澳大利亞移民與公民事務部長

CHRIS BOWEN議員

澳大利亞高等教育、技能、工作和勞資關系部長

參議院的政府領導人

CHRIS EVANS參議員

聯合新聞稿

2010年12月16日

學生簽證項目復審

澳大利亞移民與公民事務部長Chris Bowen議員及教育、技能、工作和勞資關系部長Chris Evans參議員今日宣布將對學生簽證項目進行復審以及為國際教育行業制訂的多項具體措施。

“澳幣升值，全球金融危機在一些國家的持續影響，以及逐步加劇的來自美國、新西蘭和加拿大等國為吸引國際學生而形成的競爭，給澳大利亞國際教育行業帶來的壓力在不斷增加。”Evans參議員說。

“國際教育行業的規模和性質在過去十年中也發生了劇大的變化，因此我們采取政府各部門間通力合作的方式來應對這些變化是至關重要的。”

“這就是吉拉德政府下令進行學生簽證項目策略復審的初衷。復審將為教育機構和各利益相關方提供機會，闡述他們對國際教育行業未來的遠見卓識。”

“復審擔負著提高國際教育行業的持續競爭力和加強優化學生簽證項目兩項任務。”

吉拉德政府已任命了Michael Knight（澳大利亞勛章獲得者）負責復審工作，并于2011年中旬向Bowen先生和Evans參議員提交復審報告。

“復審工作將考察主要利益相關方與學生簽證申請要求之間所建立起來的合作伙伴框架，并將就如何建立一個更加有效的合作伙伴框架提出建議。” Bowen先生說。

“復審工作將審視各種更好的針對學生簽證案例中移民風險的管理方法，遏制違規及濫用學生簽證項目的行為 ，并考慮各類學生簽證對不同教育類別的適宜性。”

“政府還將采取多項措施，在繼續堅持優化學生簽證項目的同時，精簡低風險人群的簽證申請審理程序 。”

“這些措施有力支撐了政府近期為優化學生簽證項目而采取的改革措施，并再次強調技術移民項目應為澳大利亞中長期經濟發展提供所需的高端技能。”

這些措施包括：

• 按照近期澳大利亞移民與公民事務部（以下簡稱移民部）進行的評估等級復審的建議，從2011年4月起，降低一些學生簽證評估等級。作為這項決策的一部分，來自中國和印度的高等教育類別的學生簽證申請評估等級將會被降低；

• 調整規定使預付的寄宿學校住宿費可以從簽證申請所要求的生活費中扣除；

• 促進政府和國際教育行業間的信息交流，這包括即將在移民部網站上公布學生簽證季度統計數據，以便院校跟蹤了解學生簽證新趨勢；

• 使職業教育與培訓(VET)學生簽證評估等級(AL)4的簽證申請人能夠就讀證書級別的配套課程，并能滿足獲得學生簽證的要求。

今天的這項宣布是對最近澳大利亞政府為加強國際教育行業而實施的多項措施的補充。這些措施包括：針對《2000年海外學生教育服務(ESOS)法案》的貝爾德復審(Baird Review)，要求所有提供國際教育的院校于2010年底前重新注冊的《海外學生教育服務(ESOS)法案》修正案，以及發布由澳大利亞政府理事會(Council of Australian Government)制訂的《澳大利亞國際學生戰略》。

Evans參議員說，“保持澳大利亞教育繼續被高度公認為能夠為赴澳留學的國際學生提供高質量課程是十分重要的。”

即將于明年成立的國家職業教育與培訓規范局(National VET Regulator)和高等教育質量和標準署(Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency)將保障職業教育與培訓和高等教育行業繼續保持高質量 。

請登陸移民部網站獲取關于學生簽證政策調整的更多信息：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.

更多精彩資訊請關注查字典資訊網，我們將持續為您更新最新資訊!