This year, the Australian government has updated a number of policies related to international students, which can be said to affect all aspects of international students' lives. Here's a look at the changes!
1. Increased deposit requirements for student visas
According to statistics, the living expenses of most international students from 2019 to 2023 are difficult to maintain overseas life. The Australian government has announced that it will increase the amount of proof of deposit required for international students to apply for a student visa. The amount of bank deposit required to apply for an Australian student visa has been increased by 17% to at least AUD 24,505 (RMB 115,482.26).
2. Increase in working hours and hourly pay for international students
The Australian government has increased the number of hours international students can work in Australia and the hourly wage standard, the time limit has been changed to 48 hours, and the minimum hourly wage has been raised to 23.23 Australian dollars (109.47 yuan). This initiative will not only provide students with more practical opportunities and enhance their professional experience, but also alleviate the situation of insufficient living expenses.
3. Foreign students are prohibited from registering for multiple courses in Australia
The Australian government has removed the "parallel study" rule (Parallel COE), which explicitly prohibits international students from enrolling in multiple courses at the same time. The policy is designed to ensure that international students can focus more on their studies and improve their learning outcomes. International students will no longer be allowed to transfer from university to vocational courses until they have been studying for six months and will only be able to do so after receiving a Release Letter from the university.
4. Many universities no longer recognize Online language grades
Many Australian universities, including the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University, have announced that they will no longer recognize online language results.
5. Visa extension for some professional graduates
In order to encourage more international students to stay in Australia after completing their studies, the Australian government has extended the visa for graduates of some majors. Graduates in education, medicine, nursing, IT, engineering, agriculture, food and other fields can apply for a work visa extension of two years, up to six years.
6. More full-time jobs for international students
Finally, the Australian government has also added a number of full-time jobs for international students. Student visa holders can work full-time in the age care industry without restrictions on student visa working hours and can change employers.