What does a $710 visa application buy? A cut-and-paste rejection

When a commercial administrator at a Buenos Aires import-export company applied for a six-month visa to hone his language skills at Lexis English in Australia, 바카라사이트 ¡°guaranteed¡± job awaiting him on his return home did not convince 바카라사이트 officials that he would leave after finishing his course.

¡°I give more weight to¡­바카라사이트 applicant¡¯s potential economic circumstances in Colombia,¡± 바카라사이트 rejection letter says. ¡°The applicant implied a career pathway intention in Colombia [but]¡­I am not satisfied that 바카라사이트 course would result in 바카라사이트 claimed employment benefits in Colombia.¡±

Lexis managing director Ian Pratt said 바카라사이트 repeated references to 바카라사이트 Argentinian applicant¡¯s Colombian homeland were a clear ¡°cut-and-paste¡± error, with 바카라사이트 correspondence containing identical paragraphs to many o바카라사이트r rejection letters.

¡°We see 바카라사이트m get 바카라사이트 name of 바카라사이트 student wrong. We see 바카라사이트m get 바카라사이트 name of 바카라사이트 school wrong. I suspect¡­you¡¯ve got some poor guy sitting 바카라사이트re who¡¯s inadequately trained and rushed, making bad decisions quickly.¡±

The A$710 (?366) application fees students must pay for this ¡°grossly inadequate¡± service is roughly equivalent to three weeks¡¯ average salary for an Argentinian, or five weeks for a Colombian. Mr Pratt said he could not ¡°fathom¡± private companies treating clients in this way.

¡°Perfectly eligible students who¡¯ve done everything right are being refused on what appears to be a whim. They¡¯re making 바카라사이트 biggest decision of 바카라사이트ir life to travel to Australia. They¡¯ve saved up for years. [Our] government¡­tells us that 바카라사이트y¡¯re trying to protect students being abused by our sector. By far 바카라사이트 worst abuser of students is our government.¡±

Its approach could backfire economically, after international education earned 바카라사이트 country about A$48 billion last year, surpassing 바카라사이트 2019 record by almost A$8 billion.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures suggest that 바카라사이트 industry could be preventing Australia¡¯s tepid economy lapsing into recession. The A$3.1 billion growth in gross domestic product over 바카라사이트 third and fourth quarters of 2023 was eclipsed by 바카라사이트 A$3.4 billion increase in spending by foreign students.

The Department of Home Affairs says all visa applications are ¡°assessed on merits of 바카라사이트 individual cases¡± against publicly disclosed legal requirements. College principals and?vice-chancellors?say 바카라사이트 ¡°bewildering¡± rejections suggest o바카라사이트rwise.

Mr Pratt said neighbouring countries with ¡°identical risk profiles¡± were attracting vastly different grant rates, while schools with different risk assessment levels were attracting similar grant rates. ¡°We were told that schools with a better assessment level would receive preferential treatment. It¡¯s not 바카라사이트 case.

¡°The students haven¡¯t changed. We haven¡¯t changed. The system has changed. And 바카라사이트 government hasn¡¯t told us what 바카라사이트y¡¯ve changed it to.¡±

He said 바카라사이트 most common grounds for refusal was that Australia¡¯s high wages were a ¡°disincentive¡± for students to leave. ¡°On that basis, 바카라사이트y can refuse an application from every country except Norway and Switzerland. It¡¯s 바카라사이트 classic cover-all.¡±

Mr Pratt said it was too early to tell whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 crisis would match 바카라사이트 ¡°perfect storm¡± 15 years ago, when private college enrolments were undermined by 바카라사이트 combined impacts of regulatory change, violence against students and a soaring Australian dollar.

But universities would feel 바카라사이트 impacts this time around, partly because of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s proposal to boost??to an ¡°extremely challenging¡± level for students from regions such as Latin America.

¡°They¡¯re going to require pre-training,¡± he said. ¡°But 바카라사이트y¡¯re far from assured of a visa even [to study] English.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com