Australian government waives visa fees for students
Submitted by Grace M on Mon, 11/09/2009 - 04:17
Recently, about 5,000 students from foreign countries studying in various private colleges in Australia are in a fix following closure of a number of educational institutes.
Evans said, “Where an education provider can no longer offer a course, the Government's primary concern is the welfare of the student. We understand that these situations are not the fault of the student.”
The decision of exempting international students from paying visa fees for staying in Australia will help nearly 4,700 students. These students will re-apply for studying at new colleges following closure of several private colleges in Australia.
Last week, a couple of colleges under the Global Campus Management Group were closed taking the total number of closures to 12.
The government feels committed to ensure the welfare of international student community in Australia. It has assured that the students will be either given full refund of their outstanding fees or will be adjusted in another college to finish their studies.
However, the students wishing to get a visa for studying in Australia will now need to show higher savings as per the new conditions applicable from Jan. 1, 2010 onwards.
So, instead of the existing financial threshold of $ US 11,000, the international students will now need to show at least $US 16,000 in their savings.
Meanwhile, the country witnessed a positive immigration trend this year despite a series of attacks on international students.
