Australia to Increase Restrictions on International Students Applying for Permanent Residency
It has been reported that the Labor government will scrap a rule that currently fails international students wishing to settle down in Australia long-term. This rule is part of the Genuine Student Test and is meant to replace the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement.
The GST is an application requirement for Australian student visas and is designed to eliminate those who intend to use the student visa as a means to work rather than study.
Currently, applicants must demonstrate their strong intent to return home after their studies by providing evidence of financial, family, or social ties. However, this will change with the new GST as the Labor government seeks to create a more open pathway for international students to settle in Australia permanently.
The GST is expected to take effect in early 2024, where it will eliminate the rule that fails applicants who express a desire to remain in Australia long-term. This is part of the government’s broader strategy to reform the migration system and create more sustainable levels of migration.
Under the new strategy, student visa holders who overstay their visas and do not have a clear pathway to permanent residency will be targeted. The government also plans to raise the minimum English language requirements for student and graduate visas and apply greater scrutiny to applications from high-risk providers. According to Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil, the new strategy aims to reduce migration levels to about 250,000 by 2025, which is less than half of the record level of 518,000 in 2023.
