment visas, and permanent visas. However, you can get a complete list of English Requirements for Australian Migration, which can help you learn more.
For the Partner Visa application, you must demonstrate the knowledge of basic English to perform everyday tasks. To do so, you need to score the following points in any of the English language tests approved by the Department of Immigration, Australia.
- IELTS- 4.5 on the 4 test components
- TOEFL- A total band score of at least 32
- PTE- A total band score of at least 30
- CAE- A total band score of at least 147
Also, you must ensure that the test has been completed within 12 months of visa application lodgement or can be completed during the visa application process.
The new update from the Australian government regarding the English language requirement may cause potential stress for the Partner Visa applicants. However, your whole Partner Visa application process can take a smooth turn if you seek help from a registered migration agent or lawyer. You can get in touch with the team of migration and immigration experts at Australian Visa Lawyer, as they can assist you with your Partner Visa application, its different pathways, and language requirements.
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