In a latest report released by the Australian Ministry of Interior, some important updates to the student visa program are proposed. Let’s take a look with the editor!
International students are returning to campus
From the early stage of the reopening of the Australian border to the end of May this year, applicants outside Australia have submitted nearly 1.4 million immigration and temporary visa applications. The Home Office has prioritized visa applicants outside Australia and has approved more than 1.22 million visas during this period.
According to the official data of the Immigration Bureau, it can be seen that from November 22, 2021 to May 22, 2022, students arriving in Australia include: India, China, Nepal, and Vietnam.
Student visa applications reached 473,415 in fiscal year 2018-19; it fell to 262,633 in fiscal year 2020-21 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions; Australia's border reopened on December 15, 2021, so it surged to 314,388 in fiscal year 2021 (as of May 22, 2022).
As of June 19, 2022, there were 469,306 Australian student visa holders worldwide, of which: 354,475 are currently in Australia and 114,831 are outside Australia.
It can be seen that nearly three-quarters of student visa holders have returned to Australia.
visa processing accelerated
The Ministry of the Interior stated that it is working hard to resolve the problem of visa backlog. It is currently shown that 75% of student visa applications are completed within 6 to 10 weeks, but research degrees and VET generally take longer to process.
The Ministry of the Interior said that solving the backlog of visa applications is the government’s top priority. To resolve the issue of visa processing time, the Ministry of the Interior has taken measures to include:
Overtime - Student visa reviewers continue to process visas on weekends and public holidays.
Recruitment - The department has added new visa reviewers.
Some employees from other departments have been transferred to the Immigration Bureau to improve the processing capacity of student visas.
Systematic inspection of visa processing, including making systematic and other changes to improve consistency at the global level.
The Ministry of the Interior also stated that incomplete applications will be completed without requiring the applicant to provide further information. Therefore, when submitting a visa application, the applicant should ensure that all relevant documents are included.
Students who are planning to return to Australia recently must apply for a visa in advance ~
