Australia implements tougher new rules for study visas with effect from this week, Australia is taking firm action to tighten visa requirements for international students in response to the rapidly increasing number of migrants that is placing pressure on the nation’s rental market.
Official documents indicate that the government has increased the English language criteria for graduate and student visas due to the spike in immigration levels. In addition, authorities would have more power to suspend educational institutions that break rules pertaining to the admission of international students.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil, emphasized that these steps are essential to reducing migration numbers and fixing flaws in the current system. The adoption of a “genuine student test,” which is a key element of the new laws, is intended to discourage people who are solely looking for work possibilities in Australia. In order to prevent extended stays, visiting visas will also be subject to stricter “no further stay” requirements.
The government started rolling back COVID-19 privileges last year, like unrestricted work hours for foreign students, with the goal of cutting the number of immigrants admitted by half over the course of two years.
The increase in migration, which resulted from looser border controls after the epidemic, has put pressure on the rental market and made the already acute housing crisis worse.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics released data that showed a startling 60% increase in net immigration, surpassing prior year’s records and reaching a record of 548,800 people in the year ending September 30, 2023.
This migration wave, primarily composed of students from China, India, and the Philippines, has increased the labor pool, which has eased wage pressures but made housing shortages worse.
Following government actions, Minister O’Neil noted a drop in migration levels, with the recent issuance of international student visas falling by 35% from the previous year. These regulation changes are intended to reduce strain on Australia’s housing and labor markets while achieving a balance in migration numbers.