It took Pooja three years to secure an Australian visa.

Pooja, who is in her 30s and originally from India, tellsMamamiathat the process was arduous and took a huge amount of effort outside of her job. However, she also asserts that she is one of the lucky ones.

For many migrants, particularly those from non-English speaking backgrounds, the effort it takes to get to Australia is extreme – let alone being able to secure permanent residency.

A major component of any visa application in Australia is an English language test. The vast majority of these language tests are completed on a computer program. But there is a huge amount of criticism about the way those programs have been designed.

Watch: Australia's Immigration system designed to 'dehumanise' says refugee artist. Post continues below.

The Department of Home Affairs has used computer programs to assist visa processing for more than 20 years. But the transparency regarding the algorithms behind these systems is limited.

Governments have landed in hot water before for using artificial intelligence (AI) systems for visa applications. In 2020, the UK's Home Office (the department responsible for immigration) had to scrap a controversial decision-making algorithm that migrants' rights campaigners said created a "hostile environment" for those applying for UK visas.

The algorithm was in place for five years before being canned. Critics called the algorithm "institutionally racist", after it was said the system would automatically red-flag applications from migrants from "suspect nationalities".

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) then launched a legal challenge against the system, before the Home Office decided to change the visa application structure.

"Racist feedback loops meant that what should have been a fair migration process was, in practise, just 'speedy boarding for white people'," the JCWI legal policy director said.

The same scenario hasn't unfolded in Australia – but for migrants trying to secure a new life here, the process remains overwhelmingly complex.

Pooja tellsMamamiashe's excited to come to Australia next month and start a new chapter here, alongside her husband.

She applied and worked incredibly hard to secure an independent skilled visa, spending hours studying, aside from her job as an electrical engineer. She had to understand different English accents, enunciate, and master her writing, listening and speaking skills.

Fortunately, she had access to an English tutor via New Australian Life Legal, who helped her study and prepare for the big test. She ended up doing a computer-based exam, saying toMamamiathere are pros and cons associated.

"It does feel better not to have a human, because if the person I'm speaking to has had a good or a bad day, that might affect their marking. Or if they base it on my personality upon meeting," tells Pooja.

"The computer does feel less biased. But I feel like I had to tailor myself to what the computer would best register."

Pooja aced her English language test thanks to an immense amount of effort on her part. But for friends of hers, she has seen them continuously struggle.

"It's a lengthy process. For non-native English speakers it's quite difficult, particularly when you have a strong accent. It also is impacted by access to education. I've had many friends give up on the process," Pooja says toMamamia.

Wing Kuang is an audio producer and digital reporter withABC.

Despite graduating with a master of journalism degree and working in English media for years, she said in a recent article that she struggled to gain the necessary high score for her visa application English test.

After working with an English tutor, Kuang was told that "in order to please the computers, you need to feed them what they want".

With many hours and over $1000 spent in tutoring, she managed to secure the score she needed. But her experience speaks to a universal truth many migrants can attest to.

"I feel [as migrants] there's a hidden rule we must adhere to from society: you can't complain," she wrote forABC. "After all, it's our decision to move to Australia, and hence we had to sit in these tests, wait unreasonably long for our visa applications, or bear the immigration policy that changes every financial year."