Mamamia Investigates: How Australia's visa test is stacked against so many applicants.

It took Pooja three years to secure an Australian visa. 

Pooja, who is in her 30s and originally from India, tells Mamamia that the process was arduous and took a huge amount of effort outside of her job. However, she also asserts that she is one of the lucky ones. 

For many migrants, particularly those from non-English speaking backgrounds, the effort it takes to get to Australia is extreme – let alone being able to secure permanent residency.

A major component of any visa application in Australia is an English language test. The vast majority of these language tests are completed on a computer program. But there is a huge amount of criticism about the way those programs have been designed. 

Watch: Australia's Immigration system designed to 'dehumanise' says refugee artist. Post continues below.

The Department of Home Affairs has used computer programs to assist visa processing for more than 20 years. But the transparency regarding the algorithms behind these systems is limited. 

Governments have landed in hot water before for using artificial intelligence (AI) systems for visa applications. In 2020, the UK's Home Office (the department responsible for immigration) had to scrap a controversial decision-making algorithm that migrants' rights campaigners said created a "hostile environment" for those applying for UK visas.

The algorithm was in place for five years before being canned. Critics called the algorithm "institutionally racist", after it was said the system would automatically red-flag applications from migrants from "suspect nationalities".

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) then launched a legal challenge against the system, before the Home Office decided to change the visa application structure. 

"Racist feedback loops meant that what should have been a fair migration process was, in practise, just 'speedy boarding for white people'," the JCWI legal policy director said.

The same scenario hasn't unfolded in Australia – but for migrants trying to secure a new life here, the process remains overwhelmingly complex.

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Pooja tells Mamamia she's excited to come to Australia next month and start a new chapter here, alongside her husband. 

She applied and worked incredibly hard to secure an independent skilled visa, spending hours studying, aside from her job as an electrical engineer. She had to understand different English accents, enunciate, and master her writing, listening and speaking skills.

Fortunately, she had access to an English tutor via New Australian Life Legal, who helped her study and prepare for the big test. She ended up doing a computer-based exam, saying to Mamamia there are pros and cons associated.

"It does feel better not to have a human, because if the person I'm speaking to has had a good or a bad day, that might affect their marking. Or if they base it on my personality upon meeting," tells Pooja. 

"The computer does feel less biased. But I feel like I had to tailor myself to what the computer would best register."

Pooja aced her English language test thanks to an immense amount of effort on her part. But for friends of hers, she has seen them continuously struggle.

"It's a lengthy process. For non-native English speakers it's quite difficult, particularly when you have a strong accent. It also is impacted by access to education. I've had many friends give up on the process," Pooja says to Mamamia. 

Wing Kuang is an audio producer and digital reporter with ABC. 

Despite graduating with a master of journalism degree and working in English media for years, she said in a recent article that she struggled to gain the necessary high score for her visa application English test.

After working with an English tutor, Kuang was told that "in order to please the computers, you need to feed them what they want".

With many hours and over $1000 spent in tutoring, she managed to secure the score she needed. But her experience speaks to a universal truth many migrants can attest to.

"I feel [as migrants] there's a hidden rule we must adhere to from society: you can't complain," she wrote for ABC. "After all, it's our decision to move to Australia, and hence we had to sit in these tests, wait unreasonably long for our visa applications, or bear the immigration policy that changes every financial year."

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Simon Mander has been a registered migration agent for over 20 years.

Generally speaking, he says, the skilled migrant visa application process goes like this: 

The first step of the process is to take an English language test. 

Then the migrant has their skills assessed in their nominated occupation, followed by an expression of interest in a visa with the immigration department. Most migrants then need to be nominated by a state government, so that they're then invited to lodge a visa application. And it goes on from there. 

But as mentioned, it's the English language test that is the first hurdle – one that takes a lot of preparation.

"The main English language test is called the Pearson Test of English (PTE) and this one is 100 per cent computer-based," Simon says to Mamamia. 

"It's quite a complex algorithm. They've used 425,000 people from all around the world, to kind of combine their accents and various other aspects of their English so that the algorithm doesn't have bias. As long as the person pronounces a word clearly, they should be okay."

Simon explains that his business, My New Australian Life Legal, operates an English language school to help clients prepare for English tests.

Although the vast majority of his clients are able to pass the exam, he has seen firsthand the difficulties migrants encounter. 

"The preparation is extensive. There are techniques that need to be mastered in terms of minimal pausing, intonation, and pronunciation. Many of the testing centres can be noisy, impacting the client's ability during the listening English exam component," he says. 

There's a cost too, as offshore migrants usually pay around $300 Australian equivalent dollars to take the test, often along with separate tutoring fees. 

Simon knows of one man who did the test 40-odd times to get the result he needed. That's $12,000 dollars. 

For Simon, he hopes that everyday Aussies come to realise the effort it takes for any migrant to get an Australian visa before casting aspersions. 

"It's great to see regional areas embracing skilled migrants lately. It is not an easy journey for them to get here. But for so many of my clients, they're looking for a better life in Australia. To see them succeed, integrate into the community and have their efforts rewarded – that's a special thing," he tells Mamamia. 

As for Pooja she wants Aussies to know this: the effort it takes to get to Australia is next-level.

"Anyone who has gone through this process knows that you need patience. It's not a piece of cake for everyone. But I never gave up and I kept on trying, hopeful my reward would come. And luckily for me it did."

Have you had experience dealing with visa applications? Let us know your story in the comments below.

Feature Image: Getty.