Australia approves TOEFL test for student visas

Students from around the world who wish to study in Australia can now use their TOEFL test scores as part of their visa application as announced by Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

"I am very pleased the TOEFL test has been chosen as one of the new English test providers and I am confident they will provide a valuable service to student visa applicants," said the Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. Mr Bowen said he expected two other tests, the Pearson Test of English Academic and the Cambridge English: Advanced tests, would get official recognition for student visas later this year. "These additional English language test options will help to create competition in the English language testing market, while creating more test places for student visa applicants. They will also provide candidates with greater choice and enable them to more quickly obtain test results needed for visa applications,'' he said.

The announcement is significant for large numbers of international students from Assessment Level 3 and 4 countries who are interested in studying in Australia. They now have the opportunity to use the TOEFL test to demonstrate their English language proficiency, satisfying the required language component of the visa application process. The students from China, India, Vietnam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey and the Philippines, who are interested in studying in Australia will benefit from this new change. International students until now had IELTS (International English Language Testing System) only to demonstrate their English language proficiency for Australia student visas. In Australia, the International English Language Testing System is operated by education giant IDP. Globally, IELTS is owned by Cambridge University, IDP and the British Council.

This is a big breakthrough for ETS, the company that owns TOEFL test. The TOEFL test widely accepted in more than 8000 colleges and universities worldwide.

Rajni Bhatla, Director of Kampus Landing says, “The acceptance of TOEFL test for Australian student visas ends the monopoly of IELTS. Now, students once rejected from the USA will be able to apply for Australia immediately.” Further, Rajni is optimistic that this step will provide a major boost to Australian colleges and universities.

Rajni Bhatla said, “The TOEFL test is widely accepted recognized by over 8,000 institutions in more than 130 countries. Globally, the TOEFL test is available at more than 4,500 testing sites. To date, more than 25 million students around the world have taken the TOEFL test.”

The Kampus Landing team expects to send good number of students to Australia this year. Rajni is hopeful that TOEFL in near future will also be accepted in other Australian visa categories.
About TOEFL

For more than 45 years, the TOEFL test has been the most widely accepted English language assessment in the world, recognised by more than 8,000 colleges, universities and agencies including the most prestigious institutions in the U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. And with more than 4,500 test sites around the world, the TOEFL test is more convenient than ever for students wishing to apply for study in Australia.
About ETS

ETS (Educational Testing Service) is the largest independent educational measurement organisation in the world today. Recognised as a leader in educational research and in the development of performance assessments, ETS has brought you popular and widely used tests such as the SAT®, TOEIC®, TOEFL®, and GRE®.