The Government recently announced that it will introduce a more simplified process for Student Visas, to come into effect on 1 July 2016.
This is welcome news given the foreign student industry as (in 2007) Australia’s 3rd biggest industry (behind agriculture and mining!).
That industry has been contracting steadily since – and it is welcome news that the government is protecting this crucial sector to our economy.
The new process will replace both the Streamlined Visa Processing arrangements and the current Assessment Level Framework and will apply to all international students.
The changes will mean:
- A reduction in the number of student visa subclasses from eight to two; and
- The introduction of a simplified single immigration risk framework for all international students.
The new framework will lay out a student’s financial and English language evidentiary requirements based on the immigration profile of the student’s country of citizenship and of their education provider.
We welcome this change, as it means that 15 per cent more international students may have access to reduced evidentiary requirements compared with the current framework.
If you want to know more about the current framework, please visit our Student Visas page.