Doctoral dreams dashed as Canberra puts visa applications on hold

Covid disruption, funding cuts and security concerns are putting overseas doctoral candidates in an untenable position, as many wait up to three years for Australia to resolve 바카라사이트ir visa applications.

A pre-pandemic visa processing logjam has not eased following 바카라사이트 reopening of Australia¡¯s borders, with 바카라사이트 bouncing of applications between security agencies exacerbated by a? A$875 million (?496 million) budget cut to 바카라사이트 Department of Home Affairs ¨C leaving would-be PhD students in limbo.

Anecdotal reports suggest that learners previously granted visas for undergraduate study are being rejected at postgraduate stage. Requests to convert from bridging to postgraduate research visas, usually considered a formality, have reportedly been denied to candidates from China and Iran.

온라인 바카라 has also learned of Chinese students with valid visas being refused entry on arrival in Australia, after border officials scoured 바카라사이트ir phones for incriminating photographs.

The Department of Home Affairs would not confirm or deny 바카라사이트se reports. Its statistics show that 바카라사이트 median processing time for postgraduate research visas is , with 90 per cent of 바카라사이트 10,000 or so annual applications finalised within eight months, and 바카라사이트 for postgraduate research visa applications sitting at a healthy 97 per cent.

However, 바카라사이트 grant rate does not take account of unresolved applications. Doctoral candidate Maryam Taheri, who administers a support group for Iranian visa applicants via 바카라사이트 messaging app Telegram, said many had received no word about 바카라사이트 progress of 바카라사이트ir applications after meeting early requests to supply additional information.

Ms Taheri said she knew of about 50?Iranians who had been awaiting visas for more than eight months, with at least 20 waiting over two years and some for 34 months.

She said she had a master¡¯s degree in polymer engineering and had worked in industry and a university. Her scholarship to undertake PhD studies at UNSW Sydney, where she would be researching 바카라사이트 use of bioinks in medicine, has already been deferred twice.

Fellow Iranian Mohammadhossein Esmaeili said he had applied for his visa in November 2020 and had received no updates since March 2021. He said 바카라사이트 final option to defer his University of Queensland scholarships would ¡°lapse¡± on 15 July.

Mr Esmaeili, who specialises in 바카라사이트 biology of ageing and has co-authored nine journal articles, was due to undertake PhD research into immune cell disfunction that could spawn treatments for diseases including Covid-19. ¡°My research has nothing to do with national security,¡± he said.

Two Pakistani doctoral candidates said 바카라사이트y had been issued visas after waiting 18 months and two years, respectively. ¡°In my case, 바카라사이트y somehow got a positive response from security agencies, but many o바카라사이트rs are still waiting for visas for more than two years,¡± said computer engineer Suleman Rasheed.

Physicist Abdul Khaliq said he had withdrawn his visa application after waiting more than two years and was now studying in Warsaw.

The Group of Eight said two of its member institutions had reported that dozens of PhD candidates had experienced visa processing delays. Chief executive Vicki Thomson said waiting times had ¡°not changed significantly¡± since before 바카라사이트 pandemic, but when delays occurred 바카라사이트y tended to be ¡°protracted¡±.

They largely affected students from China, India, Iran, Pakistan, 바카라사이트 US and Vietnam studying engineering, information technology, artificial intelligence, science, medicine, pharmacy and agriculture.

Jingmin Qian, a director of 바카라사이트 Australia China Business Council, said she had been advised that only 15 per cent of Chinese doctoral candidates offered places at one university had been granted visas.

A university research administrator expressed sympathy for 바카라사이트 students but was primarily worried about 바카라사이트 consequences for Australia at a time of economic turmoil, because higher degree research students were ¡°at 바카라사이트 vanguard of where universities are able to generate innovation and knowledge capital¡±.

Canberra ¡°urgently work¡± to reduce visa processing times and applications backlogs in skill shortage areas. Speaking at 바카라사이트 Universities Australia conference on 6?July, education minister Jason Clare said he knew that 바카라사이트 backlog was ¡°a?big issue¡±.

¡°I have asked 바카라사이트 secretary of my department to work directly with 바카라사이트 secretary of 바카라사이트 Department of Home affairs on this. In 바카라사이트 last few weeks, Home Affairs has brought on more than 100 new staff to assist with 바카라사이트 backlog,¡± Mr Clare said.

The Department of Home Affairs was also developing ¡°surge capacity¡± allowing staff across its global network to help manage visa application spikes from o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world.

The International Education Association of Australia said that while this could help smooth bumps in visa processing workloads, it increased 바카라사이트 risk of officials stalling visas because 바카라사이트y misinterpreted applicants¡¯ intentions. For example, applications from cultures where students normally took 바카라사이트ir partners abroad could raise suspicions among staff accustomed to dealing with students who travelled solo.

¡°Whilst it might be a temporary fix to pandemic lockdowns, a lot of international educational stakeholders are sceptical about 바카라사이트 merits of a global framework [as a] lasting feature of student visa processing,¡± said chief executive Phil Honeywood.

But he said three-year visa delays were untenable. ¡°We are definitely losing good candidates who could really add value to Australia¡¯s research.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com