Australia unveils stricter visa rules for students and workers. Will it hurt Indians?

Australia is tightening its visa rules to fix what it calls a “broken system.” The new rules, which will affect students and workers, could see its migrant intake cut by half. But what do we know about these new rules? And will it have an impact on Indians? Let’s take a closer look: What do we know about the new rules? The changes were unveiled on Monday by home affairs minister Clare O’Neil. BBC quoted O’Neil as saying that the previous regime had left the system “in tatters”. The development comes after an evaluation of the immigration system earlier this year discovered it was “badly broken” and required “major reform.”

The new policies will require international students to get higher rankings on English tests.

As per The Print, a student seeking a graduate visa will need to achieve a 6.5 on the International English Language Tests System. Students earlier needed 6.0. Meanwhile, those applying for a student visa will need to get 6.0 – they earlier needed 5.5. A student’s second visa application to prolong his or her stay would also undergo more scrutiny. Students will have to demonstrate that studying further down under would give a boost to their academic ambitions or their careers. As per The Guardian, the home affairs department said it will ensure “that all international students are genuinely in Australia to study, including by tightening requirements and by strengthening the quality assurance of education providers”. Australia has around 650,000 foreign students – many of whom are on theirs second visa, as per the outlet, as per BBC**.** As per Scroll, Australia will also reduce the duration of graduate visas – which currently let students remain in the country for eight years. O’Neil called this “the longest in the world” and said the government was trying to stop students from becoming “permanently temporary”. [caption id=“attachment_13350752” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the weekend said Australia’s migration numbers needed to be wound back to a ‘sustainable level’. AP[/caption] The points system for permanent migration will also be changed to favour those who would better impact Australia. The country is also making it easier for “specialists” or “essential workers” – like those in the tech sector or healthcare – to get permanent residency. As per The Print, the visa applications of those earning at least $135,000 will be fast-tracked. The Guardian quoted O’Neil as saying that “all temporary skilled workers will have a pathway to permanent residency.” She said the policies will bring to Australia more of the type of labour it needs. It will also reduce the chances of exploitation for those who live, work and study in the country, as per BBC. Why is Australia doing this? Australia, like many other countries in the West, is struggling with immigration. 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.

“Our strategy will bring migration numbers back to normal,” O’Neil said during a media briefing.

“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.” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the weekend said Australia’s migration numbers needed to be wound back to a “sustainable level,” adding that “the system is broken.” “What we need to do is to make sure that we identify the skills we need, identify the regions where we need additional workforce, and tailor our migration system so that it benefits those people who come to Australia, but more importantly as well, so that it benefits our national interests,” Albanese said as per The Guardian. 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. Shares of IDP Education (IEL.AX), which provides placement and education services to international students, were down more than three per cent in afternoon trade. 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. [caption id=“attachment_13200722” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Australia is a favoured destination for Indian students. PTI[/caption] 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. A survey done for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Monday said 62 per cent of Australian voters said the country’s migration intake was too high. But BBC quoted the Business Council of Australia as saying migrants are a convenient scapegoat for successive governments not investing in affordable housing. 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. 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. The Opposition has accused the government of acting far too slowly. ‘The horse has bolted when it comes to migration and the government not only cannot catch it but cannot find it,” Opposition migration spokesman Dan Tehan was quoted as saying by BBC. Will it hurt Indians? Australia is a favoured destination for Indian students looking to give their careers a leg up. The Print quoted data from the Australian High Commission as saying that 95,791 Indian students were studying in Australia in the January-April 2023 period. The Hindu quoted sources as saying that the new rules will not impact Indian graduate students – thanks to the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA).

The ECTA was signed in April 2022 and came into force in December 2022.

“Commitments agreed between India and Australia under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) will be upheld under the new Migration Strategy. This means that Indian graduates will continue to be eligible to stay on a Temporary Graduate Visa for two years for a bachelor degree, three years for the completion of a Master’s Degree and four years for a completion of a PhD,” a source was quoted as saying. As per the outlet, Australia had as part of ECTA allowed students to say in the country for up to 18 months after finishing their diploma or trade qualifications. Australia similarly allowed students to stay for two and three years after finishing their Bachelor’s Degrees and Master’s Degrees. Those holding doctorates, meanwhile, are allowed to stay for at up to four years. Sources said these assurances would remain though “more rigorous scrutiny” of seemingly spurious cases is expected. “The Government will continue to welcome high-quality students seeking out educational opportunities in Australia. I see no reason why Indian student numbers shouldn’t continue to grow,” the source added. The Print quoted Australia’s High Commissioner to India Philip Green as confirming as much. “Commitments agreed between India and Australia under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) will be upheld under the new migration strategy,” Green said. “This means that Indian graduates will continue to be eligible to stay on a temporary graduate visa for two years for a Bachelor’s Degree, three years for the completion of a Master’s Degree and four years for completion of a PhD,” he added. With inputs from agencies