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Australia November 23, 2010 – The trial biometric checks of the Immigration Department of Australia will be including foreign students in an effort to eliminate the possibilities of terrorists entering the country.

Last week, the Australian Immigration Department has confirmed that they would extend the biometrics from the detainees and asylum-seekers to the majority of the offshore visa applications and this will include student visas. It was guaranteed that the said move will be handled with utmost sensitivity so as to avoid having negative attitude towards Australia as a study destination.

The said process was defined by the Immigration Department to be a non-intrusive examination which will capture a digital facial image as well as a 10-digit fingerprint scan. The move to use the biometric scans will follow a receipt of a confidential risk assessment which will be provided by to the Immigration Department of Australia’s student visa program. There were concerns raised regarding the higher rate of identity fraud that were found in higher and vocational education visas.

Robert Atcheson of the Council of International Students Australia stated that there should be clear rules that will protect the privacy of the individual.

The executive director of the International Education Association of Australia stated that biometric scanning is an increasingly important tool to battle identity crime and that those who are potential students are also part of the said picture. However, it is also important that the test should be handled with sensitively at overseas posts in order to avoid reinforcing the already unfortunate perception that Australia does not welcome international students, the executive director added.

The biometric data is set to begin in the next seven weeks at selected locations. There will be announcement that will be made as they are rolled out. There will be a trial and the first stage is to be applied at two undisclosed locations with future plans of extending across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, having the procedures currently done in the US, Britain, Japan, and other parts of the Middle East.

source:
migrationexpert