Government changes student visa assessment levels

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Created on Thursday, 16 February 2012 18:06

Written by Editorial staff

From March 24, students from 29 countries around the world will have their Australian visa assessment levels relaxed.

Immigration minister Chris Bowen made the announcement on February 15 in response to a report from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

The findings listed by the DIAC included a number of recommendations, including raising the restrictions on a number of visa subclasses.

But Bowen said he had no intention of taking action if it was likely to have a negative impact on local tertiary providers.

Bowen asserted: "While it was recommended that some assessment levels be increased, I have decided to only implement the reductions in order to best support Australia's international education sector.

"Lowering the minimum evidentiary requirement for the grant of a student visa for selected countries and visa subclasses is expected to help around 10,500 prospective students."

According to Bowen, the reduction in assessment levels for student migration visas would allow organisation involved in vocational education and training, postgraduate research and the popular series of English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS).

"The reduction in assessment levels builds on the measures implemented as a result of the Strategic Review of the Student Visa Program, undertaken by the Hon Michael Knight AO, to ensure Australia remains an attractive study option for overseas students," Bowen explained.

For an industry that has been faced with lowered international involvement over several years, the measures could help to bring in more full-fee-paying enrolments, leading to an increase in funding.

These possibilities have been welcomed by the peak body for tertiary education organisations offering postgraduate education, Universities Australia.

The CEO of the organisation, Belinda Robinson, asserted that the new changes would encourage international enrolments and could boost activity in the education industry across the nation.

Robinson said: "It really is a terrific outcome not just for the higher education sector but for the Australian economy more broadly because at a time we’re seeing manufacturing struggling, tourism struggling, both primarily because of the strong Australian dollar, it’s really important for those industries that are strong to be able to step up to offset some of those economic implications.

"The international education sector is Australia's third largest export industry, and over the 2010-11 period international higher education students spent an average of $38,000 each in this country on goods, services and fees."