3 foreign students admitted to paying an undisclosed person thousands of dollars in order to change their English-language test scores in order to gain residency permits in Australia.
The students admitted to paying a bribe while testifying before the Western Australian Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC). Harinder Jit, an Indian national, stated that he had paid $2,500 in 2009 in order to achieve a score of 7 on the International English Language Testing System, a test meant to ascertain one’s level of proficiency in the English language. He later paid an additional $3,200 in order to bump up his wife’s score to an 8, with the couply having since applied for permanent residency in Australia.
Mr. Jit, who had previously taken the exam at Edith Cowan University, failed to receive his desired score; he was told by a co-worker that, if he took the exam at Curtin University of Technology, that he could pay an undisclosed person to change the score to an adequate grade.
Another student, Rikenkumar Vaishnani, paid $11,000 to have his score changed in 2010 because he felt that it was what he needed to do, even though he was second-guessing his actions at the time. A third student, Vishnal Pandya, who had failed the test multiple times both in India and in Australia paid $1,500 to have his score changed. Mr. Pandya also said that he knew of several friends who had done the same thing.
For the original article from SBS.com.au, please click here.
The photo comes from onetip.net
“
