After Canada, Now Australia Announces Stricter Visa Rules For Students, Workers To Halve Migrant Intake
During a press briefing, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said, "Our strategy will bring migration numbers back to normal."
New Delhi: Australia on Monday announced plans to tighten visa regulations for international students and low-skilled workers, potentially reducing its migrant intake by half over the next two years. The government aims to revamp what it describes as a "broken" migration system. This comes just days after Canada tightened its postgraduate work permit visa requirement by increasing the financial requirement for international students.
Under the new policies, international students would need to secure higher ratings on English tests and there would be more scrutiny on a student's second visa application that would prolong their stay, reported news agency Reuters.
During a press briefing, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said, "Our strategy will bring migration numbers back to normal."
"But it's not just about numbers. It's not just about this moment and the experience of migration our country is having at this time. This is about Australia's future," she added.
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia's migration numbers needed to be wound back to a "sustainable level," adding that "the system is broken," according to the report.
O'Neil said the government's targeted reforms were already putting downward pressure on net overseas migration and will further contribute to an expected decline in migrant numbers.
The decision comes after net immigration was expected to have peaked at a record 510,000 in 2022-23. Official data showed it was forecast to fall to about a quarter of a million in 2024-25 and 2025-26, roughly in line with pre-COVID levels.
O'Neil said the increase in net overseas migration in 2022-23 was mostly driven by international students, reported Reuters.
Australia boosted its annual migration numbers last year to help businesses recruit staff to fill shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic brought strict border controls, and kept foreign students and workers out for nearly two years.
But the sudden influx of foreign workers and students has exacerbated pressure on an already tight rental market, with homelessness on the rise in the country, according to Reuters.
Long reliant on immigration to supply what is now one of the tightest labour markets in the world, Australia's Labor government has pushed to speed up the entry of highly skilled workers and smooth their path to permanent residency.
As per the report, a new specialist visa for highly skilled workers will be set up with the processing time set at one week, helping businesses recruit top migrants amid tough competition with other developed economies.
Canada Tightens Post-Graduate Work Permit Visa Requirements
Last week, Canada's Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced an increase in the financial requirement for international students applying for study permits. He also warned the provinces and educational institutions that it will "significantly limit visas" in case appropriate actions are not taken before the upcoming fall term, reported Live Mint.
"There are, in provinces, the diploma equivalent of puppy mills that are just churning out diplomas, and this is not a legitimate student experience," he was quoted as saying by Live Mint.
After the announcement, Indian Express reported, that a signature campaign seeking an extension of postgraduate work permit (PGWP) has gained strength in Canada. The campaign began in May but has become news now after the recent announcements.
The petitioners have sought a five-year work permit for those who enrolled for a two-year study programme and a two-year work permit for those who registered for a one-year programme, the report added.
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