To Close Loopholes, Australia Tightens Visa Rules For Foreign Students (Image: Twitter.com/tourismaustralia)

The government of Australia has brought in changes in the visa rules for students entering the country for study purposes.

The government, in an announcement on August 26, 2023, has said that it would bring in a slew of measures to guard the standing and reputation of the Australian education sector.

It said that the loopholes will be closed. The Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil, said, “Our message is clear”, “the party is over, the [frauds] and loopholes that have plagued this system will be shut down,” reported ICEF monitor.

The education providers were able to shift the international students into cheaper vocational courses when they arrive in the country. International students had an option to take up other additional courses along with their core courses, known as the ‘concurrent study’, so that they could also prepare for the job market in the country. The additional courses which were availed were usually cheaper short courses. The Australian government has now said that, investigations prove that this rule has been misused by dumping the university courses and moving on to cheaper courses.

The data for 2019 and 2022 together shows the number of enrollments in concurrent courses as 10,500 in comparison to the number for the same in the first half of the year 2023, which is 17,000. The Education Minister Jason Clare said, “this change will work to stop predatory “second” providers from enrolling students before they have studied for the required six months at their first provider,” he also added that, “international education is Australia”s fourth-largest export industry and maintaining the sector”s integrity was critical for the country”s economy,” the Reuters reported.

In another significant move, the government has increased the amount of money savings that students would have to keep in order to obtain a student visa to Australia. The students will now have to show proof that they have bank deposits of Rs.13.10 lakh, that is, A$24,505 ($15,693) as savings, in order to take care of their living expenses in the country. This is a 17% hike from the earlier prescribed levels. This would come into effect from October 1, reported Dhanam.