| Speak to a person contemplating immigration or study | | | | thousands of applicants, this meant years of additional |
| overseas and ask them to point out one required step | | | | processing delays. Secondly, this made the language |
| in the entire screening process that they would like to | | | | skills assessment highly subjective as it was based on |
| skip. Most of them are bound to answer that they | | | | understanding of the visa officer conducting the |
| would prefer to escape the IELTS test, if possible. This | | | | interview. |
| is because IELTS test not only adds on additional | | | | Also, in conducting such one to one interviews, the |
| expenses to their immigration procedure but also | | | | Immigrant applicant could not be tested for all key |
| requires them to devote a good amount of time for | | | | areas of language proficiency, that includes |
| the preparation of the test. In immigration to certain | | | | Understanding, Reading, speaking and listening. |
| destinations and under some specific programs, like | | | | Introduction of IELTS |
| Australia General skilled migration program, the | | | | Need was therefore felt for an objective test that |
| immigration programs require that both the principal | | | | was internationally acceptable, standardised |
| applicant and their spouse appear for the IELTS test | | | | benchmark and assessment tool. Standardisation was |
| as well. While this makes the Immigration process | | | | very important so as to provide equal opportunity to all |
| more expensive and tougher, what applicants do not | | | | applicants. Thus, IELTS became an integral part of the |
| realize is the fact that IELTS test is only for their | | | | immigration process and applications, especially for |
| benefit. Read further and find out how? | | | | skilled professionals, independent immigration, General |
| Is it unfair? | | | | skilled Migrant and in some cases Green card visa |
| There are applicants who excel in the occupational | | | | applications as well. IELTS test is thereby based on |
| field of their specialisation and find it unfair that the | | | | evaluating applicant's skills in all four components of the |
| decision on their immigration application is not | | | | language, including speaking, listening, understanding and |
| dependent on their occupational excellence alone but | | | | reading. |
| also on their language skills. This is based on the | | | | IELTS is thereby also made an important requirement |
| observation that others who might have not achieved | | | | for students who opt to study overseas to majority of |
| the same level of occupational excellence as theirs but | | | | popular destinations, like Canada, Australia, UK, USA |
| have fluency in the English language are granted the | | | | and New Zealand. Language is clearly one key area |
| immigration visa easily. | | | | that can and does create difficult situations, especially |
| Students planning to study overseas have the same | | | | when applicants do not have English as their primary |
| concerns. In their opinion, the deciding factor for course | | | | language and have never had exposure to international |
| and university selection should be the marks scored by | | | | language accents. |
| them at their school or university level and IELTS puts | | | | For students who are not very fluent in the language, it |
| them at a disadvantage to others who have better | | | | can literally turn out to be a nightmare as they land in a |
| language skills. | | | | course and university where they cannot understand |
| Importance of IELTS test | | | | the instructions and are unable to communicate with |
| So why has the IELTS test become such an integral | | | | teachers and rest of the peer group. Add to that, the |
| part of the immigration applications for almost all | | | | expenses of staying away from home along with |
| Immigration destinations and programs? And why are | | | | expensive overseas education. |
| the applicants made to undergo the strenuous IELTS | | | | The IELTS test thereby gives an opportunity to all |
| preparation process and spend huge amount of funds | | | | such immigrants to avert any such difficult situation and |
| in undergoing these tests? More importantly, what we | | | | check on their language skill levels, before they select |
| need to think about is, why is it that no options are | | | | the course and university for studying abroad. Most of |
| provided for applicants who are unable to qualify | | | | the international educational institutions offer Language |
| through this test? | | | | development courses for international students, who |
| Earlier system of assessing English language skills | | | | are not very fluent with the language. The students |
| The reason is that English language skills have always | | | | can first take such foundation and language |
| been a key selection criterion under the points based | | | | developments courses for specified period and then |
| system, from the very start. In the past the Immigration | | | | they are permitted to take admission into the course |
| officers used to take one-to-one interview to judge | | | | of their choice. |
| the English language skills of the applicant and decide | | | | So, IELTS test is an objective English language |
| how many points they would like to credit to the | | | | assessment tool that is internationally acceptable by |
| applicant. | | | | Government and immigration educational institutions |
| But this kind of system created animosities and unfair | | | | agencies alike. It has therefore become an essential |
| situations, for both Visa processing office and | | | | part of the Immigration visa process and for study |
| immigration applicants. There are several reasons why | | | | overseas applicants. Hence, an applicant is advised to |
| this system of evaluation of language skills of the | | | | prepare well, if they wish to earn some points by |
| applicants is replaced by the IELTS test. | | | | scoring well in various test modules. Seeking advice |
| Firstly, the immigration processing delays soared high | | | | from an immigration expert is a wise decision to give a |
| as the visa officers must take all interviews on an | | | | direction to your IELTS preparation as well as your |
| individual basis to take the decision about each of the | | | | immigration process, in general. |
| applicant. When seen in context of queues of | | | | |