The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority Uses the TOEFL® Test

Increased English-Language Standards Required for Registered Migration Agents in Australia

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Princeton, N.J. (March 17, 2010) —

The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (Office of the MARA) has announced that effective January 1, 2010 all applicants who wish to apply for initial registration as a migration agent in Australia must meet an increased English-language standard.

The TOEFL iBT™ (Internet-based Test), amongst others, has been approved to satisfy this increased standard. In order to demonstrate proficiency in the English language, applicants must achieve a TOEFL iBT score of 100 with a minimum of 22 in each subset.

The Office of the MARA is a discrete office attached to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and is responsible for regulating the Australian migration advice industry to ensure that clients of registered migration agents receive high-quality immigration assistance and further, that their interests are duly protected.

"We are pleased that the TOEFL test is an accepted assessment to demonstrate English-language proficiency within the newly elevated standards developed by the Office of the MARA," commented Dr. Philip Tabbiner, President, Educational Testing Service (ETS) Global. "Having this heightened language requirement will improve the overall experience of people migrating to Australia as they work closely with registered agents who have demonstrated themselves to be well versed in English."

Australian law requires that migration agents operating in the country must be registered with the Office of the MARA. More information pertaining to the increased English-language standards is available on the Office of the MARA's website at https://www.mara.gov.au.

About the TOEFL Test

The TOEFL test is the most widely accepted English-language proficiency assessment worldwide. Currently, more than 7,300 colleges and universities accept the TOEFL test in 130 countries. Globally, the TOEFL test is available at more than 4,500 testing centers in 165 countries. The TOEFL test is the only English-language assessment that uses both human and automated scoring to provide a fair and reliable assessment.

About ETS

At nonprofit Educational Testing Service (ETS), we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests, the GRE® test and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org