Australia to tighten entry for overseas students

MELBOURNE, Dec 18 — The days when overseas students can use hairdressing and cookery courses as a ticket to permanent residency in Australia are numbered.

The Australian government has revised its skilled migration programme to focus on medical and key IT professionals, engineers and construction trades.

This could affect tens of thousands of students who use hairdressing, cooking, accountancy and IT to qualify for a permanent visa, the Herald Sun newspaper reports.

Australia's Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Evans said yesterday a revised programme for the next six months would fast-track visas for migrants with critically needed skills. People sponsored by employers and state and territory governments would also be favoured.

"This will ensure that our migration programme is more responsive to the needs of the economy, and assists industries still experiencing skills shortages.

"In the current economic climate, it is important that priority is given to those applications where the person has skills in critical need," Evans said.

The immigration intake would remain at a record high of 200,000 this year.

"Employer-sponsored visas will occupy an increasing share of the skilled programme, with 36,000 visas likely in the current year," he added.

Evans said the existing ceiling of 133,500 skilled migrants would remain. — Bernama

Well, well well...it was a matter of time before they start clamping down on migrant intakes . Guess I was fortunate enough to get mine a tad earlier..... or am I? With the economy in doldrums its not too bad staying in a country where necessities are cheap/er!