Australia Tightens Up the Process for Foreign Students Seeking Study Visas
In an effort to combat rising migration rates, Australia warned many universities about fraudulent recruitment practices and announced measures on Wednesday to raise the financial criteria for foreign students applying for visas.
International students will have to prove that they have saved at least A$29,710 ($19,576) in order to obtain a visa as of this Friday. This is the second increase in around seven months. The previous requirement was A$24,505, which was increased from A$21,041 in October.
These steps are a reaction to several recent moves made to tighten laws governing student visas. These moves were brought on by a spike in immigration after COVID-19 limitations were loosened in 2022, which increased demand in the already tight rental market.
The requirements for English language proficiency on student visas were raised in March, and the government has been moving to stop policies that let students stay longer.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil, declared that 34 educational institutions had received warning letters for using “non-genuine or exploitative recruitment practices.” If found guilty, offenders risk up to two years in prison and a ban from recruiting pupils.
“There is no place for dishonest suppliers in our global education system. According to O’Neil, “These steps will assist in getting rid of dishonest players in the industry who try to take advantage of people and damage its reputation.”
Australia’s export sector, international education, is essential to the country’s economy, bringing in A$36.4 billion ($24 billion) between 2022 and 2023. But the government is under pressure due to the migration wave, which is mostly being caused by overseas students, and as a result, rental prices have skyrocketed across the country.
The year ending September 30, 2023, had a record 60% increase in net immigration, reaching 548,800.
Over the next two years, the government expects its policies to cut Australia’s immigration intake in half.
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