Australia immigration introduces restrictions on student visa agencies
August 21 2009 by Mark Johnstone
Australian student visa clamp down
Tougher student visa rules are being introduced by Australian immigration in order to clamp down on fraudulent agencies. The measures are being introduced to prevent young people from studying in Australia simply as a means of obtaining permanent residency.
Immigration minister Chris Evans has announced a set of targeted measures, which will include upgrades to the interview programme, restricting access to eVisa to help prevent fraud and removing access to eVisa to some immigration agencies.
The number of student visa applications from overseas students wanting to move to Australia to study increased by 20% to 362,193 in 2008-2009, says Evans. However, he says the immigration department is already cracking down, with 28,000 visa applications refused last year, up 68% on the year before.
Evans says that the problem is still limited to a small element of agencies, stating, 'while overall student visa compliance rates remain high, there are elements of concern within this large caseload.”
He added that the new restrictions on visa agencies were in line with those used in countries such as the US where many students wish to study.
Evans says the country still welcomes students who wish to genuinely study in Australia. He says, “Australia's student visa program supports the entry of genuine international students. For those students, the department provides a convenient, efficient service.”
See the latest Immigration News
