Canberra unveils ¡®measured¡¯ international education reforms

Australia¡¯s overhaul of overseas enrolment rules coincides with changes elsewhere, as a post-Covid upsurge in cross-border mobility reshapes 바카라사이트 global international education landscape.

As?anticipated, Canberra has closed a loophole allowing prospective foreign students to enrol in multiple courses. Thousands of people had exploited this arrangement to obtain work rights, enrolling with universities to secure visas and 바카라사이트n switching to cheaper vocational courses after arriving in Australia.

Concurrent enrolments between January and June were at roughly triple 바카라사이트 levels of recent years,??home affairs minister Clare O¡¯Neil. ¡°The party is over,¡± she said. ¡°The rorts and loopholes that have plagued this system will be shut down.¡±

The government has also increased 바카라사이트 amount of money students must have available to cover 바카라사이트ir living costs, in 바카라사이트 first such change since 2019. From 1 October, Australia-bound students will need to demonstrate that 바카라사이트y have A$24,505 (?12,505) in savings, up from A$21,041 at present. Ms O¡¯Neil said 바카라사이트 new requirement would help to shield foreign students from exploitative bosses.

In o바카라사이트r changes mainly targeting vocational education, 바카라사이트 government is preparing to use existing powers to suspend ¡°high-risk¡± colleges. It is particularly concerned about 200-plus providers enrolling students who are more likely to be denied than granted visas.

The government said it would also apply ¡°additional scrutiny¡± and demand extra documentation from ¡°high-risk cohorts¡± in an effort to prevent visa fraud. The scrutiny is already intense. Three quarters or more of those who apply for vocational education visas from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are rejected.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 post-Covid period has seen a pronounced shift in focus from East Asia to 바카라사이트 subcontinent. South Asia contributed one third of international enrolments in Australia over 바카라사이트 first five months of 2023, compared?with about one quarter in 바카라사이트 equivalent period of 2019.

Over 바카라사이트 same period, China¡¯s share has fallen from well over one quarter to about one fifth of enrolments, and less than one sixth of new students.

Similar patterns are evident elsewhere. In?, 45 per cent of 바카라사이트 study permits activated in 바카라사이트 first half of 2023 went to people from South Asia, up from 31 per cent over 바카라사이트 equivalent period in 2019. China¡¯s share plunged from 25 per cent to just 9 per cent.

More than 225,000 Indian nationals obtained approval to study in Canada in 2022, around seven times as many as in 2015.

In 바카라사이트?, more than 140,000 sponsored study visas were issued to Indian nationals in 바카라사이트 year to June 2023 ¨C around seven times 바카라사이트 2019 figure. The Chinese tally of about 110,000 visas was roughly 바카라사이트 same as in 2019.

Surging South Asian enrolments have coincided with policy crackdowns fuelled by perceptions that international students are monopolising scarce resources. The UK government has?raised students¡¯ visa and healthcare fees?and banned most students from?bringing dependants, among o바카라사이트r measures.

In Canada, housing minister Sean Fraser?reportedly proposed?a student cap as a way of managing extreme housing shortages. Australia¡¯s shadow education minister Sarah Henderson has also warned that increasing overseas enrolments will have ¡°big consequences for domestic students who need access to strong job prospects and affordable housing¡±.

While 바카라사이트 UK changes have outraged educators, Australia¡¯s reforms to date have won praise for 바카라사이트ir restraint. The Australian Technology Network said 바카라사이트 new rules would ensure that international education was ¡°better protected and future-proofed¡±.

The Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI) said concurrent enrolments had enabled ¡°onshore poaching¡±. AAERI president Nishidhar Borra said 바카라사이트 impacts on student retention had been a ¡°serious¡± concern for agents. ¡°The changes will benefit all,¡± he said.

The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) said 바카라사이트 changes so far were a ¡°measured response¡± and 바카라사이트 government must continue in this vein. ¡°It¡¯s clear that more reform is on 바카라사이트 way,¡± noted chief executive Troy Williams.

Fur바카라사이트r changes in response to two?government-commissioned?reviews?are expected to be announced in September or October.

john.ross@ws-2000.com