Australia implements stricter visa regulations for Nigerian students

As a result, the country is set to enforce stricter visa regulations for foreign students from Saturday, March 23, 2024, in response to migration figures reaching new highs.

This development comes amid concerns that the increased population is worsening the situation in an already strained rental market.

The new measures will see a rise in the English language requirements for those applying for student and graduate visas.

Additionally, the government will now have the authority to suspend educational institutions from accepting international students if they are found to violate the rules repeatedly.

Home Affairs Minister, Clare O’Neil stated, “The actions this weekend will continue to drive migration levels down while delivering on our commitments in the migration strategy to fix the broken system we inherited.”

The government’s approach includes the introduction of a “genuine student test” aimed at international students whose primary motivation for coming to Australia is perceived to be work, rather than study.

Furthermore, “no further stay” conditions will be more frequently applied to visitor visas to tighten controls.

These steps follow a series of actions undertaken last year to end the COVID-era concessions that the previous administration introduced.

These concessions allowed international students unrestricted working hours. The current government has announced plans to tighten rules for students, projecting a potential reduction in migrant intake by half over the next two years.

To assist businesses in staffing shortages that emerged in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia increased its annual migration quota in 2022.

The pandemic had led to severe border restrictions, significantly reducing the influx of foreign students and workers for nearly two years.

However, this increase in foreign workers and students has placed additional pressure on the rental market, which is already facing challenges.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics released data on Thursday indicating that net immigration surged by 60% to a record 548,800 in the year ending September 30, 2023.

This is an increase from 518,000 in the previous year, bringing the country’s population growth rate to a record 2.5% and pushing the population to 26.8 million.

The majority of the migration boost has been attributed to students from India, China, and the Philippines. While this has expanded the labour supply and helped to keep wage pressures in check, it has also aggravated the tight housing market, leading to record low rental vacancies and soaring construction costs, which hinder the addition of new housing supply.

Minister O’Neil noted that the government’s initiatives since September have already resulted in a decrease in migration levels, with international student visa grants falling by 35% compared to the previous year.

These measures are part of a broader effort to address the complexities of Australia’s migration and housing challenges.

This content was created with the help of an AI model and verified by the writer.