The Australian government has tightened its immigration rules for study visas. Due to the Australian government’s action since September, international student visa grants are down by 35%. In an announcement that dates to March 21, the government said it will deliver on key commitments from December’s migration strategy. Furthermore, new changes will be introduced on March 23, including the introduction of higher language requirements for visas.
It says that changes were required due to ‘pandemic-era concessions’, which were inherited from the former government led by Scott Morrison. Among the actions are the closing of unrestricted working hours for international students. Moreover, the English language requirements for student visas will rise from IELTS 5.5 to 6.0 and for graduate visas from IELTS 6.0 to 6.5. These changes are made to reduce workplace exploitation and improve the student experience.
New powers under Section 97 of the ESOS Act will also come into force on March 23. This will allow authorities to suspend high-risk education providers from recruiting international students. According to the government, the highest-risk providers will be issued warning notices and given six months to get their act together.
Furthermore, a new genuine student test has been introduced by the government for all international students. This test will replace the existing GTE requirement. Also, high-risk student applications will be scrutinized.
Not only this, the government has increased the fund requirement to study in the country. International students are required to show evidence of $24,505 in savings to meet the criteria. The official notification stated, “The GS requirement focuses on the assessment of the student’s genuine intention to study in Australia, having regard to a number of factors, including the applicant’s circumstances, evidence of course progression, immigration history, compliance with visa conditions, and other relevant matters.”
