Vocational Students Find It Harder To Get Into Australia

For those studying in Australia, migration is often the next thing that comes into their minds. And this one is not surprising, what with all the opportunities that await them in the country. Thus, a lot of people would want to be given the chance to enroll in the schools here.

However, many of those aspiring students might soon find that chance as being harder and harder to get. As it is, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) have begun to institute changes in the student migration program. And according to department officials, there are still a lot more changes that are planned for the program.

One of the biggest that the DIAC made has been the exclusion of more than a hundred vocational level courses, such as hairdressing and cooking, from the student migration program. This is in accordance with the release of the new Skilled Occupation List for the general skilled migration program last July 1, which had also removed these positions.

It should be noted that, under the old system, these vocational courses have allowed foreign students to easily gain permanent residency status after the completion of their studies. However, immigration official noted that this soon became a common backdoor used by a lot of foreign students to live in the country despite lacking proper work qualifications.

And with the former Rudd government's thrust of getting more highly skilled professionals into the country, the DIAC took attention of the matter and instituted the changes that are currently in the student immigration program. Along with the above mentioned removal of low level positions, the department also drafted higher requirements for student migration applicants, including greater English proficiency. The latter was done to ensure that all incoming workers will have sufficient communication skills for the workplace.

However, while these have been removed from the skilled migration list, department officials said that vocational students wishing to move into the country may still be able to do so. This is provided that there is a demand for their work and that they will be able to find a company that will sponsor their immigration. They have also added that those permanent residency application lodged up until April last year will be exempted and will be processed according to the old regulations.

On the other hand, DIAC officials also clarified the misconception that these changes cover all foreign vocational students. They explained that the rules apply only to students seeking permanent residency after graduation. Foreigners who are on the country only for study purposes are likewise exempted from these changes.