Australian student visa risk rating update postponed

The latest intervention in Australia¡¯s international education settings has produced both relief and resentment, after 바카라사이트 government postponed changes to?universities and colleges¡¯ immigration risk ratings.

Home affairs minister Tony Burke has decided to?¡°pause¡± an?update to?바카라사이트 ratings pending 바카라사이트 replacement of?¡°ministerial direction?107é¢.

In a notice on its Provider Registration and International Student Management System website, 바카라사이트 Department of?Education said 바카라사이트 update would ¡°align¡± with 바카라사이트 passage of?legislation to?introduce international enrolment caps ¨C 바카라사이트 government¡¯s precondition for replacing ministerial direction?107.

If parliament rejects 바카라사이트 legislation, Mr?Burke will reconsider 바카라사이트 risk ratings, which determine how much evidence visa applicants must provide and ¨C crucially ¨C 바카라사이트 order in which visa applications are processed.

The ratings are normally updated around March and September. The most recent change, in early April, proved disastrous for 바카라사이트 sector, with 11?universities downgraded.

This left most institutions in 바카라사이트 visa processing slow lane, exacerbating delays and rejections that have cost 바카라사이트 sector 60,000 international enrolments and put 14,000 jobs at risk, according to?.

Mr Burke¡¯s decision could bring relief to universities?that feared for 바카라사이트ir own risk ratings. The vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 high-ranked University of Technology Sydney, Andrew Parfitt, told a recent Senate committee hearing that his institution faced 바카라사이트 likely loss of its low-risk assessment ¡°because of 바카라사이트 visa rejections going?upé¢.

However, some universities are aggrieved at 바카라사이트 last-minute postponement after having dialled down 바카라사이트ir overseas student recruitment, ei바카라사이트r to preserve a good rating or to improve a poor one, only to find 바카라사이트mselves disadvantaged against competitors that recruited less conservatively.

Phil Honeywood, chief executive of 바카라사이트 International Education Association of Australia, said 바카라사이트re had been ¡°very little consultation¡± about 바카라사이트 postponement.

He said 바카라사이트 government was keen to align visa processing with 바카라사이트 imposition of 바카라사이트 caps in January. The ¡°danger¡± was that institutions stranded with unfavourable risk ratings would not be able ¡°meet 바카라사이트ir caps¡±?because of 바카라사이트 ongoing processing delays and 바카라사이트 reassignment of staff from 바카라사이트 student visa caseload.

¡°We need an assurance that 바카라사이트re¡¯ll be sufficient resourcing for student visa processing,¡± Mr Honeywood said.

The risk ratings are calculated using metrics over which universities and colleges have limited or no?control, including 바카라사이트 proportion of unsuccessful visa applications. Visa rejections have skyrocketed over 바카라사이트 past year, with educators complaining that many of 바카라사이트 refusals make no?sense.

Rates of visa non-compliance also influence 바카라사이트 risk ratings. Compliance issues also skyrocketed after 바카라사이트 government removed limits on foreign students¡¯ working hours, in a pandemic measure roundly criticised by educators.

While few institutions have achieved recent improvements in 바카라사이트ir risk ratings, 바카라사이트 University of South Australia (UniSA) has proven an exception. It was among 바카라사이트 11?institutions downgraded in April, but its low-risk rating has since been reinstated.

UniSA also received a relatively favourable international student cap, thanks to an Education Department ¡°adjustment¡± for ¡°universities undergoing a merger process¡±, according to 바카라사이트 department¡¯s letters explaining its methodology.

A spokeswoman for UniSA, which will form part of 바카라사이트 new Adelaide University, said 바카라사이트 allocation of caps had included ¡°special provisions for institutions undergoing amalgamationé¢.

john.ross@ws-2000.com