Welcome to the first IELTS News Tracker of 2024. As we head into the new year, here are the latest developments surrounding the IELTS and migration news.
The Latest IELTS News
There have been some new IELTS developments over the last month, including how IELTS scores exempt Vietnamese students from taking the English test in the High School graduation exam.
IELTS is More Widely Accepted than any Other Exam
Compared to 2018, four times more 16-22-year-olds took the IELTS tests in 2022 as a result of Vietnam exempting students with IELTS grades from taking English in high school graduation exams.
Not only can obtaining IELTS scores exempt students from taking the English test when graduating, plenty of universities now consider candidates with IELTS scores for admission.
This highlights how IELTS is often the smart choice for many. Its flexibility and worldwide recognition mean that you can use your test with many international organisations, helping you to avoid having to take yet another English test for a different purpose in the future.
IN fact, IELTS is accepted by over 12,000 organisations in more than 140 countries.
Get in touch with an expert today and secure your IELTS score today!
International Migration News
Keeping up to date with the latest migration news is vital if you’re looking at emigrating abroad. Here are the latest updates from New Zealand and Australia over the past month.
Secure a ‘Straight to Residency’ Visa in New Zealand with These Jobs
New Zealand offers a ‘Straight to Residency’ visa, which allows applicants to live, work and study in the country for the foreseeable future. This visa also extends to your partner as well as children if they are under 24, single, without children and financially dependent on you. If you hold this visa for two years, you will then have the opportunity to apply for a Permanent Resident visa.
In order to be eligible for the ‘Straight to Residency’ visa, you must be currently working for, or have a job offer from, a certified New Zealand employer. Your job must also be on Tier 1 of the Green List.
The Green List is a limited number of highly skilled roles that are in shortage in New Zealand. Since these job roles can be hard to fill, it’s easier for New Zealand employers to hire migrants. Those who have obtained a job on the Green List will have a clear pathway to residence in New Zealand.
The following industries are Tier 1 on the Green List:
- Dental and Oral Health
- Engineering and Construction
- Education
- Health Support and Administration
- Medical Practitioners
- Nursing and Allied Health
- IT and Software Development
- Pharmaceutical
- Psychology and Counselling
- Veterinary
Working in one of these industries can put you on the path to permanent residency in New Zealand; one thing that can help you break into these job roles is obtaining a good IELTS score.
Australia Launches’ Skills in Demand’ Visa Program for Qualified Migrants
Australia is set to introduce a new four-year temporary visa program, ‘Skills in demand’, to combat major skill shortages across the country. The visa offers three specialised pathways to attract temporary skilled migrants to help Australia’s economic productivity.
According to government timelines, This new visa will be offered in late 2024. ‘Skills in Demand‘ will only be available to those who earn at least AUD 135,000 annually, excluding industries such as trade workers, machinery operators, drivers and labourers.
The core skills pathway will be open to the majority of skilled migrants whose job appears on the Core Skills Occupation List, which are identified as jobs and skills that are in short supply.
With this shortage in skills, now’s the time to take advantage of this opportunity with the IELTS test and secure your future in migrating abroad.
Further Reading
If you want to make sure you’re always up to date with the latest developments in all things IELTS, follow Our Blog, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts for up-to-the-minute news.
We’ll see you in February!