Australia government is set to implement tighter visa rules, especially for international students, from this week.

As the country hits a record migration level - the country's population surged by 2.5 per cent between September 2022 to September 2023 largely due to an increase in migrant workers and students. 

From Saturday, the visa norms will include implementing English language requirements and a "genuine student test" for international students. The government will also have the power to suspend education providers from recruiting foreign students if they repeatedly break the rules, according to Reuters report.

The "genuine student test" will be a means to crack down on international students who look to come to Australia primarily to work. Authorities will also impose "no further stay" conditions on visitor visas. 

"The actions this weekend will continue to drive migration levels down while delivering on our commitments in the migration strategy to fix the broken system we inherited," Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said in a statement.

The regulations to curb migration were introduced last December. The government had planned new measures, including higher scores on English proficiency tests for student visas. The required IELTS score for a Temporary Graduate visa will increase from 6.0 to 6.5. For a Student visa, the IELTS score requirement will go up from 5.5 to 6.0. Students taking an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) before their main study must score 5.0 (up from 4.5). Students in university foundation or pathway programs need an IELTS score of 5.5.

Other measures included increased scrutiny of applications from high-risk providers, acknowledging the post-study migration pathways, and investing $19 million to bolster the student visa integrity unit. This will reduce the misuse of student visas by those seeking to exploit international students.

Just after Australia boosted its annual migration numbers in 2022 to fill the shortages that occurred due to COVID-19 controls, there was a sudden influx of foreign workers and students which put increased pressure on an already tight rental market. 

The data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed net immigration rose 60% to a record 548,800 in the year to Sept. 30, 2023, higher than the 518,000 people in the year ending June 2023.

Source : The Week

BDST: 1839 HRS, MAR 21, 2024
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