Guide to Australian Slang

Apparently new migrants sometimes struggle with words and phrases that are in every day use but not in the dictionary!

I was amused this week by an article on the ABC website titled “I’m stuffed: migrants boggled by Aussie slang”. It’s true we do have lots of colloquialisms that would make life difficult for newcomers - eg “No worries”, “I reckon”, “that’d be right”, “flat out” and “give it a crack”. One that I never really thought about was “how good is this?” - look at the site!

Photo used under creative commons licence

Welfare of International Students

All the submissions to the Senate's Inquiry into the Welfare of International Students have been published on the APH website.

The disparate views expressed only highlight what a difficult issue this is. Apart from the submissions made by various professional bodies (including the MIA and various universities and colleges) there are a range of individual submissions from foreign students. Some of those submissions recount stories of racism and bad experiences and others of "happy days". There are also a number of submissions from foreign students studying medicine who are disenchanted with their local career prospects.

Photo used under creative commons licence.

Timing of the english test

In Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v Kamal [2009] FCAFC 98, the Full Federal Court considered the meaning of item 5A404(a) in Schedule 5A to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) (the Regulations) which provides that

"[a IELTS test] taken less than two years before the date of the application".

Mr Kamal applied for his student visa in August 2007 but did his IELTS test in December 2007.
The question is whether the language of that Item refers only to a test taken before the date of the application or whether it also includes a test taken after the date of the application.

The appeal was conducted on the basis that one of two constructions of the relevant language of Item 5A404 was correct:

1. an IELTS test that was taken within the period of two years before the date of the application (this was the Minister's contention); or
   
2. an IELTS test that was taken no earlier than two years before the date of the application (which was the interpretation used by the Federal Magistrate who agreed with Mr Kamal's interpretation).

Although the court found that the construction question was not without doubt, option (2) was the preferable meaning. Administrative law is an interesting and complex area of practice!