balkanghost

"Australia should offer international students qualifications that are useful in their home countries rather than giving them false hope they will be able to get permanent residency, a new report warns.

Monash University demographer Bob Birrell says the vocational education industry is set to "implode" because recent changes to visa regulations mean many international students can no longer qualify as skilled migrants."

I would take this with a grain of salt.....Dr Birrell is a bit of a fear mongerer who does not seem to like migration, even if without, Australia would have ageing population, shrinking work force and tax base.....

Better news:

Inquiry into the Welfare of International Students On 17 June 2009 in the Australian Parliament the Senate referred matters to the Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee for inquiry and report. with very broad terms of reference.

esperanza

I read an article last week that said it was very easy for foreign 'students' to essentially buy visas, although they are being totally ripped off & abused by the 'colleges' that have sprung up all over to make a quick buck out of the legislative loopholes.
If the system is being changed to limit the way PR visas can be doled out to anyone who pays to take a 'course' then that can only be a good thing, IMO.

Kingseat

But it is not just as simple as taking a course! Yes you need to do your course but you also have a huge number of restrictions within your visa. There is also the cost, the health care, the working restrictions and the work experience you must gain as well as passing the course and TRA or equivalent. After your 2 years of study you still need to hope that the course you have studied and the qualifications gained will in some way still be on the skills shortgage list.

We're about to undetake all of this just so we can be with our family in Australia. Don't slam us for wanting to be together!

Going down the student route is possibly the most difficult way of gaining PR.

esperanza

Not 'slamming' anyone, only the system which allows so much abuse of people desperate for visas - having to work hundreds of hours of unpaid 'work experience' in sometimes substandard conditions, at great expense & often with little support. Which may not be the rule, but certainly happens, and reflects badly on the whole industry. Absolutely am not criticising the individuals who use that to get visas, but think there needs to be a whole lot more regulation to ensure genuine applicants get through and it isn't used simply as a visa-route which is exploited by unscrupulous 'providers'.