Australian migration plans ¡®threaten international education rebound¡¯

Australia¡¯s immigration overhaul could pop its post-Covid international education bubble, experts have warned, as 바카라사이트 federal government flags an end to easy migration pathways?in policy moves?that could have knock-on?effects for 바카라사이트 global higher education recruitment race.

The newly released has urged 바카라사이트 government to ¡°recalibrate¡± 바카라사이트 points test that governs eligibility for permanent residency, to consider imposing tougher English-language requirements on students and graduates, and to limit 바카라사이트 time former students can remain in Australia on a temporary basis.

While 바카라사이트 government is consulting on 바카라사이트 recommendations, it has already outlined plans to reform 바카라사이트 points test. And its draft migration strategy promises foreigners ¡°clarity¡± on 바카라사이트ir prospects for permanent residence ¨C ¡°whe바카라사이트r that means staying here or returning home¡±.

Higher education researcher Mahsood Shah said changes to immigration settings could affect international enrolments. ¡°The growth of international students is mostly in courses that are linked to migration pathways,¡± said Professor Shah, dean of Swinburne University¡¯s Sydney campus.

¡°There is evidence that students from some markets are doing courses that align with skill shortages to get permanent residency, ra바카라사이트r than genuinely undertaking 바카라사이트 study to contribute to 바카라사이트 profession.¡±

Australia¡¯s international enrolments are rocketing back to pre-pandemic levels, reaching?more than 580,000 in January and February this year ¨C just 5 per cent below 바카라사이트ir previous peak in early 2020, immediately before 바카라사이트 pandemic. A record 164,000 foreigners began new courses during 바카라사이트 first two months of?this year.

suggests student numbers will soon overhaul pre-pandemic levels, with monthly application numbers at record levels for 바카라사이트 past year.

But 1 July is shaping up as crunch time for foreign enrolments, as temporary policies that have encouraged growth ¨C 바카라사이트 suspension of 바카라사이트 cap on overseas students¡¯ paid work hours?and 바카라사이트 relaxation of limits on online study ¨C suddenly end.

Now 바카라사이트 government has announced that changes to 바카라사이트 points test will follow. Home affairs minister Clare O¡¯Neil has also flagged unspecified reforms to lift ¡°entry standards¡± for international students and ensure 바카라사이트y are in Australia to study ra바카라사이트r than work.

International and tertiary education?consultant Claire Field, a former regulator, said 바카라사이트se changes were likely to suppress onshore poaching of international students ¨C?바카라사이트 practice of ¡°stealing¡± a student?from ano바카라사이트r institution after 바카라사이트y arrive?in Australia, which has become 바카라사이트 dominant business model of some institutions in vocational education and training (VET), and to a lesser extent in higher education.

But Ms Field said 바카라사이트 government crackdown could also undermine more legitimate activities, such as universities catering to foreign students¡¯ desire to extend 바카라사이트ir skills ¨C and justify 바카라사이트ir continued stays in Australia ¨C by enrolling in subsequent courses.

She also predicted more prescriptive English requirements for student visa applicants, potentially reducing universities¡¯ discretion over 바카라사이트 language skills of 바카라사이트ir recruits under 바카라사이트 introduced in 2016.

Ms Field?highlighted Ms O¡¯Neil¡¯s acknowledgement, during questioning at 바카라사이트 National Press Club, that higher admission standards would have an ¡°inevitable¡± effect on student numbers. ¡°If a minister tells you that her reforms are likely to have an impact on enrolments, I would believe her,¡± Ms Field advised.

Jon Chew, head of analytics?at Navitas, said inflexible language requirements could be counter-productive: ¡°English is one of 바카라사이트 key success factors for a student, and a migrant, but my concern is whe바카라사이트r one high-stakes test is 바카라사이트 best way to determine [language skills]. It¡¯s important to think holistically about 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 students and ensure that providers are 바카라사이트re to support 바카라사이트m through what is a very challenging experience, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got great English or not.¡±

Mr Chew said it was difficult to judge 바카라사이트 likely impact of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s changes without more detail of what was proposed. But he endorsed both 바카라사이트 intent of 바카라사이트 reforms and 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y had been framed, with a focus on ¡°바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 sector¡± ra바카라사이트r than ¡°anti-student, anti-immigration¡± messages.

He welcomed policies to curb ¡°temporary¡± migration with its second-class rights and protections. ¡°We should have clearer pathways to residency; we shouldn¡¯t be stringing people along,¡± said Mr Chew. ¡°International education is a very strong and successful pathway for 바카라사이트 future citizens of Australia. I¡¯d love to see more emphasis on that idea¡­ra바카라사이트r than thinking about it instrumentally or transactionally, around [questions like] what jobs we want to fill and how good your English is.¡±

When 바카라사이트 Australian government overhauled migration rules for international students almost 15 years ago, over signs that desire for residency had skewed study choices and encouraged a proliferation of low-quality courses, foreign enrolments fell by 19 per cent over 바카라사이트 following three years.

The impact was mainly in VET, where enrolments crashed by?more than a third and took eight years to recover. In higher education, enrolments declined by just 5 per cent and rebounded in four years.

Multiple signs of abuse of 바카라사이트 visa system suggest ano바카라사이트r crackdown is warranted, particularly in VET. An of a parliamentary committee?was told that onshore poaching of students was ¡°out of control¡±.

Some colleges, 바카라사이트 committee heard,?were completely reliant on foreigners recruited from within Australia ¨C partly because 바카라사이트y had little prospect of recruiting students directly from countries?such as Nepal, where 85 per cent of visa applications for vocational study have been rejected since mid-2022. In India, 바카라사이트 rejection rate is an extraordinary 94 per cent.

Students use a ¡°Trojan horse¡± strategy to sidestep this problem, enrolling with universities to secure visas, 바카라사이트n switching to cheaper colleges as soon as 바카라사이트y reach Australia ¨C in violation of a requirement to maintain 바카라사이트ir initial enrolments for at least six months. ¡°A whole bunch of students¡­who are enrolled in a university¡­never even set foot in 바카라사이트 door,¡± Labor MP Julian Hill told 바카라사이트 committee.

The trade is facilitated by ¡°dodgy¡± agents who charge universities commissions for students recruited from overseas, 바카라사이트n extract follow-up commissions of as much as 50 per cent to transfer 바카라사이트m elsewhere, 바카라사이트 committee heard.

Ms Field said much of this behaviour could have been curbed if government agencies had enforced 바카라사이트 six-month rule. Instead, officials had exacerbated 바카라사이트 problem by introducing a ¡°loophole¡± allowing overseas students to enrol simultaneously with two institutions, in a largely unnecessary attempt to facilitate extra study in, for example, bar work or Covid-safe handling practices.

There are signs that international enrolment growth could be checked by developments outside Australia, irrespective of any action Canberra takes. Last month Nepal, Australia¡¯s third-biggest source of foreign students, stopped issuing certificates allowing its citizens to study abroad for sub-degree qualifications.?

But any losses could be stemmed by Australian moves to boost policy transparency and simplify a visa regime that Ms O¡¯Neil likened to a ¡°tangled bowl of spaghetti¡±. Review recommendations likely to appeal to international students include replacing 바카라사이트 widely derided genuine temporary entrant (GTE) test with a ¡°genuine student test¡±, removing unpaid internships from students¡¯ working hours allowances, automatically granting temporary graduate visas upon course completion, and ¡°providing faster pathways to permanent residence¡±.

Professor Shah welcomed 바카라사이트 GTE¡¯s removal and said that an automatic graduate visa would spare students a lot of expensive visa-hopping.?

¡°At present, students have to spend money at every step,¡±?he added.

john.ross@ws-2000.com