The Australian government has imposed harsher requirements to curb international students' visa hopping. The new regulations take effect on July 1 and will prevent some temporary visa holders from applying for a student visa while they are living in Australia. These people include those with visitation, temporary graduate, and maritime crew visas.
These rules are being introduced primarily with a focus on eradicating visa hopping. Australia has become a popular destination for Indian students pursuing higher education and vocational skills. Anyone with visitor visas who wish to study in Australia must apply for a student visa from outside the nation.
Many Indian students studying in Australia are expected to be affected by this change. India's High Commission in Canberra reported that India continues to be the second-largest source country for international student enrolments in Australia.
Holders of temporary graduate visas are advised to either leave Australia or look for skilled employment opportunities and look for other immigration options that can lead to permanent residency. Anyone with visitor visas who wish to study in Australia must apply for a student visa from outside the nation.
What is ‘Visa hopping’?
These changes have been introduced to curb ‘visa hopping’. It is a practice where international students prolong their stay in a country by transitioning from one temporary visa to another.
The Australian government's crackdown aims to make sure that only eligible students receive visas, which will eventually support the country's economic development.
These changes are detailed in the government's new Migration Strategy, which was announced on December 11, 2023. It aims to plug any gaps and stop the practice of jumping visas, especially among former overseas students who stay in Australia forever on temporary visas.
Noteworthy visa subclasses affected by this decision include-
- Temporary Graduate visa
- Visitor visa
- Electronic Travel Authority visa
- Medical Treatment visa
- eVisitor visa
- Transit visa
- Diplomatic Temporary visa
- Temporary Work visa (International Relations)
- Domestic Worker (Temporary) visa