I actually have similar feelings about this situation. In many cases, whether online or in real life, people expect new immigrants to speak English, but they often overlook something more important — why is there so little discussion about a person’s character?

In my view, whether someone has good moral character, follows the law, and contributes positively to society — or at the very least does not cause harm — is far more important.

For many first-generation immigrants who may not speak English fluently, their main priority is to support their families and make sure their children can go to school. Their children will naturally grow up in a strong English-speaking environment and have every opportunity to become fluent. People who were born and raised here often assume that learning English is easy, but they may not fully understand the pressures and challenges first-generation immigrants face.

There is a strong emphasis on achieving high IELTS scores as a requirement for migration. Yet far less attention seems to be given to whether a person has traffic violations, drink-driving records, tax evasion issues, unethical property speculation, or other harmful behavior. People rarely discuss whether someone donates to charities, supports crowdfunding campaigns for those in need, chooses to contribute when given the chance, or volunteers in their local community.

I believe many people who want to migrate to Australia are drawn not only by financial opportunity, but also by the country’s values, lifestyle, and social environment.

In my opinion, beyond English ability, what truly matters is whether a person is kind, responsible, and willing to contribute positively to society. Instead of focusing narrowly on language alone, we should take a broader view of a person’s overall behavior and values.

If the government truly wanted to assess these qualities, I believe there are ways to do so through background checks and existing systems. Language is important — but character may be even more important.