Australian Government's Study Australia Roadshow to Promote Australian Education in Chandigarh

By 121 News

Chandigarh, Mar.28, 2022:-Over the years, an increasing number of Indian students were opting to study in Australia for its world-class education, post-study work opportunities and quality of living. In pursuit of attracting students from Chandigarh region to study in Australia, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, organised a roadshow in the city, highlighting the various initiatives introduced by the government to support the international students.

The Australian Government is offering a range of new visa support initiatives to international students and graduates, including: an international student visa fee refund and Covid-19 visa fee waiver, extra time for English language tests and health checks, replacement Temporary Graduate visas and extended 'stay and work' periods. Furthermore, fully vaccinated international student visa holders, who have arrived in Australia between January 19, and March 19, 2022 were eligible for the visa application fee refund. The refund applies to current visa holders and new students. Eligible visa holders will be able to make a claim any time up to 31 December 2022.

Students already in Australia, who held a student visa on or after 1 February 2020 and could not complete their course within the original visa time period because of the impacts of COVID-19, may be eligible to have their student visa application fee (VAC) waived when applying for a new student visa.

A temporary relaxation of work restrictions for international student visa holders means there is no current restriction on the number of hours that students can work while studying in Australia. These changes will be reviewed in April 2022. Students must still meet satisfactory course enrolment, attendance and progress requirements.

Graduates who held a valid Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), were outside of Australia at any time between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021 and lost time in Australia as a result of COVID-19 international travel restrictions, will have their visa extended to 30 September 2022. This extension is to allow eligible graduates time to apply for a replacement visa.

The length of stay for Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) holders has been extended from two (2) to three (3) years for Masters by Coursework graduates, matching the existing provisions for Masters by Research graduates. Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector graduates will also receive a two (2) year Temporary Graduate visa.

Talking about the initiatives, Dr. Monica Kennedy, Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner, Australian Trade and Investment Commission, Australian Government said that from 22 November 2021 (when the Australian Government announced that the border would open to students) to 18 March 2022, there have been 28,785 student visas lodged by Indian nationals. The Australian Government has worked hard to process student visas to ensure that Indian students are able to return to Australia to commence their studies for semester 1 2022. A surge of applications has been successfully processed with 15,310 visas granted from 22 November 2021 to 18 March 2022 and over 25,000 students arriving on our shores to begin or resume study at Australia's quality education institutions.

Australian education is in the top tier of demand globally, due to its high quality, strict accreditation standards, sophisticated support for international students, relevant curriculum and one of highest graduate employability rates, all delivering a better return on investment for the student. Australia has one of the most supportive international education systems in world. The Australian Strategy for International Education 2021‑2030 puts the student experience, student protection and students' rights at the centre.

The unprecedented outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of millions of students, especially international students who experienced difficulties due to border restrictions and health hazards, across the world. Recently, Australian Trade and Investment Commission has launched Study Australia Industry Immersion Program (SAIEP) for current Indian students at Australian universities to enhance their employability skills.

The India-Australia relationship is at an all-time high. The pace and scale of our cooperation has been grown swiftly since our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was agreed in 2020. The recent Summit between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on 21 March called for a new level of ambition to drive our cooperation forward, particularly when it comes to our economic cooperation and education is a sector which holds great potential.

At the Summit, Prime Ministers announced a Taskforce on Education Qualifications Recognition which will address the recognition of different delivery modes including online and blended learning, joint degrees, and education at offshore campuses. The taskforce will deliver a mechanism for expanding education qualification recognition between Australia and India by the end of the year, with implementation to take place in 2023.