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Australia June 15, 2011 – As a drop was being noticed in the enrolments of international students, a call for student visa flexibility arises.

According to the Australian federal government, its data show a declining trend in the enrolment of international students despite enrolments at university levels recording a small increase.

Data show a drop of 20 percent on April 2010 in enrolments in vocational courses and a 21 percent drop in the English language field.

Weakest areas for enrolments were seen in vocational courses like hospitality and hairdressing where Australian student visa changes have hit the hardest.

The recent negative trend has forced the Council of International Students to appeal to the government to ease Australia student visa requirements.

In 2009-10, the international student sector was valued at $19 billion to the Australian economy.

Cause of the Decline

Strict Australia visa requirements, high Australian dollar as well as security concerns following a wave of attacks of international students in Australia forced the educational institutions to appeal.

The Appeal

The Council of International Students has appealed to the government to:

• lift the cap on the number of hours students are allowed to work

• relaxation of the 20-hour maximum allowable work hours

• reduction in the Australia visa cost and the financial requirements needed to qualify

• increase the length of a students’ visa to one-and-a-half times the minimum course duration so that they would be able to enroll in a three-year degree and would be given four-and-a-half years to complete their studies

Likewise, the International Education Association of Australia, which represents education providers, and other industry bodies have also appealed for greater flexibility, lesser fees, and speeding up of visa application processing times.

According to Dennis Murray, director of the International Education Association of Australia, the federal government must take action now in order to offset the negative public perceptions of international students that has hurt Australia’s international reputation.

source:
Theage.com.au