SYDNEY: Australia’s plans to alter visa rules for foreign university students were welcomed yesterday by education professionals who hope it will counteract the off-putting effect of the high Aussie dollar.
The new visa arrangements, announced Thursday, for students at the bachelor degree level or higher are designed to make processing quicker and easier.
The changes include allowing university students two or four years of work after graduation and Canberra also plans to reduce the amount of money some students need to have in a bank account when they apply by about AUS$36,000 (US$35,330).
The International Education Association Australia, a professional body which promotes international education in the country, called for the move to be rapidly implemented as international students are being turned off by the high currency.
“I think we are still an attractive destination for all sorts of reasons, it’s just been difficult to
get here,” said IEAA president Stephen Connelly. — AFP