VIDEO: English tests prevent Irish Paralympian from getting Australian citizenship

A rower from Tipperary is being stopped from representing Australia at the 2016 Paralympic Games after repeatedly failing the country’s English language test in order to obtain a visa.

30-year-old Kevin Wall, who has cerebral palsy, moved to Perth from Clonmel in 2011 on a tourist visa and is a mechanic in the city. He now hopes to represent his adopted country at the Rio Paralympics Games after narrowly missing out on selection for the Ireland squad for the London Paralympic Games in 2012.

The only thing holding Kevin back from his Paralympic dream is gaining a permanent residency visa. Part of the process in gaining the visa from Australia authorities is sitting the four-part International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Kevin Wall

Amazingly, despite English being his first language, Kevin has failed the exam three times. The test contains reading, writing and listening elements and Kevin has been unable to reach a "proficient" level on one or the other parts in each of his three tests.

Speaking to ABC News the Irishman feels let down by the level the test requires to pass.

"I’ve been practising English (for) about 29-and-a-half years at this stage," Kevin told the channel.

"I would’ve thought that I mightn’t be up to the level of a senior graduate at Cambridge college or something, but I think I’ve got a proficient use of the language."

At a time when the rower should be focused on ramping up his training for next year, Kevin said it "blew his mind" that this "trivial" issue is holding him back.

"It blows my mind that something that I would think trivial in my whole story holds me back from something I’ve been aiming for, for the past five or six years."

The Australian Immigration Department declined an interview when asked to speak on the matter by ABC News, however they did say that there are other types of English tests applicants can take.

The cost of the test runs to about $330AUD (€204.82) per sitting.

With a resolve that will hopefully stand to him at the Paralympics, Kevin is determined to take the test yet again in order to finally gain citizenship.

"Someone told me a long time ago, ’Don’t give up on something that you can’t go 24 hours without thinking about’," said Kevin.

"For Australia to embrace me as a citizen and hopefully have a chance to be on the Australian squad…(That’s) my goal. I’m very passionate about my sport and for me the ultimate in all my goals is to represent this country next year."