It has been announced that applicants for Australian visas will have additional choices when it comes to English language testing. Applicants included would be temporary graduate

, skilled, work and holiday, and former resident visas.

Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Michaelia Cash, said that the changes, which come into effect in November, is in line with the department’s focus on increasing options for visa applicants.

These tests are the Test of English Language as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) and the Pearson Test of English Academic.

Cash explained that the increasing the number of English language tests accepted by the department will provide greater choice for visa applicants and address any possible shortages in the number of places available to sit the test.

‘The department expects to also receive test scores from the Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test across visa programmes from November 2014, further expanding the English language test market,’ she added.

The TOEFL iBT, Pearson and Cambridge tests have been accepted in the student visa programme since 2011.