Fact Sheet 94 – English Courses for Eligible Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants in Australia

The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP)

The AMEP is the Australian Government's largest settlement program. It has been administered by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and its predecessor departments since 1948.

The program reflects the government's commitment to long-term sustainable settlement outcomes for newly arrived migrants through integrated, targeted and well designed programs that support clients in their transition to life in Australia. Gaining English language proficiency is key to successfully settling in Australia.

The Immigration (Education) Act 1971 (the Act) and the Immigration (Education) Regulations 1992 provide the legislative basis for the AMEP. The program supports the government's social inclusion agenda through the provision of free settlement focused English courses for eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants who do not have functional English.
See:
Immigration (Education) Act 1971
Immigration (Education) Regulations 1992

The AMEP complements the department's Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) and Humanitarian Settlement Scheme (HSS) orientation programs.

The AMEP is available to eligible migrants, from the humanitarian, family and skilled visa streams. Free English language courses are available to eligible migrants who do not have functional English. All AMEP clients have access to up to 510 hours of English language courses, in their first five years of settlement in Australia. Participation in the program is voluntary.

Special Preparatory Program (SPP) classes

In recognition of the special needs of humanitarian entrants with limited education or difficult pre-migration experiences, such as torture or trauma, additional hours of tuition may be offered through the Special Preparatory Program (SPP). Humanitarian entrants under 25 years of age may be eligible for an additional 400 hours of English courses, and clients 25 years of age and over may be eligible for an additional 100 hours of English courses.

Bilingual support in SPP classes is provided where appropriate, such as during the initial weeks to assist with explaining teaching methodology and identifying learning and settlement issues. In addition, SPP clients are provided with the support of a home tutor (outside the classroom) wherever possible.

Settlement Language Pathways to Employment and Training (SLPET)

Participation in the workforce is an integral part of the settlement process. To assist with the transition to work in Australia, additional tuition is available to AMEP clients through the Settlement Language Pathways to Employment and Training (SLPET) program. SLPET provides AMEP clients with 200 hours of tuition (that includes up to 80 hours of work experience placements) in addition to their AMEP entitlement of up to 510 hours.

The SLPET offers clients an employment focused course to assist them to learn vocational-specific English while gaining familiarity with Australian workplace culture and practices, including work ethics, employment processes occupational health and safety, taxation requirements and the role of unions. To achieve this, clients participate in workplace visits, simulated work environments and work experience placements.

Each client is assessed by an AMEP counsellor prior to being accepted into the course to ensure clients are motivated and committed to benefit from the course.

AMEP eligibility

AMEP eligibility is complex. All clients enquiring on their AMEP eligibility should be referred to an AMEP service provider who can assess clients' eligibility.

All permanent visa holders, 18 years of age and over and who do not have functional English are eligible to access the AMEP and must comply with certain time limits as specified in sections 4C and 4D of the Act (see timeframes below).

Access to the AMEP is extended to some temporary visa holders as specified in the legislative instrument for 'English Courses for Holders of Certain Temporary Visas'.
See: 'English Courses for Holders of Certain Temporary Visas'
These include the following classes of temporary visas:

• Business Skills (Provisional) (Class UR)
• Interdependency (Provisional) (Class UG)
• Partner (Provisional) (Class UF)
• Partner (Temporary) (Class UK)
• Resolution of Status (Temporary) (Class UH)
• Skilled – Designated Area-sponsored (Provisional) (class UZ)
• Skilled – Independent Regional (Provisional) (class UX)
• Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Subclass 475)
• Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Subclass 487).

Migrants and humanitarian entrants aged between 15 and 17 years, who do not have functional English and are not attending school may also be eligible for English language courses.
See: Youth classes

AMEP clients 18 years of age and over must:

• register within six months
• commence their tuition within 12 months
• complete their tuition within five years.

Clients under 18 years of age must:

• register within 12 months
• commence their tuition within 12 months
• complete their tuition within five years.

For those clients who registered with the AMEP after 1 January 2011, the time limits above apply from the client's visa commencement date, that is, the first day the person was in Australia on or after the date when a permanent visa or eligible temporary visa held by the person came into effect.

For clients who registered with the AMEP before 1 January 2011, the time limits above apply from 1 January 2011.

Functional English

Functional English is assessed by AMEP service providers. Functional English is defined in the legislative instrument 'Procedures or Standards for Functional English' as 'basic social proficiency in English assessed at International Standard Language Proficiency Rating (ISLPR) 2 across all four macro skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking).
See: 'Procedures or Standards for Functional English'

Curriculum

The AMEP uses the Certificates in Spoken and Written English (CSWE) curriculum framework. The CSWE is a national curriculum and assessment framework. It is accredited within the Australian Quality Training Framework.

Following an assessment of their English language proficiency, background and prior learning experience, clients are placed in one of three CSWE levels within the AMEP beginning at CSWE Level 1 (including pre-SWE) and progressing through to Level 3 (equivalent to functional English).

Each CSWE level consists of core and optional modules on listening, speaking, reading writing and numeracy skills. All modules lead to defined learning outcomes. The modular approach allows AMEP clients to focus on general English skills or to target a particular area for development. Within the CSWE framework, the syllabus is designed by AMEP service providers and teachers according to the needs of their client group. This gives service providers the flexibility to select curriculum subject matter and delivery in line with changes to settlement patterns and the composition of the migration program.

The CSWE framework is flexible to meet the individual needs of its diverse client base. Topics covered include learning how to gain access to government services, visiting the doctor, managing finances, water safety, rights and responsibilities and learning about Australian culture, legal and justice matters and current affairs.

Service providers' tuition caters for the needs of groups such as older learners, those with limited education and those from oral linguistic traditions. Youth-specific classes are provided where required. Clients seeking access to the workforce can undertake courses with an employment or training focus. While these courses are based on the CSWE curriculum framework, service providers are able to adapt their syllabus to meet the needs of AMEP clients and employers.

The use of a national curriculum helps clients to move easily between service providers, facilitates communication between providers, and promotes consistency in assessment and reporting.

AMEP support

The AMEP has a number of initiatives in place to support clients throughout the program.

Counsellors and Individual Pathway Guides (IPG)

AMEP counsellors assist clients to navigate their way through the program, maximising the client's learning outcomes and post learning options. Counsellors interview clients when they enter and exit the program providing support and guidance, including referrals to appropriate services.

During the entry interview counsellors prepare an Individual Pathway Guide (IPG) with each client. The IPG records information such as (but is not limited to) previous education and qualifications, client's goals, proposed learning pathway, tuition hours completed, and referral information.

Childcare

AMEP service providers will arrange access to childcare for AMEP clients with children under school age to facilitate client attendance at AMEP classes. Childcare is provided at no cost to the client, and is located within 30 minutes of the client's home or within 30 minutes of the AMEP class. Childcare places are secured in time to coincide with the client's commencement of AMEP. Childcare must meet relevant state and territory regulations. The type of childcare utilised will include:

• accredited licensed long day care services
• registered occasional care centres
• registered Family Day Care services
• registered in-home care
• crèches and adjunct childcare which comply with state and territory childcare legislation.

Youth classes

Where possible, the AMEP delivers specialised youth classes for clients aged between 15 and 17 years whose needs can not be met by mainstream schooling. Youth classes may be suitable for clients with low English proficiency, whose previous education is not sufficient to cope with mainstream schooling or who are in difficult family circumstances.

In addition, AMEP counsellors assist youth to access educational opportunities in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector following their exit from the program. The location of centres providing youth specific tuition is promoted by AMEP service providers.

Settlement courses

The AMEP provides settlement courses with related learning outcomes for all AMEP clients to reinforce important settlement information.

The entry course provides new arrivals with information about Australian society, culture, laws, services and practices. For clients exiting the AMEP, the course will reinforce this information and also provide information on post AMEP pathways to more education, employment, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and community services.

Bilingual support

AMEP service providers are encouraged to provide bilingual support to AMEP clients in the early stages of study, such as during the client’s entry interview.

Bilingual support in Special Preparatory Program classes is provided in the initial weeks to assist with explaining teaching methodology and identifying learning and settlement issues.

Delivery of the AMEP

Since 1998, the delivery of AMEP has been contracted to service providers around Australia, including universities, TAFEs, state educational departments, community colleges and private educational institutions.

The AMEP is administered through 26 contract regions and one national distance e-learning contract that is managed from the department's national office.

Many AMEP clients have limited or no history of formal classroom tuition or written literacy in their first language. The AMEP is structured to meet client's cultural and learning needs. The program is delivered flexibly to respond to individual circumstances, including clients who live in rural and regional Australia. It allows clients to learn at their own pace, choosing from a range of learning options. These include:

• Full or part-time classroom tuition, in learning centres or community-based settings, designed to meet diverse needs, educational backgrounds and learning abilities.
• The Home Tutor Scheme, providing language assistance by a trained volunteer, usually on a one-on-one basis in a client's home.
• Distance learning, either online or through a package of sequenced texts and audiovisual material, and backed by regular telephone contact with a qualified teacher.
• Self-paced e-modules, an online package available to all AMEP clients throughout Australia to support and supplement their learning on an independent basis.

For the purpose of Centrelink entitlements:

• Full-time tuition is defined as a minimum of 20 hours study per week (up to 15 hours face-to-face and five hours of independent learning per week).
• Part-time tuition is defined as less than full-time (less than 20 hours per week).

Distance learning

A single national provider delivers distance learning to clients who cannot or chose not to access English courses in their area. Clients may elect to utilise the distance learning component only, or in conjunction with other tuition options. AMEP distance learning offers the choice of online learning to clients or traditional books with supplementary materials. Regular contact with a qualified teacher is provided over the phone for students undertaking distance learning.

Additional services provided by AMEP service providers

Home Tutor Scheme Enhancement Program

AMEP service providers deliver training and on-going support to community organisations that provide English as a Second Language (ESL) assistance to people who are ineligible for the AMEP.

Document translation

AMEP service providers manage documents on behalf of Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS) National who provide a document translation service for eligible people settling permanently in Australia. Eligible permanent settlers are able to have personal documents translated into English during their initial two year settlement period.

More information on TIS National is available on the department's website.
See: Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National

AMEP at a glance

In 2009-10 AMEP was delivered at more than 250 locations around Australia to over 57 000 clients. Clients represented over 190 countries of birth and over 250 languages. In 2009-10, the most common first languages of clients were Mandarin, Arabic and Vietnamese.

Case study–Jackaroo and Jillaroo program (QLD)

In 2010, 18 humanitarian entrants enrolled in the AMEP employment pathways and traineeships in English program delivered in Warwick, Queensland for jackaroo and jillaroo training.

The program provided participants with improved English, self esteem and rural settlement skills to help gain employment in the rural industry. In addition, the Warwick community was introduced to the real people behind the refugee and migrant image.

As a direct result of their participation in the course, 16 participants obtained Certificate II in Rural Operations and 11 participants gained immediate employment in the rural towns of Millmerran, Goondiwindi, Dalby and Warwick. The remaining five participants continued with further study or sought employment at the completion of the program. In addition, a number of humanitarian entrants and their friends and families moved to Millmerran shortly after the program was completed.

The program has generated wide-spread media attention from around the world, including a segment on The 7pm Project, report on Stateline Queensland, and articles in the Warwick Daily News, and Aljazeera news network.

More information

A list of service provider locations is available on the department's website.
See:
Where can I learn English (135KB PDF file)
Settlement Services locator

More information on the AMEP is available on the department's website.
See: AMEP

The department also operates a national general enquiries line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm (recorded information is available outside these hours).

If you are outside Australia and wish to make an enquiry please contact the relevant Australian Immigration office overseas.
See: Immigration offices outside Australia

Other Australian Government English language programs

The Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program provides up to 800 hours of language, literacy and numeracy training to eligible job seekers having difficulties finding employment due to low literacy or English language competency.
See: Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program

The Workplace English Language and Literacy Program provides funding to employers for training their workers in English language, literacy and numeracy skills.
See: Workplace English Language and Literacy Program

The English as a Second Language New Arrivals Program provides funds to state and territory non-government education authorities to assist with the cost of delivering intensive English language tuition to eligible, newly arrived migrant students in catholic and independent primary and secondary schools.

The program improves educational opportunities and outcomes for newly arrived students of non-English speaking backgrounds by developing their English language competency and facilitating their participation in mainstream educational activities.
See: English as a Second Language–New Arrivals Program

Further information is available on the department's website.
See: www.immi.gov.au

The department also operates a national general enquiries line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm (recorded information is available outside these hours).

Fact Sheet 94. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Last reviewed August 2011.

© Commonwealth of Australia 2009.