Canberra to ease student visa rules
International education is Australia’s third highest revenue earner, and the Abbott government is keen to capitalise on this growth by relaxing student visa restrictions to attract more International students.
From next year, tougher restrictions on students from countries with the highest risk of visa fraud will be scrapped; effectively reducing the cash these applicants are required to have in the bank to support themselves during their study.
The government has also pushed forward a decision to extend streamlined visa processing beyond the university sector to 22 TAFEs and private providers that deliver bachelor degrees and higher qualifications.
Recently, Australia has seen a slump in revenue from international education, and the government is eager to boost international student revenue from about $15 billion last year back to the former peak of almost $19bn.
There have, however, been questions as to the quality of the education offered at these TAFE institutions and private providers.
Opposition higher education spokesman Kim Carr said the government should be cautious. “The advice provided to me during my time as minister was that the quality of the companies operating in this area varied considerably and that unsustainable levels of international students can lead to further questions about the quality of education.”
If you are interested in applying for a student visa in light of these new visa extensions, contact No Borders for more information.