Major Overhaul of Australian Immigration in Store: International Students to Get Easier Pathways to PR!

A major new overhaul of the immigration system is on the cards, and international students will soon be able to settle permanently in Australia more easily.

A new Albanese government rule change means that the Labor Government will drop a rule which automatically blocked people from studying in Australia if they said they wanted to move here permanently.

Introducing the 'Genuine Student Test':

This adjustment, outlined in a strategy unveiled in December, introduces the 'genuine student test' to more effectively screen foreign students. The aim is to distinguish those genuinely coming to study from those using education as a means to work in the country.

On the positive side, the relaxed restrictions are intended to attract authentic students aspiring to build their careers in Australia. The government will have discretion to allow individuals to stay based on in-demand skills.

Labor's Migration Plan Unveiled:

In the middle of December 2023, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil revealed Labor's migration plan to reduce overseas migration to about 250,000 by 2025. This involved ways to strengthen its integrity measures, including a stronger English language test and the need for internationals to prove they are genuine students before they enter Australia.

These new parameters are set to be implemented in early 2024. By March, the rule automatically barring international students with intentions to stay and work will be lifted.

Critique of Labor’s Immigration Policy:

Shadow minister for immigration and citizenship Dan Tehan said that Labor's immigration policy, as part of its "Big Australia" plan, was making Australians put up with severe housing shortages and rent-hikes.

Population growth has also played a role in creating a cost-of-living crisis. Mr Tehan said the government issued a record 577,295 student visas last financial year which "helped drive" annual migration to a record 518,000 people.

Call for Transparency:

Abul Rizvi, the ex-deputy secretary for the Department of Immigration, mentioned that the existing rule seems unnecessary. He argued that the current system places the responsibility on Home Affairs staff to determine an applicant's true intentions and whether they are being truthful or not.

According to him, the government should take it a step further and explicitly state that one of the main goals of the international student program is to attract and recruit individuals who could become future Australians. In his opinion, being more transparent about this objective would be a positive step.

Impact on Visa Application Trends:

Data from the Department of Home Affairs shows that after the Jobs and Skills summit in September 2022, in which the government announced an increase in permanent migration visas from 160,000 to 195,000, the number of student visa applications granted rose from approximately 30,000 to 95,000 from October to December.

Recent data now shows student visas are being refused at unprecedented levels. It appears that one in five applications were denied during the second half of 2023 as Labor aimed to ease economic pressures and to stop the systemic duplicity within the education system.

Government sources reported the weekly approval rate of student visas in January were down 30 to 40 per cent from last year.

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