Improved compliance by international students studying in Australia has prompted an easing of student visa assessment levels for 43 countries in one or more education sectors.
Strong growth in the student visa program with 278 000 visas granted to international students in 2007-08 - an increase of 22 per cent on 2006-07 - combined with the improving visa compliance of many international students, are positive signs for Australia's international education industry.
Of the 43 nations, more than half (23) including Brazil, Botswana, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, South Africa and Thailand, will be reduced to assessment level one in one or more education sectors. This will enable these applicants to join the growing number of students applying for their initial student visa online using the Department of Immigration and Citizenship's (DIAC) eVisa facility.
'In 2007-08, more than 85 per cent of eligible students applying for their student visa from outside Australia chose to apply for a student eVisa,' a departmental spokesman said. 'Assessment levels are an objective, evidence-based method used by the department to determine student visa requirements based on immigration risk.
'While the majority of the assessment level moves are favourable, to maintain the integrity of the student visa program the department will raise the assessment levels for nine countries, in one or more education sectors. These changes are occurring in response to data that indicates a trend of non-compliance in these cohorts over a sustained period.
'This is all part of the department's regular analysis of the visa compliance of international students from every country studying in each education sector in Australia. This is used to determine how likely it is that prospective students will comply with their visa conditions or seek to use the student visa for purposes other than study.'
The immigration risk of a cohort is based on the immigration compliance performance of students from a particular country over previous financial years, across each education sector.
The objective, evidence-based measures of immigration risk used to determine assessment levels include the fraudulent documentation rate, the visa cancellation rate, the unlawful rate, applications for residence - excluding residence on the basis of skill - the refusal rate and applications for protection visas.
DIAC also consults international education industry peak bodies and key government agencies to take into account their views and other subjective matters before deciding to change assessment levels.
'Where applicants present a lower immigration risk, the department streamlines visa requirements for these applicants by reducing their assessment level,' the spokesman said. 'This reduces the evidence that applicants must demonstrate to be granted a student visa.
'Where applicants present a higher immigration risk, the department requires additional evidence to be provided for applicants to demonstrate they are genuine students.'
While these changes will assist the department to combat the increasing immigration risk of these cohorts, genuine applicants have nothing to fear from these changes.
'It simply means applicants affected by these changes will need to submit a higher level of evidence of their English language ability, academic qualifications and their financial capacity to support themselves during their studies in Australia,' the spokesman said.'A robust student visa regime in which immigration risks are identified and addressed supports the integrity of our immigration system and the sustainable growth and reputation of Australia's international education industry,' he added.
Further details of the assessment level changes - effective September 1 - can be found on the DIAC website at www.immi.gov.au/students/index.htm |
