Arabic version: الجامعات تحذّر من تغييرات تأشيرات عائلات الطلاب
According to ABC News, the federal government has announced that most international students will be barred from bringing family members to Australia under broader migration changes intended to lower overseas net migration. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said people whose families are already attached to visas and are in Australia would not be affected.
Mr Burke announced the change at the National Press Club, saying special visa conditions would apply to citizens of Pacific and South-East Asian nations and to certain courses, including PhDs. The government will also require students seeking to transfer between courses to apply for a new visa, in a move targeting so-called “visa hopping”.
University leaders and industry figures said the policy could damage international education, which is worth about $55 billion to the Australian economy and is the nation’s fourth-largest export market. Regional Universities Network chair and University of New England vice-chancellor Chris Moran said regional economies would be particularly affected, with direct local consequences for services and the flow of funds in communities.
Professor Moran said earlier tightening in visa allocations and success rates had already created major funding gaps for universities. He said institutions would either shrink the higher education sector and the quality of Australians’ experience, or require additional government funding. Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy said Australia should compete for the world’s best students and the skills, investment and ideas they bring.
Students and representatives also raised concerns about the personal effects of the changes. International Students Representative Council of Australia president Weihong Liang said policy debates on housing and infrastructure should not blame international students collectively. University of Melbourne student Azizah Raihan said she probably would not have chosen Australia without family already in the country, while Sydney-based Nepali student Shilpi Jaiswal said she was scared to apply for a visa for her parents to visit.
