List of Recent Changes in Australian Student Visa

Australian immigration policy frequently undergoes some changes in order to meet immigrants’ needs, as well as to balance the migration rate in the country. Whether it is work permit visa, permanent residency visa or student visa for Australia, changes are introduced in each visa stream from time to time. 

The student visa stream has gone through some major changes in recent years. Therefore, international students with the dream of studying in Australia should keep themselves updatedon these changes in order to avoid unnecessary delays in their visa processing, as well as to have a comfortable stay in the country.

Here are a few major changes that the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) has introduced in student visa stream in recent years. 

 

Work Permit for Graduates

Since February 2013, overseas students pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from an Australian university can work in Australia for four years after their graduation. These new reforms were added to the Temporary Skilled Graduate visa (subclass 485).

English Language Proficiency Tests

Apart from EILTS, you can also present your PTE (Pearson Test of English), CAE (Cambridge Advance English test), and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores to prove your English language proficiency. This reform was introduced in November 2011.

Visa Extension for PhD Students

Overseas students pursuing their doctoral degree in Australia are granted extension on their visa (Postgraduate Research Sector visa, subclass 574) until their research work is completed. 

Pre-Visa Assessment for Graduate Students

Students applying for Australian student visas for higher education (Bachelor’s degree or higher) are no longer required to go through Pre-Visa Assessments of level 3 and 4. 

Visa Costs

If you are sponsored for an Australian student visa under Common Wealth Program, then you are not required to submit the visa fee. In addition, since January 2012 visa cost for student visas has been lowered by 5%. 

Streamlined Visa Processing for Degree-Level Students

Student visas for higher education in Australia are processed under the streamlined visa processing arrangements since March 2012. The streamlined visa processing provides more flexible work rights to overseas students, since they are considered to be at lower immigration risk.

Students qualifying for streamlined visa processing can work up to 40 hours a fortnight instead of 20 hours a week. In addition, students pursuing Doctoral degree or Master’sin research are now allowed to work full-time after they have commenced their courses. Previously it was 20 hours a week for them too. 

To keep updated on the amendments made in Australia immigration policy you can take assistance of a certified immigration lawyer or check it on DIBP website. However, checking and understanding these updates on the website can be a daunting task for applicants, therefore, opting for an immigration consultant is usually preferred. However, you must ensure that the immigration consultant is approved by Australian government and has all the necessary credentials.

What Makes Australia a Popular Immigration Destination

People usually migrate to a foreign country in order to lead a better life, whether it is through education or job. Today there are many countries that offer world-class education and have robust job markets. But not all are popular among the people who want to migrate to a foreign country.

On the other hand, Australia has continued to give enough reasons to overseas workers and students to migrate, and build their career here. Australia has high employment rate and is considered as a land of opportunities. Unlike other job and education destinations, Australia is not overcrowded, and allows migrants to live here freely and safely. In addition, Australia is an open society and its citizens, who are from different ethnic backgrounds, are quite friendly with the immigrants.

To top it all, Australia has a friendly immigration policy, and the Government encourages foreign nationals to come to Australia. Whether it is education, work and business, tourism, or permanent residency, Australia offers a number of visas under each stream, which makes each visa more targeted, and customized in accordance to applicants’ needs. In fact, Australia offers most number of visas in the world. In addition, understanding visa norms for any kind of Australian visa is much simpler in comparison to other countries

Let’s go through a few factors that make Australia a popular destination among foreign nationals.

Quality of Life
Australia has high standard of living and a relaxed lifestyle. Despite being a robust economy, people are able to maintain a healthy work –life balance. In comparison to European and American countries, the crime rate too is quite low in Australia. In addition, due its vastness, its inhabitants can experience different climate in its different states.

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Job Opportunities
Australia is big country with plenty of job opportunities for its native people, as well as for immigrants. Apart from skilled workers, permanent residents and businesspersons, it also allows tourists and overseas students to work in Australia.

World Class Education
From primary education to doctorate degrees, Australia offers multiple short-term training and long-term study visas. Many of Australia’s major universities are listed among world’s top universities, which give overseas students an extra reason to build their career here.

Health Care System
With high quality living and free medical facilities for public, the Health Care System of Australia is considered one of the best Medicare systems in the world. Since visa holders under various streams toohave access to these medical facilities, it makes their life much easier, once they migrate to Australia.
Multicultural Society

People of different ethnic backgrounds live in Australia. According to stats, during last 50 years people from over 200 countries have migrated to Australia, and currently one-fourth of Australia’s total population comprises of people who were born outside Australia. These stats clearly support the fact that Australia is a multicultural society and has a welcoming immigration policy.
All these factors undoubtedly make Australia a top immigration destination.