Australia has implemented several changes to its visa policies and introduced new migration reforms as the year reaches its halfway mark.
The new policies, which the Australian government announced to begin July 1, 2024, see increases in visa fees, reductions in visa durations, and introduction of stricter regulations for defaulters, as part of the government’s effort to “restoring integrity in the international education sector.”
Changes in student visa fees
“As of 1 July 2024, the fee for international student visas will increase from $710 to $1,600,” the Albanese-led government announced.
The increase, which it says reflects the increasing value of education in Australia, is expected to fund some government initiatives including a fairer Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS), paid prac, which offers nursing, teaching and social work students support while they’re undertaking mandatory placements and FEE-Free Uni Ready courses, as recommended by the Universities Accord, financial support for apprentices and their employers to improve Vocational Education and the Training sector, and the ongoing implementation of the Migration Strategy.
Between January to March 2024, there were 687,840 international students in Australia, 2,575 of whom were Nigerians, according to its Department of Education, a change of 21 per cent compared to the same period last year.
“Australia has a world-class education sector, one that draws international students from around the globe – so we need to make sure all students are getting the quality of education they pay for,” said Brendan O’Connor, the Australian Minister for Skills and Training.
Further changes
In addition to this price increase, the Australian government has increased the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) from $70,000 to $73,150 based on annual indexation. This is the second increase under the Albanese-led government after it was frozen for a decade at $53,900.
“We’re getting on with the job of delivering higher wages for skilled migrants and Australians after a decade of the former Liberal Government deliberately keeping wages low,” affirmed Andrew Giles, minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs.
The government has also shortened the duration of the Temporary Graduate Visas and reduced the age eligibility.
“Reform was essential, after a decade of neglect under the former government,” added Clare O’Neil, minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security.
To end “visa hopping,” the country says it has closed the loopholes that allow students and other temporary visa holders to continuously extend their stay in Australia, in some cases indefinitely.
The country is also extending the duration temporary skilled migrants can remain in Australia between employer sponsors from 60 days to 180 days as an effort to enhance “mobility for temporary skilled migrants to reduce exploitation and drive productivity”
Crackdown on worker exploitation
For many years, reports of exploitation of migrant workers have been a prevalent issue in Australia’s labour market.
Australia is estimated to have 41,000 people trapped in modern slavery, subjected to coercion, deception and violence. Workers’ rights are threatened with grooming, wage theft and restriction of movement.
To fight back against this, the government has implemented the Strengthening Employer Compliance Bill 2023 to provide new criminal measures against employers engaging in the exploitation of migrants and introduced the Workplace Justice Visa Pilot to enable temporary visa holders to remain in Australia for a short period when pursuing workplace justice.
“We are continuing our work to weed out the unscrupulous providers who are looking to take advantage of international students. Most providers do the right thing and are in the business of education and training for the right reasons. They will benefit from the removal of non-genuine actors, who undermine integrity and trust in VET,” O’Connor said.
“Our reforms will help vulnerable workers speak up, while we crack down on employers doing the wrong thing,” added Giles.
Some of the members of parliament critic the handling of the migration issues by the former Liberal-National Party Coalition government led by Scott Morrison as responsible for its dysfunction.
“When we came to government we inherited a migration system that was broken and dysfunctional, and an international education system which was being compromised by rorts and exploitation,” said O’Neil. “This sector has the power to drive growth and opportunity for our country, but to get there, we’ve got to work with quality providers to clean it up.”
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