Australian residency to become difficult for foreign students

Australia, 11th April: Australian permanent residency will now become difficult for overseas students.

This will be the result of new limits on the number of foreigners to be admitted under independent skilled migration in a particular occupation to become effective this July.

Australia’s new ‘occupation ceilings’ –Australia has announced its plans to limit the annual intake under independent skilled migration category in a given occupation. And such ceilings will have a direct impact on the international students wanting to choose any course for gaining Australian permanent residency after successful graduation, stated Dr. Bob Birrell of Monash University.

According to Dr. Birrell, Australian immigration department will be selecting the best and the brightest candidates on the basis of points test. And the points test gives emphasis to high-level of education qualification, proficiency in English language and work experience.

Impact on overseas students wanting to gain Australian PR--New Australia’s independent skilled migration category is a favored immigration route for foreign students. But, new skilled migration rules of introducing new occupation ceilings will lower the confidence of overseas students wanting to select any particular course.

That’s because if any particular course is included in the official SOL (skilled occupation list), it would still be liable to a movable ceiling, Dr. Birrell clarified. And there will be no guarantee whether the overseas student applying for a particular course will be granted a place or not, he maintained.

Prior to changes in Australia independent skilled migration category, overseas students could get look forward to gaining Australian permanent residency by applying for cheap courses. They just needed to apply for skilled immigration to get a bridging visa.

A large number of foreign students got Australian visas for studying hairdressing, cookery and accountancy along with a route for Australian permanent residency.

Meanwhile, Australian immigration department-DIAC (Department of Citizenship and Immigration), has refuted any impact of ceilings on student choice.

Aim of new Australia skilled migration rules is to limit occupational distribution of Australian visas under the skilled stream to a limited range of occupations, an official spokesperson of the DIAC affirmed.

From 1st July, 2012, overseas students will be subject to SkillSelect system for coming to Australia under skilled migration category.