澳大利亚移民与公民事务部长

CHRIS BOWEN议员

澳大利亚高等教育、技能、工作和劳资关系部长

参议院的政府领导人

CHRIS EVANS参议员

联合新闻稿

2010年12月16日

学生签证项目复审

澳大利亚移民与公民事务部长Chris Bowen议员及教育、技能、工作和劳资关系部长Chris Evans参议员今日宣布将对学生签证项目进行复审以及为国际教育行业制订的多项具体措施。

“澳币升值，全球金融危机在一些国家的持续影响，以及逐步加剧的来自美国、新西兰和加拿大等国为吸引国际学生而形成的竞争，给澳大利亚国际教育行业带来的压力在不断增加。”Evans参议员说。

“国际教育行业的规模和性质在过去十年中也发生了剧大的变化，因此我们采取政府各部门间通力合作的方式来应对这些变化是至关重要的。”

“这就是吉拉德政府下令进行学生签证项目策略复审的初衷。复审将为教育机构和各利益相关方提供机会，阐述他们对国际教育行业未来的远见卓识。”

“复审担负着提高国际教育行业的持续竞争力和加强优化学生签证项目两项任务。”

吉拉德政府已任命了Michael Knight（澳大利亚勋章获得者）负责复审工作，并于2011年中旬向Bowen先生和Evans参议员提交复审报告。

“复审工作将考察主要利益相关方与学生签证申请要求之间所建立起来的合作伙伴框架，并将就如何建立一个更加有效的合作伙伴框架提出建议。” Bowen先生说。

“复审工作将审视各种更好的针对学生签证案例中移民风险的管理方法，遏制违规及滥用学生签证项目的行为 ，并考虑各类学生签证对不同教育类别的适宜性。”

“政府还将采取多项措施，在继续坚持优化学生签证项目的同时，精简低风险人群的签证申请审理程序 。”

“这些措施有力支撑了政府近期为优化学生签证项目而采取的改革措施，并再次强调技术移民项目应为澳大利亚中长期经济发展提供所需的高端技能。”

这些措施包括：

• 按照近期澳大利亚移民与公民事务部（以下简称移民部）进行的评估等级复审的建议，从2011年4月起，降低一些学生签证评估等级。作为这项决策的一部分，来自中国和印度的高等教育类别的学生签证申请评估等级将会被降低；

• 调整规定使预付的寄宿学校住宿费可以从签证申请所要求的生活费中扣除；

• 促进政府和国际教育行业间的信息交流，这包括即将在移民部网站上公布学生签证季度统计数据，以便院校跟踪了解学生签证新趋势；

• 使职业教育与培训(VET)学生签证评估等级(AL)4的签证申请人能够就读证书级别的配套课程，并能满足获得学生签证的要求。

今天的这项宣布是对最近澳大利亚政府为加强国际教育行业而实施的多项措施的补充。这些措施包括：针对《2000年海外学生教育服务(ESOS)法案》的贝尔德复审(Baird Review)，要求所有提供国际教育的院校于2010年底前重新注册的《海外学生教育服务(ESOS)法案》修正案，以及发布由澳大利亚政府理事会(Council of Australian Government)制订的《澳大利亚国际学生战略》。

Evans参议员说，“保持澳大利亚教育继续被高度公认为能够为赴澳留学的国际学生提供高质量课程是十分重要的。”

即将于明年成立的国家职业教育与培训规范局(National VET Regulator)和高等教育质量和标准署(Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency)将保障职业教育与培训和高等教育行业继续保持高质量 。

请登陆移民部网站获取关于学生签证政策调整的更多信息：www.immi.gov.au。

CHRIS BOWEN MP

MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP

SENATOR CHRIS EVANS

MINISTER FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION, SKILLS, JOBS AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS

LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SENATE

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

16 December 2010

REVIEW OF STUDENT VISA PROGRAM

Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, and Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Senator Chris Evans, today announced a review of the Student visa program, along with a package of measures for the international education sector.

“The Australian international education sector has come under increasing pressure as a result of the rising value of the Australian dollar, the ongoing impact of the global financial crisis in some countries, and growing competition from the United States, New Zealand and Canada for international students,” Senator Evans said.

“The size and nature of the international education sector has also changed dramatically over the past decade, and it is crucial that we take a whole-of-government approach in responding to these changes.

“That’s why the Gillard Government is commissioning a strategic review of the Student visa program, which will give education providers and stakeholders an important opportunity to share their vision of the sector’s future.

“The review is tasked with enhancing the continued competitiveness of the international education sector, as well as strengthening the integrity of the Student visa program.”

The Government has appointed the Hon Michael Knight AO to undertake the review, and to report to Mr Bowen and Senator Evans by mid-2011.

“The review will examine and make recommendations on a more effective partnership framework between key stakeholders and requirements for Student visa applicants,” Mr Bowen said.

“The review will look at ways to better manage immigration risk in the Student visa caseload and deter breaches and misuse of the program, as well as consider the suitability of separate visas for different education sectors.

“The Government is also introducing a package of measures to streamline the visa application process for lower risk cohorts while continuing to uphold the integrity of the program.

“These measures support the Government’s recent reforms to enhance the integrity of the Student visa program and refocus the skilled migration program to deliver the high value skills the Australian economy needs over the medium to long term.”

These measures include:

• Reducing the Student visa assessment levels from April 2011 as indicated in the recent assessment level review conducted by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). As part of this decision, the higher education visa assessment levels for applicants from China and India will also be reduced;

• Refining the rules to further enable pre-paid boarding fees to be counted toward students' cost of living requirements in their visa application;

• Improved information exchange between the Government and the international education sector, including provision of a quarterly statistical publication on the Student visa program that will soon be available from the DIAC website to allow the sector to track emerging student visa trends; and

• Enabling assessment level 4 vocational education and training (VET) students to undertake a package of certificate level courses to meet visa requirements.

Today’s announcement complements other measures recently implemented by the Government to strengthen the international education sector, including the Baird Review of the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000, amendments to the ESOS Act requiring all providers of international education to re-register by the end of 2010, and the release of the Council of Australian Government’s International Students Strategy for Australia.

“It’s important that Australian education continues to be highly regarded for the quality of course offerings available to international students who choose to study here,” Senator Evans said.

“The establishment of the National VET Regulator and the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency next year will underpin continued high quality in both the VET and higher education sectors.”

More information on the Student visa changes is available on DIAC’s website www.immi.gov.au.

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