今天早上澳大利亞政府出臺了由Hon Michael Knight所撰寫的長達196頁的報告。這意味著澳大利亞學生簽證將會在不久的將來產生重大的變革。由于之最近兩年澳大利亞政府希望澳大利亞的留學和移民分家，加上澳幣上漲，全球金融危機導致美元下跌，美國大量吸收以中國學生為主的國際學生。因此，為了簡化澳大利亞學生簽證流程，保持澳大利亞海外留學市場在國際的競爭力，從去年開始澳大利亞移民局經過多方咨詢，決定全部接受各方提出的所有的41個建議。

澳大利亞移民部長的announcement如下： http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/cb/2011/cb172439.htm

這41個建議中主要的33個建議的英文總結如下：（備注：中文翻譯請見下文）

Notable in these recommendations are the following:

1. The first criterion in assessing a Student visa application is whether the applicant is a genuine temporary entrant;

2. A successful applicant must be both a genuine temporary entrant and a genuine Student;

3. All applicants for higher education Bachelors degree (2+2 or 3+1 arrangements with partner universities), and Masters degree by coursework should be Assessment Level 1 (including packages with ELICOS or foundation courses);

4. All Australian Bachelors degree graduates (with at least two years study in Australia) be given two years post-study work rights in Australia;

5. All Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students (visa Subclass 574) be treated as Assessment Level, and be given three years work rights;

6. Masters by Research graduates be given three years post-study work rights, and PhD graduates be given four years post-study work rights;

7. HDR students be allowed to extend their student visa for up to six months to allow for the interactive marking process. This should also apply to PHD Subclass 576 visa holders if AusAID is prepared to fund the extension;

8. The threshold English language test requirements for standalone ELICOS students be removed;

9. The English language requirements for school students in AL4 be the same as those applying for AL1 through to AL3 and the associated waiver scheme abolished;

10. The maximum a school student visa holder can study English be 50 weeks across all ALs;

11. The current restrictions on student guardians of a maximum of three months of study be maintained but unlimited part‐ime study rights for ELICOS study only be allowed;

12. Pre‐paid home stay fees be included in financial assessments on the same basis as pre‐paid boarding fees;

13. As a matter of some urgency AusAID, DIAC, DOHA and other relevant Australian government agencies develop an integrated policy in relation to the award of scholarships and how visa arrangements for awardees are to be managed. In particular they should address the situation of potential awardees who have a disability or HIV;

14. That DIAC and DEEWR meet with state education authorities to work out what can be done to avoid the situation where a visa for a child dependent cannot be granted until proof of enrolment is present and state education authorities will not grant such proof until proof of visa grant is made. Any agreed remedy should apply across all Student visa subclasses;

15.Streamlining applications for semester of year long university non-award courses;

16. DIAC be appropriately funded to further develop research capability across the program;

17. In the event that the research over the next 12 months reveals systemic abuse of dependant (secondary applicant) visas, that the government seriously consider mirroring the recent UK policy and restrict dependant visas to Masters and above courses unless the primary applicant is sponsored by a government;

18. Current arrangements whereby Student Course Variations (SCVs) automatically become NCNs should cease. SCV information should continue to be conveyed to DIAC who should use it as an input into a more targeted and strategic analysis of non‐compliance;

19. Automatic cancellation of student visas should be abolished and replaced by a system in which information conveyed by SCVs is used as an input into a more targeted and strategic analysis of non‐compliance;

20. The mandatory cancellation requirement for unsatisfactory attendance, unsatisfactory progress and working in excess of the hours allowed should be removed, giving DIAC officers the discretion to determine cancellation in particular cases on their merits;

詳細內容請參考滴答論壇》》》【特大號外】澳大利亞學生簽證重大變革!

21. DIAC should concentrate its compliance and integrity resources in relation to Student visas on the highest risk areas;

22. DIAC should not only respond to information generated by PRISMS but also be proactive in detecting the sorts of breaches (for example sham marriages and exceeding permissible work hours) which are not reported in PRISMS;

23. That student work entitlements be 40 hours per fortnight instead of 20 hours per week;

24. The necessary legislative changes be made to require the name of any agent involved to be entered into the student’s data into PRISMS, and DEEWR take steps to encourage providers to voluntarily enter agent data into PRISMS in the interim before the ESOS Act is changed to make this mandatory;

25. That DEEWR and DIAC establish a single student identifier to track international students through their studies in Australia;

26. That DIAC undertake a review of the AL framework, with a mind to either abolishing the system entirely or modifying he framework to make it relevant to current and future challenges facing the student visa program. This review should be managed by DIAC but should include reference to an external panel or reference group;

27. That DIAC upgrade its liaison at overseas posts with migration and education agents in relation to the student visa program, including regular meetings to keep agents abreast of any changes in rules and procedures;

28. That the provision of offshore VET sector education be investigated;

29. That DIAC constitute an Education Visa Advisory Group as a primary means of regular two way communication between stakeholders in the international education sector and DIAC;

30. The policy regarding Pre‐Visa Assessment (PVA) be discontinued;

31. Student visas be allowed to be granted in advance of four months before the commencement of the relevant course. Where necessary, visas should specify a date before which the holder cannot enter Australia;

32. That DIAC regularly reviews the current living cost amount, and based on the CPI or other measure amend the amount, as required;

33. That DIAC review the exclusion criteria and policy which relate to student visa non‐compliance.

詳細內容請參考滴答論壇》》》【特大號外】澳大利亞學生簽證重大變革!

我們翻譯了其中一些和大家息息相關的重要條款。

第3條，所有本科和碩士coursework課程都應該成為一類風險國家。目前一類風險國家不需要提供資金擔保和證明。

第4條，所有本科畢業生將獲得畢業之后在澳洲的兩年工作權利。

第5條，所有的574畢業生畢業之后將獲得在澳洲的3年工作權利。

第6條，所有的Master by Research都可以獲得畢業之后3年的澳洲工作權利，PhD學生可以獲得長達4年的澳洲工作權利。

第8條，單獨就讀語言的學生不需要提供雅思成績。（目前中國學生已經是不需要提供雅思成績了，所以對我們沒有太大影響。）

第9條，所有來澳就讀中學的4級風險國家學生（包括中國大陸學生），將會和一級至三級風險國際的學生一樣，不需要提供雅思成績，也就是說不需要提供雅思豁免信（IELTS Waiver）。

第10條，所有來澳就讀中學的學生最多可以讀50周語言，不管是幾級風險國家。

第17條，研究表明，很多人在不法利用配偶陪讀簽證。澳大利亞政府考慮借鑒英國最近的政策，只有讀碩士課程或以上學位的學生才可以申請其配偶的陪讀簽證，或者主申請人是由政府擔保資助的。

第19條，學生簽證自動取消政策應該被取消，取而代之的應該是一個更有效的評估系統。

第20條，由于學生出勤率，學習進度以及超時工作而產生的強制性學生簽證取消應該被廢除，應該給簽證官更大的酌情權來根據個案決定是否取消簽證。（備注：這個絕對不代表來澳洲政府對國際學生出勤率，學習進度或是打工時間的放松規定。）

第23條，學生上學期間的工作時間應該從現在的每周20小時改為每兩周40小時。

第26條，有可能取消或更改現有的國家按照風險等級區分的政策。

第30條，取消PVA。

第31條，允許學生簽證在開學之前4個月下簽，但是簽證上面會注明一個日期，申請人在此日期之前不得入境。

澳大利亞政府準備在2011-2013年期間實現完成所有的改革，主要的改革項目或在明年7月1日前完成。

詳細內容請參考滴答論壇》》》【特大號外】澳大利亞學生簽證重大變革!

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!