International Student to fit Australian workforce : Mubin Ul Haider

THE MOVE FOR CHANGE ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VISAS TO ALLOW MORE OPPORTUNITES FOR PERMANENCY AND TO ASSIST WITH THE AUSTRALIAN WORKFORCE

As we all know international students play an important part of the Australian society. There are new reforms coming into action as the Department of Home and Affairs transitions into many changes for our non-citizens who have been helping out within the Australian community in the past years according to the Director Mubin Ul Haider from Global Education Star.

It was announced that prospective international students who are coming to Australia for study purposes will be able to express their intent to migrate to Australia in their visa applications, however, under new reforms tabled by the Albanese government. There is a push from the Labour Government to increase immigration activity after damning review of the Australian migration system being seen as broken. With the need of skills in certain professions and an international competition of highly skilled migrants, it has been said that Australia is already at risk of falling behind due to their lack of any innovative and attractive visa products and service delivery. This meaning that Australia’s current visa options for international students to remain in Australia only currently offers for their stay to be temporary. Therefore, Australia misses out on opportunity to be able to have these students with the professional skill to adapt within the Australian workforce. At this moment in time, there is a need for skilled professionals to remain in Australia for the benefit of the Australian workforce which is currently at a shortage.

As a result, it has been set that the ‘Genuine Temporary Entrant’ (GTE) (which is usually a requirement for international students on a visa to only be limited to the scope of a ‘quality tertiary education for the term of their degree) will be amended to allow more access to these international students who will have developed the skills to assist with the Australian workforce. This requirement will now shift to being a ‘Genuine Student Test (GST). This new requirement which is yet to be introduced, will be allowed to consider high-skilled applicants (like international students who later on go to develop these professional skills within their field of study) for the benefit of them remaining in Australia (for a more permanent option then just a temporary stay) and assisting in contributing to Australia’s workforce upon completion of their studies.