Migrants from family, skilled, and humanitarian visa streams, who do not have functional English, can access the Australian Government-funded Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).
The AMEP provides free foundation English language tuition to migrants to help them better participate in life in Australia.
Highlights:
- The Adult Migrant English Program currently provides free English tutoring combined with Australian culture and customs lessons.
- In the latest reforms, the Federal Government has removed the 510-hour cap on the lessons under the AMEP.
- From 19 April 2021, more migrants can access unlimited hours of free English tuition without timeframe restrictions.
Settlement skills are also integrated into the course, including how to access medical assistance and emergency services, government and community services, and banking, among others.
Under the reforms announced last year, which took effect on 19 April 2021, the 510-hour cap on English tuition has been removed.
Source: Getty Images/FG Trade
The government has also done away with the six-month timeframe for enrolment after arrival into Australia, the 12-months limit for commencing and the five-year timeframe for the completion of the AMEP tuition have also been removed for those who arrived on or before 20th October 2020.
Mehako Obaidullah is a former refugee from Afghanistan. He says most refugees and asylum seekers who come to Australia have lower literacy levels, and they experience difficulties in the labour market.
They cannot complain; they don’t know how to complain; they cannot raise their voice.
There are almost 300 AMEP providers across Australia.
Source: Getty Images/Peter Muller
Pre-employment and social streams
Most providers have bilingual administration staff to assist people when they make their initial inquiries and ensure their prospective students understand all the relevant information.
Often in AMEP classrooms, we have bilingual volunteers to support new clients that are at a lower level of English.
-Rochelle Beatty, the head of AMEP at Melbourne Polytechnic
Upon enrolment, AMEP clients can choose between two streams: Pre-Employment English and Social English.
The Pre-Employment English stream is for those wishing to learn functional English for work or further training, leading to sustainable employment.
The Social English stream is for migrants who lack confidence in social interaction and need help with conversational English.
They can also decide whether to study full-time or part-time, take lessons in a classroom or do distance learning.
Participation is flexible and can be full-time, part-time, day or evening. Blended delivery both face to face and online is also available to supplement classroom-based learning when needed.
Source: Getty Images/Maskot
The AMEP also includes extra English tuition options through Distance Learning, Volunteer Tutor Scheme and Settlement Language Pathways to Employment and Training (SLPET).
For students with children under school age, AMEP service providers offer childcare services, generally located close to the classroom and organised to coincide with their timetable.
Following the completion of the AMEP, students can ask for guidance support to set goals, make plans for further education and discuss employment opportunities.
Unlimited free English classes from April 2021
On 28 August 2020, then acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge announced the most significant reform to the AMEP in many years.
The reforms in the program include removing the 510-hours cap on English tuition that previously existed. The Federal Government has also removed the timeframe restrictions around registration, commencement and completion of the AMEP tuition for those who arrived in Australia on or before 20 October 2020.
Under the AMEP, migrants in Australia can access unlimited, free of charge English language classes at a pace that suits their lifestyle and commitments.
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Under the changes introduced by legislation, the AMEP will amend the eligibility levels allowing migrants to stay in the program or re-enter until they reach a higher level of language proficiency.
To find more about the legislative changes to the Adult Migrant English Program, visit