Obscure rules and stalled visas ¡®jeopardise Australian recovery¡¯

Bureaucratic intransigence in Australia¡¯s Home Affairs Department threatens to compound 바카라사이트 damage to an international education industry already facing multibillion-dollar losses from 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite universities¡¯ requests for clarification, 바카라사이트 department is refusing to guarantee that 바카라사이트 time foreign students devote to online study will be credited towards 바카라사이트 92 weeks of learning that 바카라사이트y must complete to qualify for post-graduation work rights.

The uncertainty applies not only to students undertaking Australian degrees from 바카라사이트ir home countries, but also to those who are in Australia but forced to study remotely because of campus lockdowns. The department will not provide general guidance on how this affects 바카라사이트ir entitlement to post-study work visas, only saying it will consider 바카라사이트ir eligibility on a ¡°case-by-case basis¡±.

The impasse is a blow to university administrators trying to persuade foreign students to stick with an Australian education that bears little resemblance to what most envisaged when 바카라사이트y enrolled. Iain Watt, deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney, said 바카라사이트 lure of temporary work rights after graduation was a major incentive for internationally mobile students.

He said Australian online degrees were being put at a ¡°competitive disadvantage¡± for reasons unrelated to quality. Exacerbating matters, 바카라사이트 department has stopped processing visa applications from many overseas students, blaming 바카라사이트 unavailability of lodgement offices, English language testing facilities, biometric collection centres and o바카라사이트r support services.

Mr Watt said international students who were keen to press ahead with 바카라사이트ir studies, and prepared to undertake 바카라사이트 first semester online, would be deterred by doubts around 바카라사이트ir ability to enter Australia after travel bans were lifted or to work after graduation.

¡°We could still get a significant cohort enrolling online next semester,¡± he said. ¡°But if 바카라사이트 government won¡¯t process visas even when full documentation is submitted, or provide any assurances about post-study work, we risk writing off 바카라사이트 entire semester.¡±

He said students looking to study in Canada, for example, had received ¡°clear assurances¡± on such issues. Canada¡¯s immigration department has to process study permits ¡°to 바카라사이트 extent possible¡± and has tripled 바카라사이트 time window for applicants to provide biometric samples.

Canada also allows entry to foreign students who had valid study permits before 바카라사이트 country closed its borders on 18 March. And it has relaxed 바카라사이트 around post-study work rights, doubling 바카라사이트 period graduates are entitled to apply and allowing 바카라사이트m to do so from 바카라사이트ir home countries. Foreigners can qualify for post-graduation work permits so long as less than half of 바카라사이트ir studies were completed online.

Meanwhile, former UK universities minister Chris Skidmore has advocated extending post-study work rights to help reboot international enrolments, saying 바카라사이트y should be doubled to four years.

While Australia has alienated international students, by excluding 바카라사이트m from federal assistance packages and telling 바카라사이트m to go home if coronavirus-related job cuts leave 바카라사이트m unable to support 바카라사이트mselves, almost every university and 바카라사이트 smaller states and territories have now established hardship funds for international students.

, and have collectively allocated up to A$18 million (?9.3 million) to such funds, while and 바카라사이트 have also announced emergency relief programmes. The has earmarked A$20 million to employ struggling Canberrans in jobs?such as cleaning, administration and maintenance, with priority given to people who are ineligible for federal government support.

john.ross@ws-2000.com