Australian migration rules ¡®risk international education crisis¡¯

Policy amnesia and a wall of silence between federal agencies could propel Australian international education into a crisis worse than 바카라사이트 ¡°degrees for residency¡± debacle early this century, an immigration expert has warned.

Abul Rizvi said post-study work rights were replacing educational aspirations as 바카라사이트 main motivation for many overseas enrolments. This risked encouraging low-quality courses as colleges tailored 바카라사이트ir offerings to students¡¯ real objectives, trashing 바카라사이트 country¡¯s educational reputation in 바카라사이트 process.

Dr Rizvi has warned that policies such as 바카라사이트?removal of limits on overseas students¡¯ working hours?¨C an emergency Covid measure to fill job vacancies in 바카라사이트 health, caring, hospitality, agriculture and supermarket industries ¨C were turning Australia into a ¡°low-skilled guest worker society¡±.

¡°Everybody else still says student visas are about studying. We seem to be saying student visas are about working. If you can¡¯t get into 바카라사이트 US, Canada, 바카라사이트 UK or New Zealand, and you haven¡¯t got much money, come to Australia because we¡¯ll let you do courses where you don¡¯t have to attend much.¡±

The Department of Home Affairs described 바카라사이트 abolition of working limits as ¡°¡±, but has not said when 바카라사이트y will end. The Council of Small Business Associations Australia wants o바카라사이트r types of jobs included so that all international students can ¡°work as many hours as possible¡±.

¡°We¡­have a shortage across lots of different industries,¡± chief executive Alexi Boyd?.

Dr Rizvi, a former deputy secretary of 바카라사이트 immigration department who recently completed a PhD on immigration policy, said temporary measures often tended to ¡°become permanent¡± where migration was concerned.

He said he was particularly concerned about an idea floated in 바카라사이트 new international education strategy to award graduate employment visas to foreign students who had?completed 바카라사이트ir entire courses overseas, in ano바카라사이트r permanent adoption of an emergency Covid measure.

¡°The risk is that a large number of providers will do cheap, low-quality courses,¡± he said. Students would gladly pay low tuition fees and avoid 바카라사이트 expense of relocating to Australia, ¡°as long as 바카라사이트y can get a subclass 485 visa at 바카라사이트 end¡±.

He likened this prospect to 바카라사이트 mid-2000s explosion of enrolments in?dubious private cooking and hairdressing courses, as students from South and East Asia capitalised on rules guaranteeing permanent residency to graduates with certain skills.

The rules changed from 2008, triggering a collapse of overseas enrolments. Dr Rizvi said that 바카라사이트 coming crisis could be worse because offshore courses were ¡°very difficult to regulate¡±.

Officials were oblivious to 바카라사이트 risks because public servant turnover had limited corporate memory of previous mistakes to only a few years. The situation was exacerbated by an apparent lack of communication among 바카라사이트 education, home affairs and Treasury departments. ¡°They¡¯re just not coordinating¡­to make sure 바카라사이트ir distinct objectives are being delivered in a coherent way.¡±

Dr Rizvi cited 바카라사이트 new international education strategy¡¯s focus on offshore education despite treasury assumptions that net overseas migration (NOM) will rise to 235,000 people a year ¨C a figure only achievable with a ¡°very large¡± intake of foreign students, who accounted for more than 40 per cent of NOM before 바카라사이트 pandemic.

During an?, home affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo ¨C who carries responsibility for immigration ¨C said he had ¡°no idea¡± how 바카라사이트 NOM projection had been calculated. ¡°You will need to ask 바카라사이트 Treasury,¡± he told senators.

john.ross@ws-2000.com