Title: "Studying in Australia: Once a Paradise, Now Stormy".
Recently, the sharp adjustment of Australia's ** study abroad policy has attracted widespread attention. Australia, once known as a paradise for studying abroad, has now become bumpy and tortuous, and international students are facing unprecedented challenges. **The urgent announcement of a reduction in the number of overseas immigrants has led to a significant increase in the visa refusal rate for international students, and the application time has continued to be extended.
Australia's prime minister has announced a one-third cut in overseas migration in response to pre-pandemic pressures. This has led to a major overhaul of immigration policy, with the Home Office asking visa officers to prioritise student visa applications from universities with a good track record and putting student visa applications from problematic institutions on hold.
*This initiative has a direct impact on the Australian student community. The refusal rate of student visas skyrocketed last year, as high as 940,000 applicants were rejected, including Chinese students. This wave has affected inbound travel visas, especially for Chinese applicants, with a rejection rate of 30% to 50%.
Home Secretary O'Neill said that Australia cannot afford a significant increase in immigration, so international students have become the focus of regulation. ** Not only will the number of international students be controlled, but it is also planned to limit the work rights of international students who have completed their studies. This means that low-end short courses outside of universities may also no longer make international students eligible for visas. At the same time, it has also strengthened the English proficiency requirements for overseas students and cracked down on agents who use student visas to help them find work after arriving in Australia.
As a direct result of this policy change, the refusal rate of student visas will soar and the net number of immigrants will fall. In September this year, more than 35% of student visa applications were denied, a significant increase from 6% at the beginning of the year and 15% in the middle of the year. In the future, the rejection rate of Chinese students going to Australia will increase significantly, and student visas will not only be difficult to apply, but also more stringent.
Australia's reform has caused widespread controversy. Some argue that more attention should be paid to other countries, such as Africa, rather than overly restrictive controls on international students. Some experts say that Africa is a place that Australia should develop, because it is a place where young and middle-aged people bomb it. However, this has also caused some controversy, as most of the countries in Africa are in relatively poor economic condition, students are expensive to study abroad, and opportunities to study abroad are relatively limited.
In general, the change in Australia's study abroad policy has brought great uncertainty to international students. What was once a study paradise has become difficult, getting a student visa has become more difficult, and the chances of staying in Australia after graduation have been greatly reduced. This policy change is undoubtedly a huge challenge for those who plan to study and live in Australia. In the future, whether international students choose Australia and whether they will further adjust the policy will be a topic of great concern.