Universities are barring international student applications from people already in Australia on tourist, temporary work or bridging visas to get ahead of the next phase of a Labor crackdown on migration, as the sector considers calling for a government reprieve from the economic overhaul.
“It’s becoming very difficult to move from a tourist visa and post-study work rights visa to a student visa and providers are under increasing pressure to reject applicants in order not to compromise their risk rating,” Honeywood said. While no concrete changes have yet been made, the government’s migration strategy outlines an intent to restrict temporary graduate visa holders from transferring back to student visas while onshore, as well as an intent to restrict onshore visa hopping.Flinders University is among the institutions to begin refusing tourist visa-holders, while assessing other temporary entrants on a case-by-case basis.
A University of Wollongong spokesperson said Home Affairs data “recently identified an elevated risk of non-genuine applications, and UOW is adjusting processes related to admission and genuine temporary entrant screening processes in response to this.”Loading