Australian immigration has cancelled the visas of international students who are enrolled in more than one course. Since May, at least 21 students have had their visas cancelled, some of which were linked to concurrent study and course switching.
A migration agent mentioned a student who switched from a bachelor’s degree “to a package of trade courses” in a Facebook post. According to the agent, the student’s visa was suspended for enrolling in a lower-level course, but this decision was successfully challenged.
In Australia, the practise of students switching to cheaper providers continues for years, and students frequently enrol in multiple courses under concurrent study rules. In recent months, this has come under increased scrutiny as institutions claim that unrestricted work hours have led to an increase in the number of students doing so.
Moreover, the issue has been discussed multiple times in recent inquiries, including those into the international education sector. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, point out that in March 2022, a leaked memo noted that concurrent rules were “misused”.
The government was aware of the issue for years, but no action was taken, as per Ravi Lochan Singh, Director of Global Reach. The Association of Australian Education Representatives in India provided a petition to Australia’s Home Affairs Minister last week, stating its demand that the government link student visas to institutions.
There is a growth in fraud, and even the brand of international education is affected in Australia. In the long term, the government will likely ban commissions for the onshore recruitment of students, as per AAERI. Federation University and Western Sydney University are the universities to reveal that they will no longer take students from places like Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat.
