The Australian government has recently announced significant changes to the student visa program. As Home Affairs Minister, Clare O’Neil stated, “the party is over – the rorts and loopholes that have plagued this system will be shut down,” The aim of these changes are to safeguard “integrity in the international education system and to support genuine international students”.
The changes affecting the Student Visa Program are the following:
- The Australian government will apply additional scrutiny to high-risk educational bodies. It will use its powers to ask for additional documents to prevent fraud in application.
- The Australian government will also consider issuing suspension certificates to high-risk education providers. According to the Minister, this would be the first time an Australian government has used this power. This would mean that the education provider would not be able to recruit international students.
- The Australian government has announced the immediate closure of the a visa loophole that allowed international students to enrol in cheaper vocational courses upon their arrival into Australia. This “concurrent study” rule allowed education providers to shift international students who have been in Australia for less than six months from genuine study to an arrangement designed to facilitate access to work in Australia. A recent investigation have identified the misuse of concurrent enrolment as an integrity issue for the education sector. This change takes effect immediately.
- International students will need to show evidence of $24,505 in savings in order to obtain a student visa. This is a 17% increase on current levels. This increase takes into account higher living expenses in Australia. This change will come into effect from 1 October 2023.
The changes are just the beginning of a range of reforms designed to protect the integrity of Australia’s fourth-largest export sector. More announcements will be made later this year as part of Ms O’Neil’s wide-ranging review of the migration system.
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This article does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Please consult an immigration professional for up to date information.