IELTS Test

[Guest wilna]

Hi Elize

As jy wil kan jy hier gaan lees. http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-wor...ges-eng-req.htm

What is the new requirement

From 1 July 2007, certain primary subclass 457 Visa applicants will be required to have proficiency in English equivalent to an average band score of 4.5 across the four test components in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test. Applicants must meet a higher level of English proficiency where this is required for licensing or registration in their nominated occupation. Applicants will need to detail their English language skills on their visa application form.

Important: Notwithstanding the evidence you may submit with your application, you may be asked to undertake an IELTS test to demonstrate your English language skills.

Daar is uitsonderings so gaan lees op die link, miskien het julle dit nie nodig nie.

Hoop dit help.

Wilna

Edited September 28, 2007 by wilna

[Jordy]

The last I heard the waiting time for booking was 5 months. Does anyone know what the current waiting period for booking the IELTS is at the three different centres in South Africa?

Answered my own question: First avilable test in JHB Saturday 26 January 2008

First available in Cape Town: Saturday 01 December 2007

first available Durban: Saturday 26 January 2008

If you desperate enough to drive up to Zimbabwe you can write on Saturday: Saturday 06 October 2007 or aon Thursday 20 October 2007.

Edited October 4, 2007 by Jordy

[strawberry]

Hi

I've copied the following from the immi website English language

If you read further you'll also note that any other family members over the age of eighteen should write the test

The second instalment is currently AUD 2 765

If anyone (still in SA) is planing on taking the test in the near future I have a copy of the specimen material which I will gladly give to you, on the understanding that you'll pass it on to the next "wannabe" in need. We found it helpful, particularly as it gave us an idea of what to expect, the format of the test etc.

You can also look at this link for a sample of the different tests.

Cindylou

Hello,

Can I be forward and ask you to please give us a copy of the specimen test?

We too will pass it on to any "Wannabees"

Thanks

Tash

[Retha_hhr]

Well, we finally wrote the test as well. We wrote it in Calgary this past Saturday. I have never been so nervous in my life for a test. The reading and listening wasn't bad. I have never been good at essays, so will have to see what the points for writing will be. I think I blew the interview though. I was so nervous and because of that, I talked too fast and therefore haven't pronounced the words properly. I sounde dlike a German: said "Z" instead of "th" many times. Oh well, we will have to wait and see. My husband said the interview was fine for him.

When the lady said the time was up for the listening test, she asked 2 people to leave the room because she saw them cheating. I do not know how they did it, because they were sitting right up front under her nose. Maybe when she was walking around looking at our passports. After that incident I was even more nervous, I just looked on my paper or straight ahead of me. She also moved in and out of the exam room many times after that incident. I was just wondering how would she know if one of us was cheating if she does that. Hence for not looking anywhere other than on my paper or straight ahead.

When we applied for the test, South Australia still showed that we had to be native Canadians if we do not want to sit the test while the DIAC test said, just being a passport holder of Canada was enought o be excempt. After September 1st, SA finally had the same rule as DIAC. By this time we couldn't cancel anymore unless we want to loose the money. So, to make the test worthwhile for us now, we have to get a 7 in each category to get the 25 points. So I keep my fingers crossed for the next 13 days.

I also received back my ACS assessment. We are still waiting for my husband's. I do not know how they looked at his papers. He has a B.Sc degree with Math and computer science as the majors, but his degree states: B.Sc (Mathematical Statistics). It seems that they didn't look further. Included was the academic record that stated clearly that computer Science was his other major. So, they asked for 6 years experience reference letters while he only included 4 years for Group A. So we asked them why they didn't assess him under group A and we took Group A's category and under each category put his degree information to proof that he qualify to be assessed under Group A. That was October 3rd. They did change his status from "Waiting for Documents" to "In Process" again, but it is like that now since Oct 3rd.

I looked through all the states of Australia and it looks like only SA is giving a permanent 176 visa for my husband's IT skills. ACT and WA ask for the same codes as the federal MODL list. Victoria apparently doesn't need IT people for their regions. I hope my husband will be assessed under 2231-79(Network Sec), but if he is not successful in that, I hope he gets 2231-79 (nec). Then we can apply for the South Australia 176 permanent visa. I am a 2231-17 and this will only give us a SA provisional 175 visa (SIR visa). We prefer the permanent one for obvious reasons. So for those IT people out there, the magic number is under 40 for your age, else it is temporary visas for you unless you can get on the MODL list.

The website states ACS takes 12 weeks to assess one's application. This week marks week 10, so 2 more weeks to go. I hope they will complete my husband's assessment in these 2 weeks and not delay it for 49 days which is the days they will wait for documents. They did switch his status back to "in process", so I assume they are not waiting for any documents anymore. It is just wait and see.

Anyone want my IELTS book? We also has notes that we ordered from the IELTS-BLog website. These tips helped us alot. Except that I didn't apply the tips in the interview Just PM me with your postal address and I will forward it on to you. If you are in South Africa, you must be at least a month away from your test date, because with air mail it should take 2 weeks for the documents to reach you.

Regards,

Retha

Edited October 22, 2007 by Retha_hhr

[Retha_hhr]

My IELTS book and notes have a new owner for incase somebody else reads the post.

Regards,

Retha

[Ing]

I got this info & wanted to share it with the other newbees:

""

EILTS:

Please note that we cannot reserve places before you have paid for either the exam or the workshop or even the specimen pack.

To book your seat, please complete the necessary application forms (appendix i, appendix ii or appendix iii). You can then fax, e-mail or post this through to us at the details provided below with your bank deposit slip with the fee (bank details below).

We will confirm with you that you can do the test on the date you ask (or if necessary advise you of the earliest date then available) within 2 working days of receiving your application.

On the day of the exam please bring your ID or Passport to verify your Identify, this should be the same document as filled in on the application form, other forms of Identity will not be accepted. Two (2) passport photos should also be provided as this is scanned onto your Test Report Form (your results). Please note that if you do not have any of these items on the day of the exam, you will not be allowed to write the test.

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

T: 0860 01 22 33 / 011 718 4300

Fax for applications to Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town: 0860 10 35 25

Fax for applications to Namibia: +27 11 718 4401

e-mail: ielts@britishcouncil.org.za website: www.britishcouncil.org/southafrica

[TYTAN]

Hi All

If we are planning on traveling to Oz on a 457 Visa, do we need to do the IELTS Test? We both have post graduate degrees that we completed in English. I assume the answer is yes. Also, should my wife and I both write, or just the main 457 Visa applicant?

Fianlly, does anyone in JHB have the Study Pack / Practice pack that they are prepared to depart with? Would be most appreciated - even if there is a small cost involved...

[Nats123]

Hi All,

My husband and I got our IELTS results today.

I scored an 8 overall and my husband even with dyslexia scored 7!!!!!

As far as aI know you do not need the test for a 457 visa it is rather for PR application.

But I could be corrected.

The agent dealing with our 457 application has not asked for these test scores.

Cheers

T

[Graham W]

Hi can anyone assist,

I was born in UK and have a British passport, I have lived in SA for 35 years, I have applied for the 136 visa. I am applying on points for myself only. My wife is South African and has SA passport. Our son of 18 years old has British passport. My trade assessment has been done and my application has been lodged. My account has been debited for the application fee and I am waiting for a response from them on outstanding requirements.

My question is, will my wife have to undertake IELTS test ?

[Graham W]

Hi all

Just to update what I have and have not learnt since posing this question.

Secondary applicants only have to prove that they have functional English. They do not have to sit an ielts test if they can prove that all their primary and three years off secondary education was done where the language of instruction was English.

I have not applied for the 5 points for my wifes skills as I have 120 points. From this I assume as stated on our acknowlegement letter that my wife is a dependant and not a secondary applicant.

It appears that you do not have to prove English ability if you are not applying for points for yourself.

Any comments would be appreciated

Regards GrahamW.

[Jordy]

We applied and paid for the IELTS for Johannesburg two weeks ago. We asked for 26th January 2008. Since we heard nothing (you supposed to get an sms within 2 days) I phoned them now. They said they have not yet processed our application because they have a pile of over 500 applications still to be processed. They said that as 15 Feb was getting full, the 15th March was most likely.

That means we wont get our results till April 2008, considering Easter public holidays and all.

[Johnsons]

Jordy, why not just take a trip to Botswana, we did that last week! My hubby wrote in Botswana and we spent a nice weekend there too. Botswana is quite safe and the results are sent to Jhb to be marked.

Elize and Henry known on the forum as the 'elizes' wrote there on the same day.. It really would speed up the process ! Until March is a looooooooong time to wait/'waste'...

[Guest nc74]

Hi all

Just to update what I have and have not learnt since posing this question.

Secondary applicants only have to prove that they have functional English. They do not have to sit an ielts test if they can prove that all their primary and three years off secondary education was done where the language of instruction was English.

I have not applied for the 5 points for my wifes skills as I have 120 points. From this I assume as stated on our acknowlegement letter that my wife is a dependant and not a secondary applicant.

It appears that you do not have to prove English ability if you are not applying for points for yourself.

Any comments would be appreciated

Regards GrahamW.

Hi GrahamW

I think if you are applying for the 175 the rules have changed. If you are applying for the 175 your spouse does have to do the exam. We did and there is a section in the application for the IELTS test date, candidate no and results for the spouse. ONLY if she holds a British, Irish, NZ, USA or Canadian passport is she now exempt from the test.

If you choose not to do the IELTS there is a payment (2nd installment) on the visa application that you have to pay towards English exams........

A friend of mines husband is the main applicant and they are using an agent in Perth and were told she HAS to do the IELTS.

Natalie

[Alibaba]

Hi all

Unfortunately IELTS is now required for the 457 too (all applications after 1 Sep 2007, it is a new requirement and I checked). I am not 100% sure if we both had to write, but we did. Hubby scored 8.5 and I 8, so we are quite pleased. We did the tests in Cape Town as they are not so fully booked as Jhb and could secure places much sooner than in Jhb. We also organised to do the orals on the same day. One word of advice though. Rather fax the applications than e-mail it. After faxing we had confirmatory e-mails a few days later, but after first attempting the e-mails we got nowhere.

Most couples we met at the IELTS tests wrote.

We received the results as soon as they promised and they also phoned to give the tracking number for the registered letters.

They are really full, which is scary, because it gives you an indication of how many people are leaving.

I hope it's all clear(er) now.

Alibaba

[Gizmo]

Yes, the both the main applicant and spouse have to write it. This is because the Australians want people to be able to blend into their society. They also want to avoid extra spending later on English classes to "socialize" those people who don't speak the language well enough. (This from our Agent).

An interesting fact - when I wrote my IELTS in September, I was very early for my interview. One of the interviewers was going really fast with his group and was way ahead - he was waiting for his later group interviews to arrive. Anyway we were chatting. He told me that across the various IELTS testing stations in South africa, 1000 people are writing per month!!! I asked if the IELTS had any other functions other than emmigration to Oz(I thought it was being used for people wanting to study abroad etc). And he said "no". That is what the Cambridge English exams are for! So this means that 1000 people per month are applying to get into Oz alone!!! Both scary and very telling!

[Jordy]

Jordy, why not just take a trip to Botswana,

As soon as they actually give us a date, I will definitely consider that. The problem is that we have already appied for JHB. From what I can see, a transfer of date or venue costs R800 per person. I hope I am wrong on this. If it doesn't cost that much then a nice holiday to Botswana would be nice for the weekend.

How far is it from JHB? Any idea? 3 hours drive?

[Graham W]

Hi GrahamW

I think if you are applying for the 175 the rules have changed. If you are applying for the 175 your spouse does have to do the exam. We did and there is a section in the application for the IELTS test date, candidate no and results for the spouse. ONLY if she holds a British, Irish, NZ, USA or Canadian passport is she now exempt from the test.

If you choose not to do the IELTS there is a payment (2nd installment) on the visa application that you have to pay towards English exams........

A friend of mines husband is the main applicant and they are using an agent in Perth and were told she HAS to do the IELTS.

Natalie

Hi Natalie

attached is the requirements for secondary apllicants for subclass 175 or 136 on english ability, hope this is of use to you.

Regards Graham.

Hi GrahamW

I think if you are applying for the 175 the rules have changed. If you are applying for the 175 your spouse does have to do the exam. We did and there is a section in the application for the IELTS test date, candidate no and results for the spouse. ONLY if she holds a British, Irish, NZ, USA or Canadian passport is she now exempt from the test.

If you choose not to do the IELTS there is a payment (2nd installment) on the visa application that you have to pay towards English exams........

A friend of mines husband is the main applicant and they are using an agent in Perth and were told she HAS to do the IELTS.

Natalie

Hi Natalie

attached is the requirements for secondary apllicants for subclass 175 or 136 on english ability, hope this is of use to you.

Regards Graham.

Skilled___Independent__Migrant__visa__subclass_175_.htm

[Guest nc74]

Its not really a bother to me as we have written the IELTS and lodged our application with evidence. I was answering YOUR question. But I'm not really sure what your point is because from what I can see with that attachment is that the secondary applicant MUST write the IELTS.

English requirements for secondary applicants

Secondary applicants, aged 18 years or over, who are included in your application must provide evidence of their current level of English.

Secondary applicants who have been assessed as not having functional English will be required to pay a second instalment visa application charge.

This payment will entitle them to English language tuition in Australia to achieve functional English language ability. Applicants who are required to pay this charge will receive information about the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) and where they can receive tuition when their visa is granted.

See: Learning English with the Adult Migrant English Programme (AMEP)

Note: The full amount of this charge must be paid before your visa can be granted. However, you should not pay this charge until requested to do so by the department.

See: Professionals and Other Skilled Migrants

Evidence to attach to your application

You and all secondary applicants must provide evidence of your English language ability. As the main applicant you must provide evidence that you meet the English language threshold at the time you apply.

Good luck to all still having to write the test and lodge the application

Natalie

[Graham W]

Hi guys

Here is the requirements for proof of functional English for secondary applicants on 175 visa taken from the attachment which I inserted from the DIAC website. Secondary applicants only have to prove that they have functional English.

English requirements for secondary applicants

Secondary applicants, aged 18 years or over, who are included in your application must provide evidence of their current level of English.

Secondary applicants who have been assessed as not having functional English will be required to pay a second instalment visa application charge.

Functional You must provide one of the following:

your IELTS TRF Number to show you have a band score of at least four and a half (4.5) based on all four components.

evidence that you have a degree, diploma or trade qualification requiring at least two (2) years of full time study or training with all instruction conducted in English

evidence that you have completed at least one (1) year of full time study in Australia towards a degree or diploma qualification with all instruction conducted in English

evidence that you have completed:

your primary education and at least three (3) years of secondary education

or

at least five (5) years of secondary education

at an educational institution where all instruction was conducted in English.

Graham.

[CraigF]

Hi

I've copied the following from the immi website English language

If you read further you'll also note that any other family members over the age of eighteen should write the test

The second instalment is currently AUD 2 765

If anyone (still in SA) is planing on taking the test in the near future I have a copy of the specimen material which I will gladly give to you, on the understanding that you'll pass it on to the next "wannabe" in need. We found it helpful, particularly as it gave us an idea of what to expect, the format of the test etc.

You can also look at this link for a sample of the different tests.

Cindylou

Hi Cindylou,

My wife and I will have to do IELTS I have to get a 7 band score. Any assistance you are able to provide would be heighly appreciated.

Regards

Craig

[JanCPT]

Hi Craig

I found that the trial run that they offer before the test (training seminar for the whole day), was the best thing for me & a great help,

I got up at sparrows on the saturday morning & spent the first half hour with a lecturer who felt we need to relax before the great event & he took us outside for some stretching exercises - deep breathing & touching toes (I can't & never could) etc, so it was a great start.

The next 1½ hours were hell, with the lecturer getting us to introduce ourselves to each other & tell our life stories (apparently to get used to the oral bit) & being reminded of a bit of exam technique (rest well the night before, read the question before answering, work out the intended time per question & stick to your time - try to answer every question, in the listening part, read the questions beforehand & answer in rough on the question paper while you listen - if you miss the answer to a question, go onto the next, etc), then played a tape for which there were simple questions & other utter boring things, which were designed merely to get you to bridge the fear of the unknown test coming up.

Like I said, it took me about 2 hours of listening to waffle to realise that the reason why the training was so boring & seemingly unfocussed, was because there was nothing that they could teach you in preparation - either you can speak english or not. (at this point I excused myself & left)

The point being, that there is nothing to be concerned about, just don't go and build mountains out of molehills & get yourself into a state that when you start the exam you are worked up & stressed - all they are going to do is see if you can communicate in english. (Because I kept to my time, I wasn't able to complete my essay & stopped halfway through a paragraph - I kept a running count of the words next to each paragraph & just made sure that the word count was above 100) They give you a choice of topice & you have to write your opinion - they don't crit you on the content, merely on the manner in which you have expressed yourself in writing. Before you start writing, think about the topic & jot down a couple of key word on your thoughts & then build your essay around the key words (I think the fact that the examiner sees the key words wouldn't harm either, cause he can see that you have structured your answer in english). Use double spacing in words, sentences & paragraphs - makes it easier for the examiner to read & my handwriting is worse than a 5 yr olds ( dont worry about saving paper)

NB (MY OPINION) - RATHER BE PC IN THE WRITING PART (THE EXAMINER IS ONLY HUMAN & MIGHT HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ON THE TOPIC)

Also, if you want to make a correction, don't destroy the page by scratching out the word, put a single line through it - it's part of communicating to rectify mistakes & the correction (done properly) will add to the impression that the examiner gets of your abilities.

There are a lot of people, with english as a seriously 2nd language, who get their 7 band score & no reason why you shouldn't.

If you have been able to follow my story, above, with ease, you should ace the reading part! If you feel that you have the ability to write the same story, as that above, you'll ace the writing part!

The worst thing that I found was that I wasn't used to writing with a pen & got a bit of writer's cramp (take spares)

Hope my experience helps, I think I paid about R700.00 in order to find out the above (cost of the training seminar - donations will be appreciated, because the exchange rate is going to kill my savings when we get to emmigrate)

Cheers

Jan (as in afrikaans)

PS - I did the academic test & got 8.5 (trouble with the reading, cause I'm used to scanning contents rather than reading the detail & had a bit of a problem answering questions on the detail - had to keep going back to read it again - 7.5 for reading, 8.5 & 9's for the rest)

Edited December 8, 2007 by JanCpt

[Jordy]

Having red, the a-four-mentioned postings, I is thinking that I gonna klap that test in se moer in. I am being filled with confidance now. Lekka broer! Bring it on! I is gonna showed them that I is so good at talking English, they gonna wanna give me my bucks back.

[JanCPT]

Ummmmm, Jordy ..... could we have a private word

Maybe I was simplifying things too much ......... think about saving your R1 654 X 2, you don't want to waste it

Kidding, even if that were your real "accent", you should scrape through (in fact the invigilator at our test had a similar accent - not quite, but close (you can get the idea) & he is apparently one of the markers

Cheers

Edited December 8, 2007 by JanCpt

[Jordy]

Ummmmm, Jordy ..... could we should have a private word

Seriously Jan, thanks for the post. I was wondering whether getting all worked up about the test was necessary. English is my first English, and your post confirmed what I suspected. So thanks for making it. We both feel better here.

[JanCPT]

Seriously Jan, thanks for the post.

Ummmm again Jordy ...... you seem to have the same problem with scanning reading matter ......did you read the last bit about donations being appreciated ....?

My banking details are - ..... (not available, because there are probably a couple of Nigerians (illegal immigrants) reading this post, who will clear out the rest of my savings)

Pleasure

Cheers

Edited December 7, 2007 by JanCpt