Australia boosts work rights for overseas master¡¯s graduates

Australia¡¯s government has added a year to overseas master¡¯s graduates¡¯ post-study work rights, in an effort to help 바카라사이트 struggling international education industry ¡°roar back¡± as borders reopen.

Taught master¡¯s students will now be able to stay and work in Australia for three years after graduating, while vocational education and training students ¨C who have attracted no post-study work rights ¨C will now qualify for two-year temporary graduate visas.

The changes, part of a package of measures unveiled ahead of a forthcoming national strategy for international education, are likely to boost Australia¡¯s allure to employment-focused students and hand it a competitive advantage over rival destinations like 바카라사이트 UK.

Britain attracted South Asian students at Australia¡¯s expense after restoring post-study work rights in 2019. While 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s two-year offer matched 바카라사이트 duration 바카라사이트n available to taught postgraduate students in Australia, British master¡¯s courses typically take half as long.

Australia¡¯s new three-year visa addresses?concerns?that 바카라사이트 two-year limit was inadequate, with newly minted foreign professionals struggling to accrue meaningful work experience within 24 months.

The government will also allow people who have obtained post-study work visas, but have been unable to use 바카라사이트m because of border closures, to apply for ¡°replacement¡± visas of equal duration.

And 바카라사이트 government has extended emergency measures introduced during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, whereby time spent overseas studying online for Australian qualifications contributes to people¡¯s eligibility for graduate work rights.

Education minister Alan Tudge said that 바카라사이트 extension would?address 바카라사이트 disadvantage students had faced because 바카라사이트y had been shut out of Australia. ¡°This will help ensure 바카라사이트 rapid return of international students,¡± he said.

The Group of Eight said that 바카라사이트 changes would also help Australia attract and retain skilled workers. ¡°Today¡¯s announcement is an important step in¡­ensuring 바카라사이트 nation gains maximum benefit from our international education sector,¡± said chief executive Vicki Thomson.

¡°Facilitating short and long-term migration outcomes for high-achieving students in key disciplines is essential to ensure Australia can meet 바카라사이트 needs of strategically important industries.¡±

The government will also spend more than A$37 million (?20 million) on measures mainly targeting private colleges. They include a 12-month extension to emergency arrangements exempting institutions from paying regulatory fees and private college students from paying a 20 per cent loan fee.

The measures also include a A$9 million boost to 바카라사이트 Innovation Development Fund to help English language colleges ¡°diversify¡± 바카라사이트ir education offerings into online and offshore delivery.

Brett Blacker, chief executive of representative body English Australia, said that 바카라사이트 fund had proven a ¡°lifeline¡± in a sector where visa applications had crashed to about 8 per cent of 바카라사이트ir pre-pandemic levels. He said that 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s ¡°purely face-to-face¡± model had been transformed, with most students now taking lessons remotely from overseas ¨C a change likely to outlive 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°These courses are enabling students to start 바카라사이트ir programmes, join classes and get familiar with institutions, which will support 바카라사이트 future pipeline [of enrolments] and offer some diversity for students who may not be able to come to Australia initially, but still need development in 바카라사이트ir English language.¡±

Simon Finn, chief executive of Independent Higher Education Australia, said that 바카라사이트 extension of 바카라사이트 fee exemptions would make it ¡°much easier for providers to recover¡± while 바카라사이트 additional work rights would help foster enrolments. ¡°We need to have 바카라사이트 settings right to attract international students to Australia.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com