In order to attract overseas students from India in the education sector, Australian government has upgraded the status of India to lesser-risk country for higher education sector.
According to educational consultants, the review of the student visa programme and package is a measure to arrest the decline in the number of overseas students in Australia.
These new changes would mean the students now need to demonstrate lesser funds in order to obtain the student visa for the higher education sector.
For all the student visa applications that would be lodged on or after April 1 2011, the students would need to show funds for only two years of their studies instead of the currently required three years. Moreover, such funds are required to be only three-months old against the six-months old requirements as it is currently in place. The new law that comes into effect in April 2011 will allow the students to be sponsored by any individual against the current legal requirement, which limits the sponsorship to applicant’s spouse, parents, siblings, grandparents and uncle or aunt meeting a certain criterion.
According to estimates, Australia has over 200,000 Indians with over 100,000 Indian students, 40 per cent of which belong to Punjab.
Last year’s attacks on Indian students in Australia had resulted in a check on the number of students from India moving to Australia.
Gulshan Kumar Pathania, president, Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (Aaeri) in a press conference held last year had mentioned the attacks on Indian students in Australia has resulted in new enquiries cropping by 60 to 70 per cent.
