India has made an impassioned plea to Australia over fears that Indian students going to study in Australia will be hit hard by new Australian immigration rules.
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi has travelled to Australia on a five day tour of the country in which he met the Senator for Australian immigration and Citizenship, Chris Evans as well as Simon Crean, Minister for Trade; Stephen Smith, Foreign Minister and Martin Ferguson, Minister for Resources and Energy and Tourism.
Minister Ravi has pleaded with the DIAC for transitional arrangements to be made for Indian students studying in Australia so that they will not be hit too hard by the changes in Australian immigration rules.
The changes most likely to affect Indian students are the removal of occupations such as hairdressing, catering and community welfare from the new Skilled Occupation List which will be fully implemented on the 1st of July. These occupations were popular with students who hoped that their studies would open a gateway to a new life in Australia.
Many students who have already chosen and paid for their study courses would be affected by the new changes this year and so Mr Ravi is trying to ensure that the DIAC come up with transitional arrangements to cover those students who had applied for study under the old immigration rules.
The DIAC have also made changes that benefit overseas students such as a crackdown on fraudulent colleges which would charge extortionate fees for courses that did not exist or make false promises about permanent residency visas.
The new SOL is part of a series of changes designed to streamline the Australian visa process and ensure that the Australian labour market is supplied with skilled workers that will fill relevant shortages. However visa applicants and some large businesses in Australia have criticised the DIAC’s plans, calling them too harsh and accusing the DIAC of constantly moving the goalposts.
What do you think of the visa changes? Are you a student in Australia who will be affected by the new SOL? Let us know your comments or join in the debates in our online community.
Source:http://www.embraceaustralia.com/india-warns-australia-over-immigration-changes-7253.htm
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