Australian authorities have announced plans to introduce a new policy to cut immigration and visa issuance for international students next week Monday.
“What we know is that we need to have a migration system that enables Australia to get the skills that we need but make sure the system is working in the interests of all Australians,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters in Sydney on Saturday. “Well, we are determined to fix this.”
Mr Albanese said the new policy is aimed at the nation’s “badly broken” immigration system, lamenting the influx of immigrants into the country taking up courses that do not add “substantially national interests.”
“People are coming here, enrolling in courses that don’t really add substantially to either their skills base or to the national interest here,” said Mr Albanese. “So, it’s not in the interests of our neighbours, nor is it in the interests of Australia, that there not be a crackdown on this.”
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil will on Monday unveil details of the new immigration policy, which will include stringent rules for holders of temporary visas.
Australian population grew by 2.2 per cent to 26.5 million people in 12 months, with net overseas migration making up 81 per cent of the growth, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Australia has joined the list of countries introducing stringent visa policies in recent times.
On Thursday, Canadian authorities announced that the “cost-of-living financial requirement for study permit applicants” for international students will increase from $10,000 to $20,000, starting from January 1, 2024, days after the United Kingdom introduced a new set of rules that would make it more difficult for Nigerians and others to obtain a visa.
