'Gov't to blame' for drop in immigration visas

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Created on Wednesday, 16 January 2013 15:39

Written by Editorial staff

The international education sector is worth $2.5 billion less to the economy than in the 2009-10 financial year as a result of government failures, it has been claimed.

Coalition spokesperson for higher education Brett Mason wrote in The Australian that the government has failed in its administration of the sector, which has cost the taxpayer. He cites the fact that Labor has not laid out the criteria of the post-study work immigration visas as an example of costing the country valuable assets.

Mr Mason did acknowledge the high dollar as being a factor for international students opting for education elsewhere but said that it is the government's job to offset any negative issues with Australia by offering positive attractions.

The Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) found international students are deciding to study in countries other than Australia, noting a massive decline in Indian students as a contributing factor.

The December report revealed there was a 71 per cent drop in the number of Indian students - sinking from 34,200 in 2007-08 to just 9,750 in 2011-12.

Labor retained power at the end of 2007 in a landslide election after 11 years of a Coalition government.

One of the key factors in the downfall in the numbers, according to the ACER, was the change in the migration program, which decreased the chance of obtaining permanent residency after studying in Australia.

Mr Mason said that there aren't clear guidelines for applying a test for an entrant. For example, he outlined how the genuine temporary entrant test has been known for its vague criteria, which can result in a student being knocked back - one who is genuinely looking to study education in Australia.

Researcher with the AECR Dr Daniel Richards said that the country's market is declining in its foreign intake despite the fact others are thriving.

He commented: "While Australia’s international student numbers are declining, key competitors in this market, such as the USA, UK, New Zealand and Canada, have all experienced growth since 2009, suggesting there may be factors specific to Australia influencing this decline."

Mr Mason said that to counteract this trend, Labor needs to address the issues in their immigration visas in addition to embarking on a marketing campaign. Promoting the quality of universities in Australia will ensure that students will return to the country.

This must also be combined with partnering up with other universities around the world to build relationships. The Coalition spokesperson cited New York University, which is partnered with a school in Singapore and a Chinese University.