Streamlined Visa Processing-24 March 2012

 

Wednesday, 02 May 2012 00:12

One of the key recommendations of the Knight Review of the Student Visa Program is that streamlined visa processing arrangements be available for prospective international students with a Confirmation of Enrolment from a participating university at Bachelor, Masters or Doctoral degree level.

From 24 March 2012, these applicants will be assessed as though they are lower migration risk (similar to the current Assessment Level 1), regardless of their country of origin.

For further details, please click here

From 24 March 2012, the Migration Regulations 1994 ('the Regulations') are amended to:

• provide for a new subset of eligible Subclass 573 (Higher Education Sector), 574 (Postgraduate Research Sector), and 575 (Non-Award Sector) visa applicants enrolled to study certain courses at certain specified education providers, who would be subject to new visa requirements similar to the existing Assessment Level (AL) 1 criteria, which are intended to enable a streamlined visa process for those eligible higher degree students and eligible university exchange students
• provide that the Minister may specify the education providers eligible to participate in the streamlined visa processing arrangements in an instrument in writing, including their nominated educational business partner providers
• exempt the Minister from the requirement to specify a course in an instrument in writing made under regulation 1.40A if the course would be undertaken by eligible Subclass 573 (Higher Education Sector), 574 (Postgraduate Research Sector), and 575 (Non-Award Sector) visa applicants
• exempt eligible higher degree students and eligible university exchange students from the AL regime and the requirements set out in Schedule 5A to the Regulations
• provide new visa requirements for Subclass 580 (Student Guardian) visa applicants whose nominating student was an eligible higher degree student or eligible university exchange student at the time their visa was granted
• repeal a Subclass 571 (Schools Sector), Subclass 572 (Vocational Education and Training Sector), Subclass 573 (Higher Education Sector), Subclass 574 (Postgraduate Research Sector) and Subclass 580 (Student Guardian) visa as visas for the purposes of regulation 2.07AO
• repeal certain provisions that are considered to be spent for Subclass 571 (Schools Sector), Subclass 572 (Vocational Education and Training Sector), Subclass 573 (Higher Education Sector), Subclass 574 (Postgraduate Research Sector) and Subclass 580 (Student Guardian) visas providing for persons designated under regulation 2.07AO in Parts 571, 572, 573, 574, and 580 in Schedule 2 to the Regulations
• amend English language requirements for Subclass 571 (Schools Sector) visa applicants subject to AL4 to be consistent with AL1 to AL3 English language requirements for that visa
• increase the maximum duration of English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS) (or other English language tuition) to 50 weeks for Subclass 571 (Schools Sector) visa applicants subject to AL3 or AL 4 who are not secondary exchange students and will undertake an ELICOS (or other English language tuition) before commencing their principal course
• require Subclass 571 (Schools Sector) visa applicants subject to AL 5 who are not secondary exchange students and will undertake an ELICOS (or other English language tuition) before commencing their principal course, to give evidence that the ELICOS (or other English language tuition) will have a duration of no more than 50 weeks
• provide that Subclass 580 (Student Guardian) visa holders may undertake ELICOS study of less than 20 hours per week while holders of that visa, while maintaining the three month study restriction for any other studies or training that is not ELICOS
• clarify that secondary applicants subject to AL4 must give a declaration stating that they have access to funds from an acceptable source that are sufficient to meet certain costs for the remainder of their proposed stay in Australia after the first 24 months.

SOURCE: www.immi.gov.au

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