NDIAN education agents have reacted with horror to news that a Tony Abbott-led government would further tighten restrictions on student visas, warning that such a move would reverse important but fragile new links between the two countries.
Student visa applications from India, Australia's second-largest student market behind China, have already dropped dramatically in recent months and several agents The Australian spoke to yesterday were concerned the immigration debate could further damage the industry.
They quoted declines of up to 85 per cent this year since the Labor government moved to close loopholes that encouraged low-skilled migrants to enrol in bogus or poor-quality vocational training courses in order to secure permanent residency.
Education agent Sonya Singh said Mr Abbott's proposal to further reduce Australia's annual immigration uptake by cracking down on family reunion and student visa applicants would harm not only education links, but also hurt tourism and future business relationships.
The development came as Australian universities warned against "fortress Australia" immigration policies emerging out of the election campaign which could damage the sector. The $18 billion export industry is Australia's fourth-largest export market.
Senior education executives in China warned that applications for October enrolments in Australia were down more than 30 per cent, and applications could fall as much as 50 per cent for the February intake.
China is Australia single biggest source of foreign students, accounting for over a quarter of the market, and agents there are largely blaming the falls on the Labor government's tighter visa and immigration policies as well as higher tuition fees, increased competition and a relatively high Australian dollar. "Limiting the numbers of international student numbers who study at our universities isn't a solution to a perceived problem with migration," peak body Universities Australia warned.
Mr Abbott has singled out tightening up on student visas as part of his policy to cut immigration numbers.
Universities are braced for a 10 per cent drop in international student commencements in the second semester and a further 10 per cent fall next year.
Across all international education, including vocational and English-language colleges and schools, offshore grants of student visas fell 30 per cent in 2009-10, a drop of almost 70,000.
India accounted for more than half the drop, partly reflecting tougher scrutiny on visas after cases of fraud.The downturn has been focused in the previously overheated vocational sector, where rorts were concentrated, and in English colleges. Higher education commencements were up almost 8 per cent but numbers are expected to fall.
Education Minister Simon Crean defended the changes as focusing education exports on quality rather than numbers.
"I make no apology for the measures the federal government introduced to safeguard the quality of the Australian education brand," Mr Crean said.
The government has tightened regulation on visas and narrowed the list of occupations given priority for permanent residency.
The sector has backed the intent of the changes that are aimed at cracking down on fraud and student exploitation, but it complains unnecessary damage is being done by the changes being rushed and being too blunt.
In a letter last month to then deputy prime minister Julia Gillard, language college association English Australia complained the government appeared to be either "unaware" of the looming crisis or was treating it in a "cavalier manner".
Universities Australia called for a "balanced" migration policy and not "fortress Australia", noting that educating international students was separate from immigration.
Monash University vice-chancellor Ed Byrne said Australia's reputation was potentially being put at risk by election rhetoric and it was important to retain a link between immigration and opportunities to live and work in the country.
Additional reporting: Michael Sainsbury, Guy Healy
Source:http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/student-cutback-threat-to-india-ties/story-fn59niix-1225897751807
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