Melbourne: Almost a quarter of foreign
students study in Australia in order to become permanent
residents, a new survey has claimed, the findings which may
threaten the USD 17 billion education industry following new
changes to skilled migration system.
Respondents rated Australia as a safer place to study
than any other country, including the US, Britain, Canada and
New Zealand but rated quality of education slightly poor when
compared to them.
According to the online survey of over 1600 foreign
students from over 10 Australian universities says that 24 per
cent of respondents were studying overseas in order to become
permanent residents, which was five per cent more as compared
to when the query was asked in a similar survey in 2005.
The results could heighten industry fears about the
possible impact of recently announced changes to the skilled
migration system.
Recently government overhauled the skilled migration
system that has delinked permanent residency to foreign
students with certain trade courses like hairdressing and
cookery.
The new arrangements, which will give priority to
skilled migrants who have a job lined up with an Australian
employer, have been generally welcomed by universities, but
private colleges, the fastest growing sector of Australia`s
USD 17 billion-a-year international education industry, have
predicted catastrophe.
PTI
