Student visas are getting tougher in Australia – 2024-03-23 08:11:43

Bad news for those going to Australia for higher education. Student visa policy is going to be stricter in the country from this week. The Australian government said the decision was made due to record migrant arrivals.

The news agency Reuters reported that from next Saturday (March 23), the English language proficiency requirement for granting student and graduate visas to Australia will be increased. In addition, the Australian government will also have the power to suspend the admission of international students to an educational institution for repeated violations.

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Australian Home Affairs Minister Claire O’Neill said in a statement that the weekend’s moves would reduce immigration levels. At the same time, it will also fulfill our commitment to fix the broken system inherited.

A new test to select ‘genuine students’ will be introduced in Australia, it has been reported. This will primarily reduce the number of international students traveling to Australia to work.

In addition, a greater number of entrants on visitor visas will be subject to a ‘no further stay’ condition.

That’s why it’s so strict
In Australia, the corona restrictions imposed by the previous government were completely lifted last year. At that time, the limit on working hours for international students was also withdrawn.

Australia increased the intake of foreign students and workers from 2022 to compensate for the losses during the Corona period. Although the labor market benefited from this, the pressure increased on the housing sector.

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According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, net migration to the country rose 60 percent to a record 548,800 in the year ending September 2023. This number is 518,000 more than in the year ending June 2023.

Overall, Australia’s population grew by a record 2.5 percent. The country’s population grew by more than 2.68 million in the year ending last September.

O’Neill said the Australian government’s actions since last September had reduced immigration levels. Recent student visa approval rates have dropped by 35 percent compared to the previous year.

KAA/