Australia plans to scale back its immigration level through a ‘once-in-a-generation’ overhaul to return it to a sustainable level. Australia needs a migration system that enables her to get the skills she needs and works in the interest of Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Saturday told reporters in Sydney.
The government planned to announce new changes in the Australian migration system as the current system is called ‘badly broken’. The government is also planning to crack down on the abuse of student visas. “People are coming here, enrolling in courses that don’t really add substantially to either their skills base or to the national interest here,” The Guardian quoted the prime minister. Further, he said the media is in the interest of Australia and its neighbours to have a crackdown.
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Earlier this year, Labor’s lead government announced changes in the migration program, overhauling it to serve the Australian economy better.
Student Visa Refusal on Rise
Refuals rate on Australian student visas is already on the rise as per Department of Home Affairs data. Student visa applicants from high-growth countries like Nepal are getting more refusal rates. Fraudulent documentation and suspected motivation to work rather than study are two primary factors immigration officials detect on applications. According to the department data, in the four months till October, the student visa refusal rate was 20.4 percent, and 14.3 percent in the last financial year.
The government plans to give new pathways for highly skilled workers for permanent residency visas—and more rigid rules to send out temporary visa holders that Australians do not need.
