SYDNEY: Australia said on Wednesday it would increase the amount of savings required for international students to obtain a visa and issued warnings to several universities about fraudulent admissions practices as part of an effort to curb the practice. Record migration.
From Friday, international students will have to show proof of savings of at least A$29,710 ($19,576) to obtain a visa, the second increase in seven months.
There have been a series of moves to tighten student visa rules in recent months as the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022 triggered a sudden influx of migrants, adding to pressure on an already tight rental market .
English language requirements for student visas were raised in March, and the government has been taking steps to end rules that allow students to extend their stay.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said warning letters had been issued to 34 education providers for “untruthful or exploitative recruitment practices”. If found guilty, they could be jailed for up to two years and banned from recruiting students, she said.
O’Neill said in a statement: “Cunning education providers have no place in our international education industry. These actions will help to remove low-level providers from the industry who seek to exploit people and damage the reputation of the industry.”
International education is one of Australia’s largest export industries, creating a value of A$36.4 billion (US$24 billion) to the economy in 2022/23.
But record immigration, driven largely by international students, has put the government under pressure from soaring rents across the country. Net migration rose 60% to a record 548,800 in the year to 30 September 2023.
The government predicts its policies could halve immigration arrivals into Australia over the next two years.
“We are reducing immigration significantly – we are in the midst of the largest immigration decline in Australian history, short of war or a pandemic,” O’Neill said.
From Friday, international students will have to show proof of savings of at least A$29,710 ($19,576) to obtain a visa, the second increase in seven months.
There have been a series of moves to tighten student visa rules in recent months as the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022 triggered a sudden influx of migrants, adding to pressure on an already tight rental market .
English language requirements for student visas were raised in March, and the government has been taking steps to end rules that allow students to extend their stay.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said warning letters had been issued to 34 education providers for “untruthful or exploitative recruitment practices”. If found guilty, they could be jailed for up to two years and banned from recruiting students, she said.
O’Neill said in a statement: “Cunning education providers have no place in our international education industry. These actions will help to remove low-level providers from the industry who seek to exploit people and damage the reputation of the industry.”
International education is one of Australia’s largest export industries, creating a value of A$36.4 billion (US$24 billion) to the economy in 2022/23.
But record immigration, driven largely by international students, has put the government under pressure from soaring rents across the country. Net migration rose 60% to a record 548,800 in the year to 30 September 2023.
The government predicts its policies could halve immigration arrivals into Australia over the next two years.
“We are reducing immigration significantly – we are in the midst of the largest immigration decline in Australian history, short of war or a pandemic,” O’Neill said.
