tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/student-visas-9024/articlesStudent visas – The Conversation2023-10-02T19:12:04Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2144712023-10-02T19:12:04Z2023-10-02T19:12:04ZAustralia is leaving thousands of international graduates in visa limbo, and it’s about to get worse<p>Many international students come to Australia with the hope of staying permanently.</p>
<p>But our latest report, <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/graduates-in-limbo">Graduates in limbo: International student visa pathways after graduation</a>, shows that the rights Australia grants international students to stay and work here after they graduate are too generous, offering many false hope.</p>
<p>Australia offers graduating students <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/extended-poststudy-work-rights-international-graduates/resources/poststudy-work-rights-report">much longer temporary visas than our main competitors</a> for international students, such as Canada, the UK and the US.</p>
<p>But many temporary graduate visa holders struggle to pursue their chosen careers in Australia, with </p>
<ul>
<li>only half securing full-time employment</li>
<li>most working in low-skilled jobs </li>
<li>and half earning less than A$53,300 a year, compared to just one-third of all graduates.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Outcomes are often not matching the effort</h2>
<p>More than half of these visa holders work in jobs that don’t even require a tertiary qualification. In fact, the incomes of temporary graduate visa holders look more like those of working holiday makers, most of whom come to Australia to travel.</p>
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<p>A new Grattan Institute survey of employers shows many are reluctant to hire international graduates, especially because of uncertainty about whether they can stay and work in Australia once their temporary graduate visa expires.</p>
<p>Other <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12546-022-09291-7">evidence</a> suggests that poor English language skills, the poor education some students receive and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984322000583">discrimination</a> are also important factors.</p>
<h2>Fewer international graduates now get permanent visas</h2>
<p>A growing number of international graduates are stuck in visa limbo in Australia, with less than one-third of temporary graduate visa holders now transitioning to permanent residency when their visa expires, down from two-thirds in 2014.</p>
<p>One in three return to further study here once their visa expires, mostly in cheaper vocational courses, to prolong their stay in Australia. </p>
<p>Encouraging so many international graduates to stay and struggle in Australia is in no one’s interests. It damages the reputation of our international higher education sector and erodes public trust in our migration program.</p>
<p>It hurts the long-term prospects of those graduates who do stay permanently. It adds to population pressures and housing prices. And it’s unfair to those graduates who invest years in Australia with little prospect of securing permanent residency.</p>
<p>And recent policy changes will only make this problem worse.</p>
<p>The Albanese government’s <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/clare/addressing-skills-shortages-key-industries-and-rebuilding-international-education-sector">decision</a> at last year’s Jobs and Skills Summit to extend the length of temporary visas for international graduates is a big reason why we should expect their numbers to nearly double to about 370,000 by 2030. </p>
<p>Some students studying in the regions can now stay and work in Australia on a temporary visa for up to eight years after they graduate. </p>
<p>Unless the number of permanent visas on offer each year rises, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-improve-the-migration-system-for-the-good-of-temporary-migrants-and-australia-199520">which seems unlikely</a>, many more graduates will be left in limbo in the future. </p>
<p>And that’s despite the government pledging to reduce the number of migrants in Australia in “<a href="https://clareoneil.com/media-centre/speeches/national-press-club-australias-migration-system-with-q-and-a/">permanently temporary limbo</a>”.</p>
<p>The government needs to reverse course, and quickly. Here’s what it should do. </p>
<h2>Stop offering false hope</h2>
<p>First, Australia should offer shorter post-study work visas to international graduates: just long enough to identify which graduates would make good prospects for permanent residency. </p>
<p>Visa extensions currently on offer for graduates with degrees in nominated areas of shortage, and for those living in the regions, should be scrapped.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-universities-have-dropped-in-the-latest-round-of-global-rankings-should-we-be-worried-214555">Australian universities have dropped in the latest round of global rankings – should we be worried?</a>
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<p>Instead, graduates should be eligible for an extension to their visa only if they earn at least $70,000 a year – a good sign that they’ll eventually secure a permanent skilled visa. </p>
<p>Grattan Institute modelling shows that these reforms could result in the number of international graduates on temporary visas in Australia growing only modestly, to 260,000 by 2030. That’s 110,000 fewer than if current policies remain in place. </p>
<h2>Fix visa pathways for talented graduates</h2>
<p>Second, Australia should fix the pathways for talented graduates after they finish their temporary graduate visa. </p>
<p>The current system rewards persistence, encouraging students to make education and career decisions to secure permanent residency rather than making decisions that benefit their careers in the long-term.</p>
<p>We need to make it easier for employers to sponsor migrants if they earn a high wage, rather than the current system of restricting sponsorship to an <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-time-australia-dumped-its-bureaucratic-list-based-approach-to-temporary-work-visas-179104">outdated list of nominated occupations</a>. </p>
<p>And we should select permanent skilled migrants who come here without a sponsor, based on our assessment of the characteristics <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/australias-migration-opportunity-how-rethinking-skilled-migration-can-solve-some-of-our-biggest-problems/">that point to them succeeding in Australia long-term</a>. </p>
<h2>Do more to help international graduates find good jobs</h2>
<p>And last, Australia should do more to help international graduates to thrive here. </p>
<p>The government should launch a campaign designed to change employer attitudes about new graduates, and public sector graduate programs should accept international graduates.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-wants-international-students-to-stay-and-work-after-graduation-they-find-it-difficult-for-4-reasons-191259">Australia wants international students to stay and work after graduation. They find it difficult for 4 reasons</a>
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<p>The federal government should publish detailed league tables of the employment outcomes of international graduates, including their earnings, to shame universities into supporting international graduates to build careers in Australia. </p>
<p>The price of policy inaction is clear: Australia will host an ever-larger pool of international graduates living in limbo.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214471/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Grattan Institute began with contributions to its endowment of $15 million from each of the Federal and Victorian Governments, $4 million from BHP Billiton, and $1 million from NAB. In order to safeguard its independence, Grattan Institute's board controls this endowment. The funds are invested and contribute to funding Grattan Institute's activities. Grattan Institute also receives funding from corporates, foundations, and individuals to support its general activities, as disclosed on its website. We would also like to thank the Scanlon Foundation for its generous support of our migration research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trent Wiltshire and Tyler Reysenbach do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The number of unemployed international graduates in Australia is set to rise if the temporary graduate visa program isn’t overhauled.Brendan Coates, Program Director, Economic Policy, Grattan InstituteTrent Wiltshire, Deputy Program Director, Migration and Labour Markets, Grattan InstituteTyler Reysenbach, Research associate, Grattan InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1765302022-02-13T18:49:03Z2022-02-13T18:49:03ZInternational students are coming back and it’s not just universities sighing with relief<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445604/original/file-20220210-24693-4ykbxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5169%2C3449&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>International students are returning to Australia after almost two years of closed borders. </p>
<p>The number of international students in Australia <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/international-data/student-visa-holders-and-outside-australia">increased by 29,856</a> in the first six weeks after the Australian government <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/pause-further-easing-border-restrictions">opened the border to them</a> in mid-December.</p>
<p>But there are still about 300,000 fewer international students in Australia than before the pandemic. Around 147,000 current student visa holders <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/international-data/student-visa-holders-and-outside-australia">remain outside Australia</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/border-opening-spurs-rebound-in-demand-from-international-students-175046">Border opening spurs rebound in demand from international students</a>
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<p>It’s not just education institutions that will be anxiously watching the rate at which these students return. </p>
<p>International students are a vital part of the workforce in many industries. In particular, many work in hospitality and carer roles. The Australian government is trying to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-19/backpackers-internatonal-students-visa-fee-rebate-covid-workers/100765716">entice international students to return</a> by offering visa refunds and <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500/temporary-relaxation-of-working-hours-for-student-visa-holders">easing limits</a> on their access to the workforce.</p>
<p>These temporary arrangements highlight the sometimes uneasy relationship between international education, migration and the workforce.</p>
<h2>What has changed since the borders opened?</h2>
<p>The loosening of border restrictions in December 2021 has reversed the steady decline in international students.</p>
<p>At its lowest point, there were 248,750 international students in Australia. This was a fall of about 57% compared to before the pandemic, and the <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/student-visa-program-trends-2009-10.pdf">lowest level</a> since 2007. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-international-education-crisis-will-linger-long-after-students-return-to-australia-170360">Why the international education crisis will linger long after students return to Australia</a>
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<p>Since the borders reopened, students have returned to Australia in larger numbers from some countries than others. </p>
<p>The numbers of students from India and Nepal have increased the most. Students from these two countries account for over 50% of the increase in the past six weeks.</p>
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<p>By comparison, Chinese international students have not returned to Australia as quickly. Over 86,000 of them remain outside Australia. That’s about 60% of all international students who are still overseas.</p>
<p>But this doesn’t mean Chinese students will not return. China recorded the largest increase of any country in student visa holders since borders opened, up by about 5,500. This suggests many new Chinese students have applied for and been granted visas.</p>
<p>These students may be waiting until the start of semester before travelling to Australia.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-strategy-to-revive-international-education-is-right-to-aim-for-more-diversity-172620">Australia's strategy to revive international education is right to aim for more diversity</a>
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<h2>Why is the labour market important?</h2>
<p>One reason students are returning at different rates may be due to the labour market.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/microdata-tablebuilder/available-microdata-tablebuilder/australian-census-and-temporary-entrants-integrated-dataset">According to 2016 census data</a>, Indian and Nepalese students are much more likely to be part of the workforce than Chinese students. About 78% of Indian and 87% of Nepalese students are employed in the Australian workforce. This compares to less than 21% of students from China.</p>
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<p>The government’s efforts to get international students back to Australia more quickly highlights how important their labour is to many parts of the economy. </p>
<p>The 2016 census showed current and <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-graduate-485">recently graduated</a> international students made up about 2% of the total labour force. This student workforce is concentrated in areas reporting shortages.</p>
<p>Before the pandemic, about 15% of waiters, 12% of kitchen hands and 10% of cooks and chefs were current or recently graduated international students. About 11% of commercial cleaners were current or recent international students. </p>
<p>These occupations have faced <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-13/restaurants-staff-shortages-poaching-workers-wage-increases/100751964">widespread difficulties</a> in <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/business/small-business/pandemic-led-cleaner-shortage-hits-vulnerable-people-busy-families-at-home-20220201-p59sw3.html">finding staff</a>.</p>
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<p>International students also work in important carer roles. Before the pandemic, about 9% of all <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/D57B53FBE61CE0DFCA2575DF002DA72E?opendocument">nursing support staff and personal care workers</a> in aged care were current or recent international students.</p>
<p>Many other occupations where the pre-pandemic workforce included large numbers of international students are <a href="https://lmip.gov.au/default.aspx?LMIP/GainInsights/VacancyReport">recording vacancies</a> at well above pre-pandemic levels.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-halved-international-student-numbers-in-australia-the-risk-now-is-we-lose-future-skilled-workers-and-citizens-175510">COVID halved international student numbers in Australia. The risk now is we lose future skilled workers and citizens</a>
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<h2>What are the implications of students’ role as workers?</h2>
<p>Access to the Australian labour market has been a controversial aspect of international education.</p>
<p>International students are required to demonstrate they are a “<a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/student-500/genuine-temporary-entrant">genuine</a>” student, and not using a student visa to enter the country primarily to work.</p>
<p>Yet the reasons for international students to select Australia as a destination are varied and complex. The ability to work is an important consideration.</p>
<p>Australia uses access to the labour market to compete with other countries for students. In 2008, Australia <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1516/OverseasStudents">removed the need</a> for students to apply for a separate work visa. International students have been able to work 20 hours a week. That limit has now been lifted until at least April 2022. </p>
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<p>Following the 2011 <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/reports-and-pubs/files/2011-knight-review.pdf">Knight Review</a>, many international students have been able to apply for <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-graduate-485">a post-study visa</a>. This lets them work in Australia for between one and five years after finishing their course.</p>
<p>Competitor countries are also using <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/graduate-route-to-open-to-international-students-on-1-july-2021">post-study work rights</a> to attract a bigger share of international enrolments.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/international-student-numbers-hit-record-highs-in-canada-uk-and-us-as-falls-continue-in-australia-and-nz-173493">International student numbers hit record highs in Canada, UK and US as falls continue in Australia and NZ</a>
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<p>The need to temporarily loosen work restrictions shows it is not just universities that rely on international students. Many Australians will benefit from their labour.</p>
<p>In welcoming international students back to the country, it is important to ensure their rights are protected. These students can be <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-22/international-students-exploitation-report-fair-work-ombudsman/100114432">particularly vulnerable</a> to exploitation in the workplace. Current visa arrangements can encourage international students to cycle <a href="https://johnmenadue.com/the-overseas-student-and-immigration-nexus-where-to-now/">through cheap courses</a> so they can stay in Australia. </p>
<p>As international education recovers, a better understanding of the link between international education, migration and employment can help inform policy that protects everyone’s interests in the sector.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/176530/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Hurley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many employers are waiting just as anxiously as universities for international students to return to our shores. The students’ labour is especially important for the hospitality and care sectors.Peter Hurley, Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1734932021-12-13T19:07:50Z2021-12-13T19:07:50ZInternational student numbers hit record highs in Canada, UK and US as falls continue in Australia and NZ<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437050/original/file-20211212-17-11hfgzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C7015%2C4680&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>International students are heading to Canada, the UK and the US in record numbers despite the pandemic, <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/mitchell-institute/tertiary-education/student-interrupted-international-education-and-the-pandemic">new research</a> by the Mitchell Institute at Victoria University shows. But Australia and New Zealand continue to experience a dramatic drop in new international students.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437014/original/file-20211211-17-lxwyjh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437014/original/file-20211211-17-lxwyjh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=848&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437014/original/file-20211211-17-lxwyjh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=848&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437014/original/file-20211211-17-lxwyjh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=848&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437014/original/file-20211211-17-lxwyjh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1066&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437014/original/file-20211211-17-lxwyjh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1066&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437014/original/file-20211211-17-lxwyjh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1066&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The Mitchell Institute report on the global impact of the pandemic on international students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p><a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/mitchell-institute/tertiary-education/student-interrupted-international-education-and-the-pandemic">Our report</a>, <em>Student, interrupted: international education and the pandemic</em>, examined five major destinations for international students: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US.</p>
<p>We found the first waves of the pandemic caused a large fall in new international students. But countries that have opened to international students have rebounded strongly.</p>
<p>The research reveals a complex situation where the pandemic affected international students from around the world differently.</p>
<p>The numbers of new students from China are still below what they were pre-pandemic. But for some source countries, such as India and Nigeria, numbers are at record levels.</p>
<p>International education is an important part of how many countries manage investment in their education sector. The report highlights the renewed emphasis countries are placing on attracting international students.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-international-education-crisis-will-linger-long-after-students-return-to-australia-170360">Why the international education crisis will linger long after students return to Australia</a>
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<h2>A fall for all and a rebound for some</h2>
<p>Our report examined student visa data to understand the impact of the pandemic on prospective international students. Student visa data are a leading indicator, as most students normally need a visa before they can enrol.</p>
<p>The chart below shows the total numbers of new student visas each country granted in the 12 months to September in each year from 2018 to 2021. The pandemic resulted in new student numbers falling in all countries. But some have been more affected than others.</p>
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<p>The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2021/why-do-people-come-to-the-uk-to-study">UK has recovered the strongest</a>. Its number of new international students is at record levels – 38% higher than pre-COVID.</p>
<p>Annual data can obscure the disruption caused by the pandemic. This is because countries applied different levels of restrictions throughout 2020 and 2021, altering normal enrolment patterns.</p>
<p>The chart below uses quarterly data to explore changes throughout 2020 and 2021. The September 2019 quarter is equal to 100 on the index used for the chart. Using seasonally adjusted data makes it possible to explore changes while controlling for peaks and troughs that usually occur throughout the year.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-international-education-market-share-is-shrinking-fast-recovery-depends-on-unis-offering-students-a-better-deal-162856">Australia's international education market share is shrinking fast. Recovery depends on unis offering students a better deal</a>
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<p>This chart shows the depth of falls in new student visas issued in 2020 after the pandemic began. Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US experienced falls greater than 80%. By the September 2021 quarter, Canada, the UK and the US had rebounded to record levels for the available data on student visas.</p>
<p>This could be good news for countries like Australia and New Zealand, which have lost students to other countries. The quick return to an upwards trend in Canada, the UK and the US suggests there is pent-up demand from students waiting for borders to open. If so, new international students should enrol in larger numbers when travel to Australia and New Zealand becomes more possible. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/morrisons-opening-of-the-door-to-international-students-leaves-many-in-the-sector-blindsided-and-scrambling-to-catch-up-172382">Morrison's opening of the door to international students leaves many in the sector blindsided and scrambling to catch up</a>
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<h2>What has been the impact by source country?</h2>
<p>Events in students’s home countries will also influence decisions during a pandemic.</p>
<p>Our research looked at the impact of the pandemic on new international students by their country of origin.</p>
<p>The table below shows the changes in the number of new student visas for the largest source countries. </p>
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<p>Nigeria has rebounded the strongest, driven largely by an increase in Nigerian students studying in the UK.</p>
<p>New international students from India have also increased by about 27% compared to pre-pandemic levels. Behind this increase lie shifts in student choice. </p>
<p>The number of Indian international students going to Australia fell by 62% in the 12 months to September 2021 compared to 2019. In contrast, new Indian international students to the UK more than doubled, jumping by 174%.</p>
<p>India has overtaken China as the largest source country of international students.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-strategy-to-revive-international-education-is-right-to-aim-for-more-diversity-172620">Australia's strategy to revive international education is right to aim for more diversity</a>
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<h2>What are the policy implications?</h2>
<p>Analysis of international education can be a numbers game with discussion focusing on shifts in enrolments and the economic contribution of international students. But there are important policy implications.</p>
<p>For instance, there has <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/china-trade-sanctions-could-target-australian-higher-education-report/bbb49ba2-d0ae-4d12-9429-420e6157ba25">been much debate</a> about the influence of geopolitical tensions on international student choice. Our research suggests the reduction in Chinese international students is more likely due to <a href="https://thepienews.com/news/us-visa-processing-backlog-for-chinese-students/">administrative obstacles</a> and travel restrictions.</p>
<p>International students also contribute greatly to total investment in education sectors. In Australia, fees from international students provide about 27% of <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/australian-investment-in-higher-education-2021-mitchell-institute.pdf">total university revenue</a>. Losing international students can have a big impact on education institutions, especially universities.</p>
<p>In a post-pandemic environment, governments are seeking to grow and foster their international education sectors. </p>
<p>In the US, the <a href="https://educationusa.state.gov/sites/default/files/intl_ed_joint_statement.pdf">Biden administration announced</a> a “renewed commitment to international education” in July 2021. The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-education-strategy-global-potential-global-growth">UK government is aiming for a 75% increase</a> in the value of international education by 2030.</p>
<p>While the pandemic has had a massive impact on international education, the scene is set for a return to a highly competitive global market.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173493/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australia’s major competitors in the international education market are already rebounding from the pandemic and have issued record numbers of student visas.Peter Hurley, Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityMelinda Hildebrandt, Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1703602021-10-25T19:12:58Z2021-10-25T19:12:58ZWhy the international education crisis will linger long after students return to Australia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427957/original/file-20211022-16-1uo0jzf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C10%2C6679%2C4446&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/press-conference-kirribilli-nsw-9">series</a> of <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/regional-travel-delayed-in-nsw-until-november-20211015-p5907u.html">recent</a> <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/thank-you-victoria">announcements</a> about Australia’s borders reopening mean there is hope of an end to the crisis in our international education sector. </p>
<p>But there is still a long way to go. <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/international-education/data-and-research/data-visualisations-set-2">Over 145,000 international student visa holders</a> are stuck overseas. It is still unclear when and how these students may be able to enter Australia. </p>
<p>Even if they do arrive in time for the start of the 2022 academic year, this won’t overcome the issue of the “pipeline” effect. Disruptions to the flow of new students over the past two years will have a long-term impact. </p>
<p>International students normally study for two to four years. It can take some time for enrolments to return to previous levels as missed or reduced intakes work their way through the system.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-international-students-start-trickling-back-the-new-year-will-be-crunch-time-169529">As international students start trickling back, the new year will be crunch time</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Where are we now?</h2>
<p>Since March 2020, the number of international student visa holders has fallen by 205,854, or 33.5%, according to <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/international-data/student-visa-holders-and-outside-australia">the most recent government data</a>.</p>
<p>Complicating this picture is that many international students will be studying offshore because of the closed borders.</p>
<p>The chart below shows the number of international student visa holders in Australia and outside for every week since March 2020.</p>
<p><iframe id="PCfJe" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/PCfJe/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>By October 2021, the number of international student visa holders in Australia was down to 266,000. In October 2019, before the pandemic, <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-statistics/statistics/visa-statistics/study">578,000 international student visa holders</a> were living in Australia.</p>
<p>This is a reduction of over 300,000 international students living in Australia, or about 54%.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-international-education-market-share-is-shrinking-fast-recovery-depends-on-unis-offering-students-a-better-deal-162856">Australia's international education market share is shrinking fast. Recovery depends on unis offering students a better deal</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What impacts is this having?</h2>
<p>The halving of the number of students living in Australia will be having profound effects on those who rely on the international education sector. About 60% of the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/international-trade/international-trade-supplementary-information-calendar-year/latest-release">economic value of international education</a> is a result of spending in the broader economy.</p>
<p>We can see this impact in the latest <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/international-trade/international-trade-goods-and-services-australia/latest-release">Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data</a>. The chart below shows the quarterly value of international education since June 2019. It also includes the value of students studying online.</p>
<p><iframe id="icB3R" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/icB3R/2/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/international-trade/international-trade-goods-and-services-australia/latest-release">ABS</a>, the value of the onshore international education sector was A$5.5 billion in the June 2021 quarter, compared to $9.1 billion in the June 2019 quarter. While the growth in online learning has partly offset the losses, it is not enough to make up for the overall fall in international student revenue.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-to-halve-international-student-numbers-in-australia-by-mid-2021-its-not-just-unis-that-will-feel-their-loss-148997">COVID to halve international student numbers in Australia by mid-2021 – it's not just unis that will feel their loss</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What about the pipeline effect?</h2>
<p>The stock of students is constantly changing as students finish their courses and new ones begin their studies. </p>
<p>One of the biggest challenges facing the sector is the impact of the pipeline effect – a disruption to the flow of new students takes some time to work its way through the pipeline.</p>
<p>International students often progress from pathway courses, such as an English language or preparatory course, to studying a diploma or a degree at an education institution. </p>
<p>For instance, in 2020, about <a href="https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/datavisualisations/Pages/pathways.aspx">62% of Chinese international students</a> completed a pathway course before enrolling in higher education for the first time.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-multilingual-identity-is-an-asset-for-selling-our-english-language-teaching-to-the-world-168185">Australia's multilingual identity is an asset for selling our English-language teaching to the world</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This partly explains why <a href="https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/international-student-data/Pages/InternationalStudentData2021.aspx">year-to-date enrolments</a> of Chinese students at universities have fallen only 8% in 2021 compared to 2019, while the number of Chinese international students holding higher education visas has fallen by about 30%.</p>
<p>Many of the students now starting higher education courses were already working their way through the pipeline when borders closed. They have progressed from a pathway course to a higher education course.</p>
<p>If new international students enrol once borders reopen, many of them will again need to progress through this pipeline.</p>
<p>And will the flow of new international students make up for the currently enrolled students who are finishing their courses? If not, total student numbers will continue to fall.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Illustration of students on a conveyer belt taking them into university that turns out graduates" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427956/original/file-20211022-13-ky8l52.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427956/original/file-20211022-13-ky8l52.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=273&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427956/original/file-20211022-13-ky8l52.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=273&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427956/original/file-20211022-13-ky8l52.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=273&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427956/original/file-20211022-13-ky8l52.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427956/original/file-20211022-13-ky8l52.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427956/original/file-20211022-13-ky8l52.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=344&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A two-year disruption of the flow of international students will take time to overcome.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why is this important anyway?</h2>
<p>Revenue from international education has been an important part of how <a href="https://meanjin.com.au/essays/the-australian-idea-of-a-university/">Australia resources its tertiary education</a> system for 30 years. </p>
<p>International students generally pay higher fees than local students. This enables universities to supplement the income they receive from local students.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-unis-do-need-international-students-and-must-choose-between-the-high-and-low-roads-149973">Our unis do need international students and must choose between the high and low roads</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>As international students return to Australia, there is a case for a more managed policy environment.</p>
<p>For instance, international students are highly concentrated in certain courses and institutions. <a href="https://www.vu.edu.au/mitchell-institute/tertiary-education/australian-investment-in-higher-education-2021">In 2020</a>, Group of Eight universities received over 50% of the $9 billion the university sector collected in international student revenue. </p>
<p>In the vocational education and training sector, only 4.7% of international VET students <a href="https://www.austrade.gov.au/australian/education/education-data/current-data/pivot-tables">enrol at public providers</a>. This means TAFE institutions miss out on important revenue streams. Domestic students at TAFEs also miss out on the benefits of interacting with international students.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://johnmenadue.com/the-overseas-student-and-immigration-nexus-where-to-now/">complex link between the migration and education system</a> can also mean some students cycle through cheap courses to maintain their visa status.</p>
<p>The prospect of growth is returning to the international education sector. Now is the time to plan how to manage that growth. It needs to be done in a way that is sustainable and protects everyone’s investment in the sector, especially the investment international students make.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170360/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Hurley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Hopes are rising that international students will be back in Australia early in 2022, but that doesn’t mean the education sector will be able to shrug off the impacts of their absence any time soon.Peter Hurley, Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1450992020-08-30T20:01:13Z2020-08-30T20:01:13Z4 out of 5 international students are still in Australia – how we treat them will have consequences<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355006/original/file-20200827-14-nu5jjb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C10%2C6709%2C4456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">International students in Australia are actively comparing their situation during the pandemic with their peers in other countries.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-sitting-desk-noting-writing-information-1704143773">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>COVID-19 has not stopped international education. As of August 24, 524,000 international students were living among us in Australian cities and communities. They represent 78% of all student visa holders, according to data the Department of Home Affairs provided to us. </p>
<p>These students are potential ambassadors for Australia and our institutions. They could help shape our country’s reputation as a safe and welcoming destination in the post-pandemic world – but only if we look after them. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355007/original/file-20200827-22-xgsa82.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Pie chart and table showing numbers of international students in Australia and offshore" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355007/original/file-20200827-22-xgsa82.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355007/original/file-20200827-22-xgsa82.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355007/original/file-20200827-22-xgsa82.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355007/original/file-20200827-22-xgsa82.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355007/original/file-20200827-22-xgsa82.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355007/original/file-20200827-22-xgsa82.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355007/original/file-20200827-22-xgsa82.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Data as of August 24 2020 provided by Department of Home Affairs</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The numbers of students now in Australia vary across sectors. Currently, 73% of our international higher education students and 78% of postgraduate research students are here. The vast majority — 78% — of our international secondary school students are still here too. </p>
<p>The percentage is even higher for vocational education and training (VET): 91% of the sector’s international students are here, 159,233 in all.</p>
<p>Non-award programs (shorter courses that don’t lead to a degree or diploma) and English language programs (ELICOS) have the largest percentages of students now offshore.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355023/original/file-20200827-18-xhkeqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Table showing numbers and percentages of student visa holders still in Australia" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355023/original/file-20200827-18-xhkeqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/355023/original/file-20200827-18-xhkeqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355023/original/file-20200827-18-xhkeqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355023/original/file-20200827-18-xhkeqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355023/original/file-20200827-18-xhkeqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355023/original/file-20200827-18-xhkeqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/355023/original/file-20200827-18-xhkeqk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Data provided by Department of Home Affairs at authors' request</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The experiences these large numbers of students are having now will have a direct impact on their decisions and patterns of mobility once borders reopen.</p>
<p>However, institutions and government agencies continue to focus on outward-looking approaches to recovery, such as offshore recruitment and delivery, negotiating <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/very-positive-step-international-student-advocates-welcome-new-adelaide-pilot-program">pilot safety corridors</a>, and scenario planning for the reopening of borders. The onshore response to international education risks being severely neglected.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/without-international-students-australias-universities-will-downsize-and-some-might-collapse-altogether-132869">Without international students, Australia's universities will downsize – and some might collapse altogether</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Students are comparing countries’ responses</h2>
<p>International students in Australian cities and communities are of course talking about their situation. They are using social media, creating blogs and interacting constantly with families and friends back home and around the world. </p>
<p>During the pandemic, this peer-to-peer form of marketing is heightened in its global reach. Our students are constantly comparing their lives with students in both their home countries and Australia’s major competitor destinations. </p>
<p>As a result, the crisis of international student social support is the subject of global comparisons. Students and their families are weighing up what they are going through “here” compared to what others are going through “there”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-love-australia-3-things-international-students-want-australians-to-know-139857">'I love Australia': 3 things international students want Australians to know</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>A life transformed in Melbourne</h2>
<p>Arya is a full-time postgraduate student from India who is staying in Melbourne. We spoke with Arya as a part of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-love-australia-3-things-international-students-want-australians-to-know-139857">series of interviews</a> with international students during COVID-19. </p>
<p>Her dream of studying in Australia was made possible through a combination of a student loan, borrowing from family, and savings after working for two years as a journalist. Prior to COVID-19, she relied on part-time jobs to support herself. This income was essential to her financial survival in Melbourne. </p>
<p>The first lockdown meant she lost both her jobs — one in hospitality and one at her university. As these sectors are struggling in this crisis, her prospect of finding a new job is bleak. </p>
<p>Arya is not eligible for federal government support such as <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/jobseeker-payment/who-can-get-it">JobSeeker</a>. But she might be able to get <a href="https://www.studymelbourne.vic.gov.au/news-updates/international-student-emergency-relief-fund">Victorian government support</a>, including a <a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/community/health-support-services/for-young-people/international-students/Pages/our-shout-food-voucher-program.asp">voucher to buy groceries</a> and a <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-offers-1100-relief-grants-to-struggling-foreign-students-20200429-p54oao.html">one-off payment of A$1,100</a>. She can also apply for a modest grant from her university to cover some bills. </p>
<p>She has struggled to pay rent, but the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-20/victoria-coronavirus-rental-eviction-moratorium-extended/12578006">moratorium on evictions</a> has prevented her from becoming homeless. Her university and local community groups in Melbourne have also provided food hampers. </p>
<p>Arya’s goal was to study in Australia at a world-class institution and solidify her status within the upwardly mobile middle classes in India. Her life has been transformed into a struggle to eat, pay rent and avoid homelessness while keeping her grades up. Arya observes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is becoming more than an education. The question is shifting to how students live and survive in a global city midst a pandemic.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-one-would-even-know-if-i-had-died-in-my-room-coronavirus-leaves-international-students-in-dire-straits-144128">'No one would even know if I had died in my room': coronavirus leaves international students in dire straits</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>It’s even harder in the US</h2>
<p>Arya is in contact with friends and fellow Indian students studying overseas. While her situation in Melbourne is dire, her friends in the US are struggling every day. Arya introduced us to Dhanya.</p>
<p>Dhanya, who moved to New York in 2017 to study, says she is struggling “despite doing everything right”. After recently graduating and finding a job, Dhanya lost her H1B sponsored visa for skilled workers as a result of the Trump administration’s <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/24/882332598/trumps-freeze-on-h-1b-work-visas-disproportionately-affects-indians">recent freeze on visas</a>. “The US government has not considered that we can’t get home,” Dhanya says. </p>
<p>She reports that she and many of her friends in similar situations have been told they can choose to work as unpaid interns. </p>
<p>Many American states enacted a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/coronavirus-rent-freezes-are-ending-wave-evictions-will-sweep-america-ncna1230916">patchwork of temporary eviction moratoriums</a> and the federal government issued a partial ban on evictions. These moratoriums have now largely expired, forcing students to rely on the discretion of landlords. As a non-citizen, Dhanya cannot receive unemployment benefits or a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/coronavirus-stimulus-check-questions-answers-2020-4?r=AU&IR=T">stimulus cheque</a>.</p>
<p>Dhanya is unaware of any non-monetary support from her university or the government for international students. There are no free meal plans, grocery vouchers, or community-based food schemes.</p>
<p>Despite our Melbourne-based student living with the daily anxiety about her finances, she is comparing her experience relatively positively to her friends in the US. </p>
<h2>Some countries are enhancing reputations</h2>
<p>Students are paying attention to countries that are including international students and temporary migrants in their social policy response to COVID-19. Arya says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The way countries handle this now is definitely going to impact how students see your country as a destination in the future. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Arya and her friends are keeping a keen eye on European destinations such as <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/how-germany-is-helping-international-students-in-times-of-coronavirus/a-54041753">Germany</a> and <a href="https://www.thelocal.se/20200508/international-students-request-the-government-to-adjust-tuition-fees-as-the-coronavirus-crisis-drags-on">Sweden</a>. They have also been impressed by Canada’s timely <a href="https://www.educanada.ca/study-plan-etudes/covid-19/update-covid-19-mise-a-jour.aspx?lang=eng#:%7E:text=International%20students%20who%20are%20currently,via%20one%20of%20these%20programs.">support for international students</a> during this crisis. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-how-likely-are-international-university-students-to-choose-australia-over-the-uk-us-and-canada-142715">Coronavirus: how likely are international university students to choose Australia over the UK, US and Canada?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It is not enough for Australia to rely on other nations doing badly on social welfare and support. We need to do more than aim to receive a comparatively “good” score on poverty, exploitation and vulnerability based on others doing worse. </p>
<p>Australia urgently needs to actively reshape international education market perceptions by demonstrating that we offer not only world-class education, but also world-class student support. And that starts with helping the cohort of more than half-a-million international students who currently call Australia home.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145099/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Angela Lehmann is an education analyst for The Lygon Group. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aasha Sriram does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Students in Australia and overseas are actively comparing their experiences during the pandemic. Countries that support them well will gain an edge in a competitive global education market.Angela Lehmann, Honorary Lecturer, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National UniversityAasha Sriram, Research Assistant, Melbourne Social Equity Institute, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1423802020-07-09T08:57:18Z2020-07-09T08:57:18ZAsylum or economic opportunity? The mixed messages in Australia’s new Hong Kong visa options<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346538/original/file-20200709-18-2loksp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=13%2C0%2C4381%2C2428&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mick Tsikas/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-09/hong-kong-visa-extension-who-qualifies-who-does-not/12439044?section=politics">new visa arrangements</a> to help Hong Kong passport holders stay in Australia. </p>
<p>This has the potential to impact thousands of Hong Kong visa holders, either already in Australia or overseas. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hong-kong-activists-now-face-a-choice-stay-silent-or-flee-the-city-the-world-must-give-them-a-path-to-safety-141880">Hong Kong activists now face a choice: stay silent, or flee the city. The world must give them a path to safety</a>
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<p>The new visa conditions come in response to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-53230391">China’s recent crackdown</a> on protests and freedom of speech in Hong Kong. On Thursday, the Australian government also <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/extradition-treaty-hong-kong">announced it will suspend</a> its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. </p>
<p>However, while Australia’s changes in visa arrangements are humanitarian in motivation, what is really being offered is a range of temporary economic opportunities. </p>
<h2>What did the Australian government announce?</h2>
<p>The new measures involve Hong Kong passport holders on student, <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-graduate-485">recent graduate </a> and skilled worker visas. </p>
<p>Those who are here now can stay <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/hong-kong">for another five years</a>, on top of the time they’ve already been in the country. At the end of that five years, the government has announced there will be “pathways to permanent residency”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346540/original/file-20200709-87076-1q5s3ut.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346540/original/file-20200709-87076-1q5s3ut.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346540/original/file-20200709-87076-1q5s3ut.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346540/original/file-20200709-87076-1q5s3ut.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346540/original/file-20200709-87076-1q5s3ut.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346540/original/file-20200709-87076-1q5s3ut.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346540/original/file-20200709-87076-1q5s3ut.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Prime Minister Scott Morrison and acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge announced new provisions for Hong Kong passport holders on Thursday.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mick Tsikas/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Hong Kong passport holders overseas will need to meet existing visa criteria, including any skilled work or study requirements, but there is no doubt these new provisions will prioritise Hong Kong applicants. </p>
<p>For example, those with <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-graduate-485">temporary graduate visas</a> in the “post-study work stream,” typically stay two to four years. </p>
<p>Similarly, applicants for <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-skill-shortage-482">temporary skilled visa</a> usually stay two to four years. </p>
<p>At the same time, the government will “enhance efforts” to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-09/australia-hong-kong-china-extradition-and-visa-issues/12433332">attract about 1,000 businesses</a> based in Hong Kong, by offering incentives to relocate to Australia to companies with “a strong potential for future growth and employment of Australians”. </p>
<h2>How many people will this involve?</h2>
<p>The government says there are almost 10,000 Hong Kong visa holders in Australia who will be eligible for these special arrangements. There are a further 2,500 outside Australia and 1,250 who have applied. The government has stressed it is not expecting “large numbers” to make use of the new scheme. </p>
<p>As Morrison told reporters</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This will all be accommodated very comfortably within the existing caps that we have on the overall level of visas for permanent residency into Australia. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Mixing up economic opportunities and humanitarian needs</h2>
<p>There is no doubt the driver for the change in visa arrangements is China’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/04/hongkongers-on-chinas-crackdown-i-feel-helpless-and-hopeless">crackdown in Hong Kong</a>. </p>
<p>For some Hong Kong passport holders, the crackdown might mean they meet the definition of a refugee under the <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/en-au/1951-refugee-convention.html">Refugee Convention</a>. This could see them fearing persecution “for reasons of political opinion” and open up eligibility for a protection visa under <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/protection-866">Australia’s Migration Act</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/china-has-a-new-way-to-exert-political-pressure-weaponising-its-courts-against-foreigners-141195">China has a new way to exert political pressure: weaponising its courts against foreigners</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Morrison said this pathway <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/hong-kong-citizens-in-australia-will-be-allowed-to-stay-another-five-years-amid-china-crackdown">remained open to people</a>, but at the same time, no specific, extra provisions have been created for Hong Kong residents. As the Prime Minister said</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I should also stress that the refugee and humanitarian stream remains available for those who are seeking to apply through that channel and that is available to people all around the world.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>China’s warning</h2>
<p>Before Morrison’s announcement, China <a href="http://au.china-embassy.org/eng/sghdxwfb_1/t1794456.htm">warned against</a> offering special visa arrangements for Hong Kong passport holders, telling Australia to “stop interfering in China’s internal affairs with Hong Kong as a pretext”.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346541/original/file-20200709-54-266y6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346541/original/file-20200709-54-266y6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346541/original/file-20200709-54-266y6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346541/original/file-20200709-54-266y6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346541/original/file-20200709-54-266y6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346541/original/file-20200709-54-266y6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346541/original/file-20200709-54-266y6k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">China’s new security laws have sparked repeated protests in Hong Kong.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SOPA Images/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So, it is possible the Australian government decided to take a conservative approach to protecting Hong Kong passport holders, so as not to further antagonise the relationship with China. </p>
<p>The announcements are certainly a long way short of the United Kingdom’s plans to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/02/britains-citizenship-offer-to-hong-kong-how-china-could-respond">offer citizenship</a> to almost three million Hong Kong passport holders.</p>
<p>They are also not as generous as the Hawke government’s permanent protection to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jan/01/cabinet-papers-1988-89-bob-hawke-acted-alone-in-offering-asylum-to-chinese-students">42,000 Chinese students</a> in Australia following the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.</p>
<h2>Pragmatic but confusing</h2>
<p>The prime minister’s <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/hong-kong">press release</a> emphasised the economic benefit to Australia of the new visa arrangements, bringing in talented Hong Kong passport holders and successful businesses, and providing visa extensions to students, graduates and workers who can contribute to the Australian economy. </p>
<p>But the principle of humanitarian protection is not based on the potential contribution of those seeking protection. Indeed, humanitarian visas are offered with an expectation that refugees will require considerable assistance to overcome the trauma they have fled and to adjust to a new life in Australia. </p>
<p>While it may be politically pragmatic, the focus on economics rather than humanitarian need confuses the policy objectives. </p>
<h2>Ambiguous ‘pathways to permanency’</h2>
<p>At the conclusion of the visa extensions, the government has stated there will be “pathways to permanent residence”. The criteria to meet this pathway will be crucial for visa applicants. </p>
<p>If it is equivalent to existing criteria – satisfying the points test of independent skilled migration, or meeting the requirements for sponsorship by an existing employer – Hong Kong passport holders could be forgiven for feeling anxious about their future. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346546/original/file-20200709-46-fjs8hs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346546/original/file-20200709-46-fjs8hs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346546/original/file-20200709-46-fjs8hs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346546/original/file-20200709-46-fjs8hs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346546/original/file-20200709-46-fjs8hs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346546/original/file-20200709-46-fjs8hs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346546/original/file-20200709-46-fjs8hs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">China passed its controversial nationals security law in June.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">SOPA Images/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>What if, at the conclusion of their five year visa, they happen to be out of work, or have not yet attained the points required for independent skilled migration? </p>
<p>There is a large body of research indicating the uncertainty associated with temporary protection is responsible for <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/refugees-without-secure-visas-have-poorer-mental-health-new-research-shows">poor mental health outcomes</a> for visa holders. This is for a range of reasons, including the prospect of return to a place they fear persecution, and the inability to commit to a new life in Australia.</p>
<p>It is also important to note Australia may find its limited visa offering is not particularly attractive to Hong Kong’s educated and skilled migrants, who will be concerned to find a country offering them genuine asylum. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-hong-kong-will-remain-an-international-financial-centre-despite-new-security-law-140603">Why Hong Kong will remain an international financial centre, despite new security law</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/142380/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alex Reilly receives funding from the Department for Social Services for a project on employment as a pathway to social inclusion and well-being for refugee women. </span></em></p>Australia will extend the time students, graduates and skilled workers from Hong Kong can stay in the country. But it is not clear what “pathways to permanent residency” really means.Alex Reilly, Professor, University of AdelaideLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1135572019-04-10T20:11:03Z2019-04-10T20:11:03ZDog whistles, regional visas and wage theft – immigration policy is again an election issue<p><em>This article is part of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/coalition-record-2019-69102">series</a> examining the Coalition government’s record on key issues while in power and what Labor is promising if it wins the 2019 federal election.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Immigration policy will be a major issue in the 2019 federal election. We know this because immigration has featured significantly at every Australian election since the 2001 “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_Overboard_affair">children overboard</a>” election. </p>
<p>David Marr and Marian Wilkinson argued in their 2003 book, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/dark-victory-20030329-gdgiaw.html">Dark Victory</a>, that willingness to play the race card in relation to boat people was a decisive factor in John Howard’s election victory. For Tony Abbott, “Stop the boats” was a major campaign theme when the Coalition won back government in the 2013 election. The current prime minister, Scott Morrison, rose to prominence as Abbott’s unyielding immigration minister who stopped the boats.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-politics-explainer-the-mv-tampa-and-the-transformation-of-asylum-seeker-policy-74078">Australian politics explainer: the MV Tampa and the transformation of asylum-seeker policy</a>
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<p>While the <a href="https://theconversation.com/christchurch-attacks-strike-at-the-heart-of-muslims-safe-places-from-islamophobia-113922">events of Christchurch</a> may have cramped the opportunity for the Coalition to run hard on fear, promising to be tough on borders and tough on (Muslim) terrorism, the dog-whistle politics on the issue of refugees and asylum seekers will be there for those wanting to hear it.</p>
<p>For Labor these policy issues have been difficult. It was Kevin Rudd who as PM <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-more-asylum-in-australia-for-those-arriving-by-boat-rudd-16238">declared that those arriving by boat would never be settled in Australia</a>, irrespective of the validity of their claims for protection under the UN <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/en-lk/1951-refugee-convention.html">Refugee Convention</a>. Labor supported efforts to get children out of detention on Manus Island, but doesn’t want to give the conservatives too much space to convincingly advance a “Labor weak on border security” line.</p>
<h2>Humanitarian intake is growing</h2>
<p>The Coalition governments of Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison have in fact increased Australia’s annual humanitarian intake significantly. The number has <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/BudgetReview201516/Migration">risen from just over 13,750 to more than 18,000</a> – though the government has not loudly broadcast this fact. </p>
<p>In addition, Abbott in 2015 announced a <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-ups-its-syrian-refugee-intake-but-what-about-its-own-backyard-47160">one-off intake of 12,000 Syrian conflict refugees</a>. Most of them arrived in 2017, effectively doubling the annual refugee intake in that year.</p>
<p>Australia – and the refugees – coped well, demonstrating the nation’s capacity to significantly increase refugee intakes. <a href="https://theconversation.com/refugees-are-integrating-just-fine-in-regional-australia-101188">Our research</a> with newly arrived Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugee families suggests they are settling well in Australia, receiving a warm welcome from locals in the cities and regional centres. Employment and family reunification are their key worries.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/refugees-are-integrating-just-fine-in-regional-australia-101188">Refugees are integrating just fine in regional Australia</a>
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</em>
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<hr>
<p>Labor’s shadow immigration minister, Shayne Neumann, has flagged a new <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/punjabi/en/article/2019/02/12/labor-government-will-replace-new-sponsored-parent-visa">temporary sponsored visa for the parents of migrants</a>. Unlike the current visa, it does not have a cap and it might assist refugees to get their parents to Australia.</p>
<p>Labor has <a href="https://www.alp.org.au/asylumseekers">announced it will increase the annual humanitarian intake</a> of refugees to 27,000 by 2025. It will also abolish <a href="https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-protection-785">Temporary Protection Visas</a> (TPVs). These visas provide boat arrivals who are found to be refugees the right to stay for only three years with work and study rights and access to Centrelink payments. As Labor argues, this places them “in a permanent state of limbo”.</p>
<p>The Coalition parties have not announced their policy intentions in relation to humanitarian intakes or the rights of asylum seekers, including those who arrived by boat.</p>
<p>At a time when Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton scans the horizon for new boat arrivals, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/worst-ever-immigration-minister-asylum-seekers-jet-in-under-dutton-s-nose-20190302-p511d8.html">record number of asylum seekers are arriving by plane</a> under tourist visas. In 2013-14, there were 18,718 asylum applications, including 9,072 boat arrivals. This had increased to <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2018/12/09/record-number-asylum-seekers-peter-dutton/">27,931 asylum applications, with no boat arrivals, by 2017-18</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267995/original/file-20190408-2931-1sgmyyr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267995/original/file-20190408-2931-1sgmyyr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267995/original/file-20190408-2931-1sgmyyr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267995/original/file-20190408-2931-1sgmyyr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267995/original/file-20190408-2931-1sgmyyr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267995/original/file-20190408-2931-1sgmyyr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267995/original/file-20190408-2931-1sgmyyr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267995/original/file-20190408-2931-1sgmyyr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Department of Home Affairs</span></span>
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<p>Each year the Australia government sets the permanent immigration targets. Until recently this was set at 190,00. In practice just <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/report-migration-program-2017-18.pdf">162,000 immigrants have been admitted</a> over the past year or so. </p>
<h2>A token cut and 2 new visas</h2>
<p>In this context Prime Minister Morrison’s announcement that the <a href="https://theconversation.com/slimmed-down-migration-program-has-regional-focus-113847">permanent immigration target will be cut to 160,000</a> is really no change in immigration policy. There is nothing to see here if you dismiss the need to be loudly anti-immigration in the current populist political climate.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/governments-population-plan-is-more-about-maximising-win-wins-than-cutting-numbers-114190">Government's population plan is more about maximising 'win-wins' than cutting numbers</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>The announcement is linked to congestion-busting in the major cities of Sydney and Melbourne. It is accompanied by the <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/federal-budget/immigration-cuts-and-regional-visas-to-ease-strain-on-sydney-and-melbourne/news-story/da7de88690966d4c202ab0d372a5b253">introduction of two new visa pathways</a> – the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa and the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa – for skilled migrants to live and work in regional areas for five years.</p>
<p>These visas offer the carrot of permanent residency at the end of three years to attract new immigrants to regional Australia. In addition, the budget announced that scholarships to the tune of $94 million over four years would be available to domestic and international students who study there.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/settling-migrants-in-regional-areas-will-need-more-than-a-visa-to-succeed-114196">Settling migrants in regional areas will need more than a visa to succeed</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Temporary migrants exploited</h2>
<p>Most immigration policy debates centre on permanent immigration intakes, particularly of humanitarian immigrants and asylum seekers. Yet annual temporary migrant intakes – international students, <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1617/Quick_Guides/WorkingHoliday">working holidaymakers</a> and temporary skilled workers – are <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1617/Quick_Guides/MigrationStatistics#_Table_2:_Temporary%20_and%20214,583%20Working%20Holiday%20Makers%20on%20417%20and%20462%20Visas">three times greater</a> than the permanent intake. <a href="https://docs.jobs.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/mwt_final_report.pdf">Over 800,000 temporary migrants</a> were in Australia in June 2018.</p>
<p>One key policy issue is the exploitation of temporary migrant workers. The Turnbull government abolished the 457 temporary skilled migration visa because of increasing <a href="https://theconversation.com/457-visa-changes-wont-impact-on-wider-temporary-education-workforce-and-maybe-thats-deliberate-76579">reports of abuse and exploitation by employers</a>.</p>
<p>One <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2017/11/apo-nid120406-1162971.pdf">recent survey</a> of 4,332 temporary migrant workers found “increasing evidence of widespread exploitation of temporary migrant workers, including wage theft”. <a href="https://www.mwji.org/highlights/2017/11/14/report-released-wage-theft-in-australia-findings-of-the-national-temporary-migrant-work-survey%20and%20other%20abuses%20of%20workers%20rights">Half of all temporary migrant workers may be underpaid</a>. About one in three international students and backpackers earned $12 an hour or less – about half the minimum wage.</p>
<p>This issue goes not just to the ethics of maintaining a temporary migration program largely premised on migrant worker exploitation. It also resonates with Labor’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-05/labors-budget-reply-was-a-careful-pitch-to-voters/10973572">campaign for a living wage and the restoration of penalty rates</a> for workers in response to the low rate of real wage growth in Australia, which constrains consumer demand.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ultra-low-wage-growth-isnt-accidental-it-is-the-intended-outcome-of-government-policies-113357">Ultra low wage growth isn't accidental. It is the intended outcome of government policies</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The 2019-20 federal budget allocated extra funding to the Fair Work Ombudsman to bolster enforcement action against employers who exploit vulnerable workers and announced the National Labour Hire Registration Scheme to <a href="https://www.jobs.gov.au/migrant-workers-taskforce">target rogue operators in the labour hire industry</a>. However, the research suggests wage theft is widespread in the small business sector, a key target for tax relief in the budget. It is an area of immigration policy that requires considerably more resources and punch.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/113557/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jock Collins receives funding for three research projects from the Australian Research Council</span></em></p>Immigration has featured as an issue in every Australian election since 2001. But the numbers often tell a different story from the political posturing.Jock Collins, Professor of Social Economics, UTS Business School, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/976012018-06-04T10:45:31Z2018-06-04T10:45:31ZLimits on Chinese graduate student visas may protect US intellectual property but drive away talent<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/221283/original/file-20180531-69514-idd291.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Trump administration may limit visas for Chinese students in hopes to curtail intellectual property theft. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/waving-usa-china-flag-together-dried-640597375?src=TTzkuMDffH2outQWQBi6ZA-1-11">Onur Buyuktezgel/www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Some Chinese students studying STEM-related fields may not be staying in the U.S. as long as they’d planned. The Trump administration announced on May 29 that it may limit some graduate students’ visas to one year. </p>
<p>Many U.S. universities have <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/07/12/new-report-shows-dependence-us-graduate-programs-foreign-students">looked to Chinese students</a> to fill out their programs and revenues, so this has caused <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/03/16/reports-trump-administration-considering-limits-visas-chinese-citizens-cause-concern">widespread concern</a> in higher education. </p>
<p>This debate rests on concerns dating back to at least 2004, when China was first elevated to the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s <a href="https://ustr.gov/archive/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2005/April/Special_301_Report_Finds_Progress_Need_for_Significant_Improvements.html">Priority Watch List</a> due to abuses of intellectual property. Since 2004, the USTR has issued reports documenting allegations of specific <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/opinion/china-us-intellectual-property-trump.html">theft and costs to the U.S. up to US$600 billion per year</a>. </p>
<p>The Chinese government under Xi Jinping has a clear and top-down <a href="https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2017/05/03/the_pitfalls_of_being_an_american_businessperson_in_china.html">“Made in China 2025” policy</a> that calls for accelerating the percentage of Chinese-made and designed products in advanced IT, robotics, aerospace, power, biotech and other fields. This pressures Chinese firms, researchers and individuals to get up to speed fast and – in my view – gives them an incentive to copy. </p>
<p>International students as a percentage of university populations have been <a href="http://graphics.wsj.com/international-students/">steadily rising</a> since 2005. Chinese students make up more than 30 percent of the total. Foreign STEM graduate students <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/10/11/foreign-students-and-graduate-stem-enrollment">make up between 50 and 80 percent</a>. Limiting the numbers Chinese and other foreign students in itself, however, will not make up for a shortage of homegrown American STEM talent at the graduate level. </p>
<p>The Great Wall of China was notoriously ineffective in keeping out foreign invaders. Each outpost could be gotten around. A policy that seems targeted only toward Chinese citizens could deter many talented Chinese students from coming. Moreover, there is the risk of deterring students from other countries as well, leading to an overall drop in student enrollment. The Chinese media is already fighting back with <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1104880.shtml">cries of U.S. insecurity and intimidation</a>.</p>
<p>Blanket policies, such as one-year visas, only serve to create a perception of xenophobia. I’m not clear on how limiting a visa to one year would affect those students who might be tempted to steal secrets, which can be done instantly via a flash drive. </p>
<p>The threat of intellectual property theft is real. An effective policy must focus first on clearly identifying sensitive areas of research, deciding what is private and public, and requiring clearances on a project-by-project basis. If certain technologies are funded by government agencies such as the National Science Foundation or the Department of Defense, it makes more sense for them to set the guidelines on security clearances. On the other hand, private companies funding university research, say in the “internet of things” for example, already have high incentives to protect their secrets. This would limit the number of individuals that need to be looked at and focus resources on quality rather than quantity of checks. Finally, as a more precise tool, it will leave less room for the kinds of backlash that will hurt broader U.S. interests among the nation’s universities and beyond.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97601/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jack Marr does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Trump administration’s plans to restrict visas for Chinese students to curtail intellectual property theft may be necessary, but could also scare away talent, a U.S-China relations expert warns.Jack Marr, Clinical Associate Professor of International Business, Boise State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/895372018-02-01T17:56:46Z2018-02-01T17:56:46ZVisa policy for overseas students with a disability is nonsensical and discriminatory<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/204150/original/file-20180131-38198-9skso8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Australia's rigorous health requirements exclude anyone who might be a threat to public health, or with a condition which could place excessive financial demands on public health or community services. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>International education is one of the pillars of economic growth in Australia. The government <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/StudyinginAustralia/Documents/future-directions.pdf">is committed to welcoming</a> people who genuinely want, and can afford, to study here. </p>
<p>Curiously though, if you are an overseas student with a disability or health issue, or have an accompanying family member with a similar condition, you are at serious risk of having your visa refused. The current policy doesn’t make sense and discriminates against people with disabilities.</p>
<h2>Migration health requirements</h2>
<p>Australia’s migration regulations are designed to protect Australia’s national interests. Australia’s rigorous health requirements exclude anyone who might be a threat to public health, or with a condition which could place excessive financial demands on public health or community services. </p>
<p>Few would disagree with controlling the entry of diseases such as Ebola or active tuberculosis into Australia. The other arm of policy though, protecting the budget, is less straightforward.</p>
<hr>
<p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-ebola-started-spread-and-spiralled-out-of-control-32137">How Ebola started, spread and spiralled out of control</a>
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</em>
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<p>For the purpose of the visa health requirement, “excessive” cost to public services is set at AU$40,000. This could be for the period of a two month visit, or for permanent residence. </p>
<p>Applicants for some visas can apply for a <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa/Heal/meeting-the-health-requirement/health-waivers">waiver of the health requirement</a> on the grounds the economic and social benefits they bring to Australia outweigh the costs. But no waiver is available for most student visas. So, if a student applicant or a family member fails the health requirement, the visa is simply refused.</p>
<h2>Visa requirements</h2>
<p>As a visa requirement, international students must: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>demonstrate they have private health insurance for all family members </p></li>
<li><p>demonstrate they have funds sufficient to cover all educational costs for themselves and their family and to support their family for the duration of their studies, and</p></li>
<li><p>ensure their children under the age of 18 attend school. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>If they fail to meet these obligations, they may have their visa cancelled. On that basis, they must meet any health or education costs for themselves and their family members. </p>
<p>As temporary residents, international students are not eligible for Medicare under the <a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/hia1973164/">Health Insurance Act</a>. Neither are they eligible for pharmaceutical benefits, or Commonwealth or state disability support services.</p>
<p>Despite this, an applicant for a higher degree with a health condition and associated medical costs which could exceed AU$40,000 over the life of their student visa, will still be refused the visa.</p>
<p>Similarly, a young family member with a disability such as Down syndrome will fail the health requirement. The child will be assessed as eligible for education support, or “special” education. Even though the applicant must demonstrate their capacity to pay all costs associated with their child’s education, they may be refused the visa. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/204151/original/file-20180131-38190-ifu2cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/204151/original/file-20180131-38190-ifu2cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/204151/original/file-20180131-38190-ifu2cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/204151/original/file-20180131-38190-ifu2cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/204151/original/file-20180131-38190-ifu2cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/204151/original/file-20180131-38190-ifu2cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/204151/original/file-20180131-38190-ifu2cw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">International students can fail the health requirement if their child has Down syndrome, even though they would be required to cover any associated education costs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In fact, some state governments elect not to charge school fees for student visa family members, regardless of whether they use regular or “special” education. This further underlines the discriminatory approach of the federal government. For the purposes of the health requirement, only “special” education is taken into account when assessing cost to the community. Regular education may equally be a cost, but this isn’t taken into account in the visa process.</p>
<h2>Cost to the community?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/migrant-intake/report">2016 Productivity Commission Report into Migrant Intake</a> noted international student visa holders “are unlikely to impose a significant fiscal cost on the Australian government”. This is because they are “excluded from free or subsidised access to most government-funded services (such as health and welfare) and are required to pay some or all of their public education expenses”. In fact, they were characterised as “a direct net fiscal benefit”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-temporary-migration-is-changing-australia-and-the-world-63035">How temporary migration is changing Australia – and the world</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>So, an international student who spends money on pharmaceuticals, services like speech pathology or physiotherapy, or special education is actually a greater net fiscal benefit than a visa holder who does not use these services. </p>
<h2>Fair and reasonable</h2>
<p>The absurd situation of costing visa applicants for community services which they cannot access because of their temporary visa status has been addressed by government before.</p>
<p>The preamble to a 2011 <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2011L01098/Explanatory%20Statement/Text">amendment to the Migration Act 1958</a> noted: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>It certainly would not seem fair or reasonable […] to refuse to grant a temporary visa to an applicant with a disability, or an elderly applicant, on the basis of services that they would not be eligible for when in Australia due to the type of visa they are applying for and would hold if granted. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>This amendment was subsequently <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/house_of_representatives_committees?url=mig/disability/report.htm">described</a> by the government as “a significant and justified departure” from previous practice. Regrettably, the principle of “fair and reasonable” has never been applied to student visas.</p>
<h2>Disability discrimination</h2>
<p>Finally, there is the issue of the ethics. This situation has arisen because the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C1958A00062">Migration Act 1958</a> is exempt from the provisions of the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00763">Disability Discrimination Act 1992</a>. </p>
<p>There is no logical reason for an applicant to be refused a student visa on the grounds of potential cost to Australia’s community or health services. International students can’t access these services at a cost to the community.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/migrants-are-healthier-than-the-average-australian-so-they-cant-be-a-burden-on-the-health-system-79753">Migrants are healthier than the average Australian, so they can't be a burden on the health system</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>When assessing a student visa applicant against the health requirements, the applicant should be exempt from all costings related to health, community and disability support services. </p>
<p>Rewriting the Disability Discrimination Act to remedy this situation may not be straightforward. But the Minister for Home Affairs has the power to amend migration regulations relating to applicants for student visas without going through parliament, simply by creating new legislation in the form of a <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A01224">legislative instrument</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89537/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jan Gothard is a Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1569102) and works as a health and disability specialist for Estrin Saul Lawyers, Perth. She is an adjunct Associate Professor of Law at Murdoch University. </span></em></p>Overseas students with a disability shouldn’t be denied visas on the basis of potential cost to Australia’s community or health services. They are required to pay for these services themselves anyway.Jan Gothard, Adjunct Associate Professor, Murdoch UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/765792017-04-24T06:41:58Z2017-04-24T06:41:58Z457 visa changes won’t impact on wider temporary education workforce. And maybe that’s deliberate<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/166417/original/file-20170424-12650-s7r721.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">International student visa allows you to work up to 20 hours a week.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Turnbull Government’s decision to scrap the 457-skilled temporary worker visa puts the spotlight on temporary migrant workers in Australia. </p>
<p>This is not surprising, since each year Australia takes in some 700,000 temporary migrants and 200,000 permanent migrants.</p>
<p>What is surprising is the under-estimated role of the Australian tertiary education sector in temporary worker migration, the reason why universities have been among the most <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/apr/20/universities-fear-457-visa-changes-will-harm-ability-to-attract-academic-talent">outspoken critics</a>. </p>
<h2>Bulk of temporary migrant labour force will remain</h2>
<p>Most obvious here is the demand side - universities employ about <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/04/20/pure-lunacy-university-heads-warn-turnbull-visa-changes-will-gut-teaching-staff">1,500 lecturers</a> and 250 tutors on 457 visas. </p>
<p>Universities are also worried about the impact of the axing of the 457 visa on international PhD students gaining Australian employment after graduation. They could not fulfil their research, teaching and innovation agendas without ready access to globally-mobile academics. </p>
<p>Less obvious is the supply side: the fact that international students enrolled at Australian universities provide temporary work that is the equivalent of more than three times the size of the 457 visa program. </p>
<p>In addition to the 457 program, Australia receives about 250,000 temporary migrants on working holiday maker visas (WHMs) a year, who also add considerably to the temporary migrant workforce.</p>
<p>If the problem the government was addressing - by abolishing the 457 program – is that of temporary migrant workers, their impact on jobs in Australia and their experiences of exploitation, it has targeted a fraction of the problem, leaving the bulk of the temporary migrant labour force unchanged. </p>
<h2>International students bring in the money</h2>
<p>Could this be because international education is the third largest export earner in Australia, contributing <a href="https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/.../Export%20Income%20FY2015-16">$19.9 billion in 2015-16</a>, while a continued resupply of WHMs are critical for the seasonal labour supply for <a href="https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/16-027">Australia’s agricultural industry</a>, as well as restaurant and services jobs in the cities?</p>
<p>We know that Australian universities rely on international students much more than universities in other countries. </p>
<p>International students are more prominent in Australia than in any other OECD countries, with the exception of Luxembourg:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>In 2012 international students comprised 18.3% of all tertiary enrolments in Australia compared to the <a href="http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/international-migration-outlook-2014_migr_outlook-2014-en">OECD average of 7.6%</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>In 2015, <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/ArticleDocuments/169/Data%20snapshotv6%20webres.pdf.aspx">271,354</a> international students were enrolled in Australia universities.</p></li>
<li><p>In 2016, Australia took in a record <a href="https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/International-Student-Data/Documents/MONTHLY%20SUMMARIES/2016/12_December_2016_FullYearAnalysis.pdf">554,179</a> full-fee paying international students. </p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Student visa also a temporary work visa</h2>
<p>Because the international student visa permits international students to work up to 20 hours per week, it is also a temporary migrant worker visa. </p>
<p>Assuming all international tertiary students work 20 hours per week, this is the equivalent workforce impact of an extra 146,677 457 visa holders working a 37 hour week, or more than three times the total intake (<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-15/what-is-a-457-visa/8026280">45,400</a>) of 457 visas workers last year.</p>
<p>This is a conservative estimate, since research suggests that many are forced to work longer hours to make ends meet in Australia.</p>
<p>According to many judgements and reports made by the Fair Work Commission, the evidence suggests that many international students are exploited, paid under award wages in often substandard workplaces. </p>
<h2>International students working longer hours</h2>
<p>The most notorious recent example of systematic exploitation of international student workers is the case of the international 7-Eleven franchise.</p>
<p>According to one <a href="https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/access-accountability-and-reporting/inquiry-reports#7-11">report</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A common payroll fraud employed by 7-Eleven franchisees is known as the ‘half-pay scam’, where staff members are paid for only half the hours they work. Under the half-pay scam, a worker is forced to work for 40 hours a week for an average of $12 per hour against an award rate of $24 per hour. </p>
<p>As part of the scam the franchisee will doctor the roster and fudge time sheets to make it appear that the staff member has only worked half the hours in the store that they have actually worked.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>According to the <a href="http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/migrant-intake/report">Productivity Commission</a>, about half of permanent visa grants are to people who are already in Australia as temporary immigrants.</p>
<p>Many 457 and international student visa temporary migrants eventually become permanent. This makes a lot of sense: those on one or more temporary visas have experience living and working in Australia, have often accumulated human capital from Australian universities and developed social networks (social capital) within Australia and improved their English (linguistic capital). </p>
<p>It is this ability for migrants to transition from temporary to permanent visas that is the strongest argument against the claim that Australia has abandoned the settler immigration model that worked so well for five or six post-war decades in favour of a guest-worker immigration model.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/166415/original/file-20170424-23807-1buefge.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/166415/original/file-20170424-23807-1buefge.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/166415/original/file-20170424-23807-1buefge.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/166415/original/file-20170424-23807-1buefge.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=365&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/166415/original/file-20170424-23807-1buefge.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/166415/original/file-20170424-23807-1buefge.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/166415/original/file-20170424-23807-1buefge.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/migrant-intake/report/migrant-intake-report.pdf">Department of Immigration and Border Protection/ Productivity Commission report p.420</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Ripped off?</h2>
<p>Sometimes the journey to permanent residence in Australia is via a series of temporary visas, a sort of boomerang migration pathway. </p>
<p>According to the <a href="http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/migrant-intake/report">Productivity Commission</a>, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The number of former international students who use the multi-step pathway to a graduate visa followed by permanent skill stream immigration has increased”. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>For example, over the period 1991–2014, 34,340 people transferred from an international student visa to a temporary skilled visa (12,870 of these to a 457 visa).</p>
<p>However, one consequence of the decision to scrap the 457 visa and replace it with a temporary skilled workers visa with a short-term stream (two years without a pathway to permanent residence) and a medium-term stream (four years with a pathway to permanent residence) is that it reinforced the guest-worker character of Australia’s current immigration program. </p>
<p>This undermines national building in Australia and seems at odds with the Turnbull Government’s increased focus on <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-20/migrants-to-face-tougher-tests-for-australian-citizenship/8456392">successful citizenship outcomes</a> and a redefined multicultural policy that recognised that the country’s <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/politics/three-changes-the-turnbull-government-has-made-to-australias-multicultural-statement/news-story/772da543dbda3650ccf9eba818747a61">“multilingual workforce”</a> is a competitive edge in an increasingly globalised economy. </p>
<hr>
<p>• <strong>This article was amended on 24 April to correct a factual inaccuracy. The article said “Australia receives about 250 million temporary migrants on working holiday maker visa”, when it should have said 250,000.</strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/76579/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jock Collins receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>By abolishing the 457 visa program the government has targeted a fraction of the problem, leaving the bulk of the temporary migrant labour force unchanged.Jock Collins, Professor of Social Economics, UTS Business School, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/704562016-12-16T09:40:00Z2016-12-16T09:40:00ZIndian students at British universities is a tradition we should cherish and protect<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150294/original/image-20161215-13644-2fywkg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Group photo of female students studying at Maria Grey College, London, 1905 - 1907.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Image supplied by Brunel University London Archives</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/dec/12/uk-halve-international-student-visa-tougher-rules">recent reports</a> that the Home Office is considering cutting international student visas by nearly half, it’s clear that the government is <a href="https://theconversation.com/amber-rudd-gives-us-another-ill-informed-and-imprudent-attack-on-international-students-66590">keen to stick to its promise</a> to crack down on numbers of international students.</p>
<p>In her speech at the Conservative Party conference earlier this year, the home secretary Amber Rudd revealed government plans to create “two-tier visa rules” which would affect “poorer-quality universities and courses” in a bid to limit the number of international students coming to study in the UK.</p>
<p>Then there was Theresa May’s recent trip to India, which was dominated by the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37891734">row over visas</a>. This was in part because when May was in the role of home secretary she introduced tighter immigration rules – halving the number of Indian students in Britain. </p>
<p>The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/07/theresa-may-visa-offer-india-citizens-uk">expressed his country’s dissatisfaction</a> saying that if Britain wanted post-Brexit trade, it needed to reciprocate by opening its doors to India’s youth. Ever since, Indian newspapers have tracked how visa regulations are making the <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/education/will-trump-brexit-send-international-students-to-france-germany/story-dLGKsNc1vV2ER9chxi4YiJ.html">UK a less attractive option for Indian students</a>. </p>
<p>For UK universities seeking closer ties with Indian partners, the government’s stance and recent announcement are unfathomable – and have been condemned by many <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/dec/12/uk-halve-international-student-visa-tougher-rules">university vice-chancellors</a>. This is because not only do Indian students have a long tradition here in the UK – but also because it sends out a completely opposite message to the one universities are trying to promote: one of welcoming international students.</p>
<h2>Historical ties</h2>
<p><a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sfGOAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=Dhunjeebhoy+Naoroji&source=bl&ots=eTPqQckDn6&sig=qvmb2a1bQ1w7m5ebHh2LHm0u6jQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwip0tKnldPQAhUCJ8AKHU9xBa4Q6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=Dhunjeebhoy%20Naoroji&f=false">Indian students</a> first came to study in Britain in the 1840s. They were Christian converts attending theological colleges or young Bengalis completing medical training. At first only a handful arrived each year – but from the 1870s numbers began to swell. </p>
<p>Most came to study law or medicine or prepare for the Indian Civil Service exams. The majority were Hindus from Bengal or Bombay – but there were also disproportionate numbers of Muslims, Parsis and Christians. By the interwar years as many as 1,800 Indian students were in the UK at any point.</p>
<p>Most Indian students were attracted by the <a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/makingbritain/content/lytton-report-indian-students">prestige associated with degrees or qualifications</a> awarded in Britain – and, as long as Britain maintained its vast empire, its universities and institutes were considered the pinnacle of postgraduate education. </p>
<p>Some professions in India were not even open to applicants without a British qualification. For example, between 1853 and 1922, it was only possible to sit the <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=sfGOAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA9&lpg=PA9&dq=Lahiri+Indians+in+Britain+Indian+Civil+Service+examination+1922&source=bl&ots=eTPrScmJo2&sig=ds8ngaiJc53blvRXb8iRIvbL7gM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjGgMuulfbQAhVlCcAKHUaaD2UQ6AEILzAD#v=onepage&q=Lahiri%20Indians%20in%20Britain%20Indian%20Civil%20Service%20examination%201922&f=false">examinations for the Indian Civil Service in Britain</a>. Similarly, to be an advocate in the Indian courts during the Raj (with the right to defend or prosecute criminal cases) required a call to the Bar in Britain.</p>
<h2>Student support</h2>
<p>Of course, the large numbers of Indian students in imperial Britain required adequate support. And the India Office in London took responsibility for receiving and settling newly-arrived students via a philanthropic organisation called the <a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/makingbritain/content/national-indian-association">National Indian Association</a>. Founded in 1870, its aim was to spread knowledge of India in Britain and foster friendly relations between Indians and Britons.</p>
<p>Young Indian students were invited to attend its lectures, social gatherings and sightseeing tours. At these events, they mixed freely and forged friendships with British college students, wardens and professors, as well as former colonial officers and earlier Indian migrants.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150328/original/image-20161215-26074-1k4br8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150328/original/image-20161215-26074-1k4br8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150328/original/image-20161215-26074-1k4br8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=792&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150328/original/image-20161215-26074-1k4br8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=792&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150328/original/image-20161215-26074-1k4br8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=792&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150328/original/image-20161215-26074-1k4br8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=996&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150328/original/image-20161215-26074-1k4br8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=996&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150328/original/image-20161215-26074-1k4br8r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=996&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Gandhi as a law student in London.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some of the most famous Indians in recent history were students in Britain. Best known is <a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/makingbritain/content/mohandas-karamchand-gandhi">Mohandas Gandhi</a> who spent three years at Inner Temple in London from 1888 preparing to be a barrister. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/makingbritain/content/srinivasa-ramanujan">Srinavasa Ramanujan</a> was also a student in Britain. During World War I, he studied theoretical maths at Trinity College, Cambridge. And a recent film biopic, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0787524/">The Man Who Knew Infinity</a>, highlighted his struggle with racial bigotry, English food and ill-health due to the cold and damp climate – <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-man-who-knew-infinity-a-mathematicians-life-comes-to-the-movies-50777">even though he flourished intellectually</a>. Sadly, his experience echoed that of many students from colonial India.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150322/original/image-20161215-26074-wq5du7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150322/original/image-20161215-26074-wq5du7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150322/original/image-20161215-26074-wq5du7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150322/original/image-20161215-26074-wq5du7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150322/original/image-20161215-26074-wq5du7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150322/original/image-20161215-26074-wq5du7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150322/original/image-20161215-26074-wq5du7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150322/original/image-20161215-26074-wq5du7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Srinavasa Ramanujan at Cambridge.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other Indian students in imperial Britain may have been less well-known, but that doesn’t make them any less important to our history – including the sizeable numbers of women who came from India to study in the UK. </p>
<p>As the author <a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/makingbritain/content/atiya-fyzee">Atiya Fyzee</a> wrote while training to be a teacher at Maria Grey College in London in 1907:
“Whichever educational institution I go to, I always find some or other Indian girl”. Her own studies were funded by a scholarship from the colonial government directed at women teachers. </p>
<p>Because female students were considered more of a curiosity than their male counterparts they appear to have received a warmer reception from the British public. After studying at Leeds University in the 1930s, <a href="http://www.dawn.com/news/1204906">Iqbalunnisa Hussain</a> recorded the generous hospitality offered by professors, her fellow students and members of the local community.</p>
<h2>Writing history</h2>
<p>A great deal is known about Indian students in the colonial period from their own writings. Highly literate and articulate, they wrote letters, diaries, speeches and memoirs that described their impressions and experiences – and these original sources have drawn the attention of many historians. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150297/original/image-20161215-13663-1y0e05b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150297/original/image-20161215-13663-1y0e05b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/150297/original/image-20161215-13663-1y0e05b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150297/original/image-20161215-13663-1y0e05b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150297/original/image-20161215-13663-1y0e05b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150297/original/image-20161215-13663-1y0e05b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150297/original/image-20161215-13663-1y0e05b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/150297/original/image-20161215-13663-1y0e05b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Indian staff and students at Cambridge University, 1907.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But they are also relevant to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/04/rudd-announces-crackdown-on-overseas-students-and-new-work-visas">current debate over visas</a> for overseas students. This is because they point to the overwhelming benefits – as well as the challenges – of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/nov/27/international-students-life-after-brexit-universities">welcoming international students</a> to UK universities. They can also help us to understand how those challenges may be overcome. </p>
<p>Indian students have been drawn to study in Britain since the colonial period. And if we forfeit that legacy now, our universities and our communities will be all the poorer for it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/70456/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Siobhan Lambert-Hurley receives funding from The Leverhulme Trust.</span></em></p>Visa regulations are making the UK a less attractive option for Indian students.Siobhan Lambert-Hurley, Reader in International History, University of SheffieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/629612016-07-27T04:18:52Z2016-07-27T04:18:52ZWhy we’re making no progress tackling the exploitation of migrant workers<p>On Tuesday night, <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/tvepisode/fair-work-fair-pay">SBS’ Insight program</a> aired concerns about temporary migrant labour exploitation. These issues tend to come to national attention when a <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/7-eleven">particular case is exposed</a>, but mostly they are not seen as national priorities – and, as such, the response is generally reactive rather than proactive.</p>
<p>The exploitation to have attracted attention most recently often involves student-visa holders, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/05/04/4227055.htm">working-holiday-visa holders</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/evidence-of-employers-misusing-457-visas-shows-need-for-reform-41443">457-visa holders</a>.</p>
<p>Just a little under ten years ago, many of these situations would more immediately have been framed as issues of <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-06-15/costello---labour-trafficking2c-not-sex-trafficking-needs-more/2758200">labour trafficking</a>. But, since then, there has been a shift away from identifying and responding to these cases as potential slavery or trafficking offences, and instead focusing on labour exploitation as an issue for the Fair Work Ombudsman to review and/or redress. </p>
<h2>The problems with purely pursuing employers</h2>
<p>The current focus in tackling temporary migrant labour exploitation is workplace breaches. This involves the pursuit of employers who have paid below the minimum rate or breached working conditions in other ways to achieve outcomes such as financial reparation for employees and, potentially, to fine employers.</p>
<p>There are a number of concerns to be raised here.</p>
<p>First, while it <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/temporary_work_visa/Report">has been recommended</a> that the Fair Work Ombudsman has no responsibility to report on migration status to the Department of Immigration, for many workers their migration status is a significant concern and obstacle to reporting exploitative conditions. </p>
<p>Such conditions and fears include non-payment, significant wage deduction, being forced to work in breach of visa conditions and experiencing a range of threats, intimidation and/or abuse. An example is student-visa holders being required to work for more hours than they are entitled with the threat of being fired if they don’t complete the hours. </p>
<p>And the threat of being reported to the department, even for those whose work status is legal, has been identified as a significant obstacle to reporting employer exploitation. There is a concern that migration status, particularly for those who are working in breach of visa conditions, is an obstacle to making contact or working with the Fair Work Ombudsman.</p>
<p>The fear of deportation and/or the inability to find alternative employment is significant. This is the case for many reasons, including but not limited to the shame of returning home, fear of retribution from the employer, or the significant debts incurred to get to Australia. </p>
<p>We need to understand the vulnerabilities of workers who have been exploited, and to create a system that supports workers – regardless of their migration status. The current response is not focused on preventing exploitation but responding to it, and is not well-designed to respond to the complex issues that impact workers coming forward in the first instance. </p>
<p>The second concern is the distinction between cases referred to the Fair Work Ombudsman and cases referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for criminal investigation, and why there is no overlap.</p>
<p>The AFP currently has no process for referring a case they are dealing with to the Fair Work Ombudsman to enable the pursuit of remuneration and/or compensation. Similarly, there is no formal process for referring cases to the AFP. It is unclear why this is not happening.</p>
<p>In the course of my research involving interviews with stakeholders, authorities and migrant workers, it has been made clear that some of the cases related to the 7-Eleven scandal have included situations where individuals had passports confiscated, were forced to work in breach of student visa conditions and were living in accommodation controlled by their employer.</p>
<p>It seems none of the 7-Eleven cases raised so far have been investigated by the AFP as possible offences under the slavery or slavery-like practices legislation. Yet the cases that have come to light have clear and direct overlap with the relevant Criminal Code.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131905/original/image-20160726-24908-1hm8309.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/131905/original/image-20160726-24908-1hm8309.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131905/original/image-20160726-24908-1hm8309.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131905/original/image-20160726-24908-1hm8309.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131905/original/image-20160726-24908-1hm8309.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131905/original/image-20160726-24908-1hm8309.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/131905/original/image-20160726-24908-1hm8309.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">None of the cases arising out of the 7-Eleven scandal have been reported or discussed with the AFP.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">fridy/flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>It’s trafficking, too</h2>
<p>Human trafficking is tackled as an issue of criminal exploitation. This requires AFP involvement to determine whether there is a <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A04868">potential criminal offence</a> and the transfer onto the government-funded, <a href="http://www.redcross.org.au/support-for-trafficked-people.aspx">Red Cross-provided Support for Trafficking People</a> package (if required/desired by the victim/witness). This process is solely focused on criminal matters as an outcome, in addition to welfare and support provisions for victims.</p>
<p>There is no automatic or supported process to enable access to remuneration or compensation. All civil matters are outside of this process. </p>
<p>Civil compensation in trafficking cases <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/sex-slave-victim-wins-abuse-claim/2007/05/28/1180205160434.html">has been sought</a>. But it is clear this process is piecemeal and pursued purely on a case-by-case basis.</p>
<p>Australia has pursued <a href="https://www.cdpp.gov.au/case-reports/filter?field_category_tid=15">very few trafficking-related charges</a>. This creates a vacuum of legal precedence in the area of human trafficking, reproducing a false notion that Australia remains a nation where such practices are relatively uncommon. </p>
<p>The absence of transparency regarding the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions decisions not to pursue trafficking cases referred to it via the AFP, other than to note the <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/australias-human-trafficking-crisis-forced-marriage-labour-exploitation-are-rising/news-story/9e9fae0181034b65860bd3b03d8c7455">limitations of the evidence</a>, creates a significant obstacle to understanding how best we can pursue prosecutions under these laws. </p>
<p>There is an opportunity to review how we respond across all forms of temporary migrant labour exploitation – regardless of the victim’s migration status – to ensure both criminal charges and civil and administrative remedies are pursued. </p>
<p>This will allow us to better understand the breadth of exploitation that is occurring in the dark places across many industries, and to better redress the conditions that create and sustain exploitative practices.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/62961/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marie Segrave is an ARC DECRA Research Fellow (Unlawful temporary migration labour: regulation, exploitation and vulnerability, 2014-2018). Marie leads the Trafficking and Labour Exploitation research agenda at the Border Observatory (<a href="http://www.borderobservatory.org">www.borderobservatory.org</a>)</span></em></p>The primary focus in tackling temporary migrant labour exploitation is workplace breaches. But should it be?Marie Segrave, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/484192015-10-13T05:21:10Z2015-10-13T05:21:10ZTen sure ways countries can turn away international students<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97933/original/image-20151009-9150-35o0er.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">How not to make them feel welcome. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">International students via Lucky Business/www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The Conversation’s international teams are collaborating on a series of articles about the Globalisation of Higher Education, examining how universities are changing in an increasingly globalised world. This is the second article in the series. Read more <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/globalisation-of-higher-education">here</a>.</em></p>
<p>The pursuit of global mobility in a world divided up into nations invokes a fundamental dilemma. Free passage without harassment is a right we routinely expect to exercise whenever we travel abroad. Yet the right of people within a country to determine who enters their nation is enshrined in law. This unresolvable tension between sovereignty and mobility catches international students in its grip. </p>
<p>More than <a href="http://www.oecd.org/edu/Education-at-a-Glance-2014.pdf">4.5m students cross borders</a> every year for educational purposes, mostly entering English-speaking countries, Western Europe, China, Japan and Russia. The great majority of these students return home when their education ends, though <a href="https://theconversation.com/hard-evidence-how-many-foreign-students-stay-in-the-uk-45506">some become skilled migrants</a> to the country of education, or other countries. Nations compete for international students – every country wants high-quality research students and some make a profit from international undergraduate and masters-level students. In the UK, for example, <a href="http://blog.universitiesuk.ac.uk/2014/04/04/study-highlights-value-of-international-students-to-the-uk/">Universities UK reported</a> that international students spent £4.4 billion on fees and accommodation in 2011-12. </p>
<p>However, education policy is all too often in tension with migration policy. The United States (after September 11, 2001), Australia (in 2010-2011) and the United Kingdom (now) have all slowed down their student intake because of security concerns, or local opposition to migration. In each case numbers fell sharply and stayed down. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98060/original/image-20151012-17809-1r58gmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98060/original/image-20151012-17809-1r58gmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98060/original/image-20151012-17809-1r58gmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98060/original/image-20151012-17809-1r58gmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98060/original/image-20151012-17809-1r58gmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98060/original/image-20151012-17809-1r58gmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98060/original/image-20151012-17809-1r58gmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/98060/original/image-20151012-17809-1r58gmo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=522&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Change in number of foreign students.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.appgmigration.org.uk/sites/default/files/APPG_PSW_Inquiry_Report-FINAL.pdf">UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Migration</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What not to do</h2>
<p>The past two decades of experience in international student policy suggests a checklist of ten things that a nation can do to ensure that it becomes as uncompetitive as possible in international education, and drives down foreign student numbers:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Make your visas more expensive than the competition. Currently, <a href="http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Documents/2014/InternationalStudentsInHigherEducation.pdf">UK visas</a> are at the top end of costs among the principal education exporting countries. It <a href="https://www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa">costs £322</a> to apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa from outside the UK. </p></li>
<li><p>Slow down the time for visa processing, so education agents push families to choose competitor countries. This happened in Australia in 2011 in relation to Chinese students – families went to the US. The visa rules were relaxed and <a href="http://monitor.icef.com/2014/03/australia-reverses-three-year-enrolment-decline-commencements-up-sharply-in-2013/">the numbers picked up</a> again. </p></li>
<li><p>Ensure that universities and colleges not only charge high tuition fees, but require families to bank a full year of living cost support for several months before enrolment begins, as the UK does at present.</p></li>
<li><p>Use a discriminatory policy against students from major countries such as India or China, or better still, whole regions such as the Middle East. Subject those students, and not others, to extra checks at entry and extra reporting requirements. Ask their universities to spy on them and regularly report to immigration authorities – as <a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/student-privacy-and-patriot-act/">with the Patriot Act</a> under George W Bush in the US, and as the UK does in relation to <a href="https://theconversation.com/university-lecturers-must-remain-educators-not-border-guards-23948">non-EU students at present</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>Allow the local media to mount sustained attacks on international students as a group for destroying the national way of life, or triggering an urban crime wave, or consuming fast foods with strange smells in city precincts, or being dangerous drivers. <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0511741197">This happened in New Zealand</a> 12 years ago and the Chinese government advised families not to send their student children to New Zealand. Numbers dropped like a stone.</p></li>
<li><p>Restrict work rights during study and, better still, impose a blanket ban on international students working during vacations, so students cannot earn the money they need to cover their fees and living costs. Both the UK and Australia limit working time. The UK is <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/foreign-students-will-be-banned-from-working-in-the-uk-and-forced-to-leave-as-soon-as-they-finish-10385232.html">planning to introduce this</a> for international students from outside the EU. </p></li>
<li><p>Send lightning raids into workplaces in case international students are working more than their maximum weekly hours – and deport them on the spot if they do. Australia <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0511741197">used to do</a> this. </p></li>
<li><p>Make it <a href="http://www.barclays.co.uk/Helpsupport/Identificationforstudentbankaccounts/P1242557966021">hard</a> for international students to open a bank account without a place of residence and impossible to rent an apartment without a bank account – which happens in the UK. Do the same with mobile phone contracts. </p></li>
<li><p>Make it expensive to be covered by medical insurance (as <a href="http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/healthinsurance/overseas/oshc.htm">it is in Australia</a>), visit a doctor or access hospitals and other emergency services. </p></li>
<li><p>Restrict the rights of students to stay and work once they have graduated. This is crucial, as students who want to migrate need work rights to build the bridge to migration, and others need work to pay back their loans. The UK used to encourage students to work for two years after graduation, but in 2012 the policy changed so that a graduate had just four months to get a job worth £24,000 or more a year in their field of training. The number of visas given to former students in the <a href="http://www.appgmigration.org.uk/sites/default/files/APPG_PSW_Inquiry_Report-FINAL.pdf">UK declined</a> from a peak of 43,319 in 2011, to 557 in 2013. </p></li>
</ol>
<h2>The worst possible timing</h2>
<p>The UK is now planning to force graduates to leave the UK before applying for graduate jobs, which <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/foreign-students-will-be-banned-from-working-in-the-uk-and-forced-to-leave-as-soon-as-they-finish-10385232.html">will make it even harder</a> for them to stay. Highly skilled graduates will go elsewhere.</p>
<p>International students are the collateral damage of migration politics. Cutting temporary migration by students is the easiest way to reduce the number of people coming in to a country, even though most students never become permanent migrants. </p>
<p>In the UK it will probably get worse before it gets better. The home secretary, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/06/theresa-may-speech-new-low-politics-migration">Theresa May, says that high migration</a> is a threat to national cohesion and higher education institutions must be prepared for a drop in international student numbers. But if the UK government follows May down the migration-bashing route and bears down harder on international student entry and graduate work rights, that is not a recipe for a wobble in the market, but the ongoing loss of a chunk of market share. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0511741197">Evidence</a> from the US in the wake of the 2001 Patriot Act, and Australia after its slowing of visas and noncompetitive work rights in 2010-2011 suggest that when student numbers fall, the downturn lasts for years, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-attracts-chinese-students-to-aussie-universities-46748">lingers even</a> after policies reverse again. </p>
<p>But the major problem for the UK is the timing. Different countries have to face popular resistance to migration, but those moments do not always coincide. While the UK government is talking about massive cuts to migration, it so happens that the US, Canada, Australia, China, Japan and Germany are stepping up efforts to attract international students. Growth is surging in the US and Australia. Both countries have learned from past mistakes and are being careful to avoid the ten “dont’s” on this list.</p>
<p><em>UPDATE: Point seven in this article incorrectly said students were raided for working more than their minimum working hours. It was updated to read their maximum working hours.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/48419/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Marginson receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council to support the ESRC/HEFCE Centre for Global Higher Education.</span></em></p>A checklist of how countries can be as uncompetitive as possible in attracting overseas students.Simon Marginson, Professor of International Higher Education, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/469412015-09-04T00:23:35Z2015-09-04T00:23:35ZTemporary migrants are people, not ‘labour’<p>This week’s <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/08/30/4301164.htm">Four Corners expose</a> on the plight of underpaid international students at 7-Eleven franchises comes as a <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/temporary_work_visa">Senate inquiry</a> investigates the rights of temporary migrant workers.</p>
<p>The inquiry is looking at the vulnerability of migrant workers to exploitation; the compliance challenges of temporary migration; and the question of whether migrants are displacing local workers. Yet many larger questions about what temporary migration means to Australian society remain unanswered and indeed are rarely asked.</p>
<p>More than one million temporary migrants are currently resident in Australia, making up approximately 6-8% of the workforce. </p>
<p>The huge increase in temporary migration programs that we are seeing today represents a disruption of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/report-marks-australias-shift-from-settler-to-temporary-migrant-nation-34794">“settler migrant” paradigm</a> of old. Yet we don’t know enough about the lives of temporary migrants outside the workplace. What are the social circumstances of nearly one million residents living and working on temporary visas? And what are the consequences of temporary migration for these migrants’ families and for communities and Australian society overall?</p>
<h2>A path to permanency</h2>
<p>Both statistical and sociological work shows that temporary migration programs are in fact very closely connected to permanent intakes. About 50% of permanent residencies are now granted to migrants already living onshore on temporary visas, and a proportion of offshore PR grants go to migrants who have previously lived in Australia on temporary visas. </p>
<p>Almost 50% of Temporary Work (Skilled) or subclass 457 visas are also granted to onshore applicants. Around 142,405 student visa holders transitioned onto another visa after study in 2012-2013. </p>
<p>What these figures show is that for many migrants temporariness has become long-term and multi-staged, with the path to permanent residency and citizenship non-linear. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14747731.2011.576850#.VefjtfmqpBc">Overseas research</a>, especially from Canada, has shown that extended periods with a temporary status have long-term impacts on migrants even after they become permanent — in terms of labour market integration and income, but also in terms of social wellbeing. Living in Australia for a long time across different visa statuses is “precarious” both within the labour market and more broadly. This precariousness is characterised by a general uncertainty about the future; pressures to make decisions about careers and other life choices in relation to migration outcomes; and a lack of access to social and political rights despite extended periods paying tax and living in the Australian community.</p>
<h2>Families and temporariness</h2>
<p>The focus on temporary migrants as workers often leaves out any analysis of their social and family lives. </p>
<p>Several temporary visa categories (including students, 457 workers and graduate workers) grant the right to have spouses and dependants in Australia. This sets them apart from temporary migration programs in many other countries. However, these families have limited access, depending on their specific visa category, to free public education, Medicare, government-funded legal assistance and many other forms of social security. </p>
<p>There are a wide-range of potential implications for areas like education, domestic violence prevention and maternal child health. With spouse visas being a key pathway to permanent residency for temporary migrants, visa conditions also have significant impacts on intimate relationships. Marriage and children can be delayed until migration goals are achieved, or relationships can be accelerated or sustained past their use-by date for the sake of partner visas. </p>
<p>Continued periods on temporary visas can also affect migrants’ relations with offshore family and how they negotiate care of elders, marriage and financial support across borders. Family reunion is available only to those with permanent residency or citizenship, so an individual’s migration journey can in fact be a collective investment in the future of a family. For example, permanent residency can enable better options for children’s future education, parents’ retirement, or siblings’ work opportunities. This raises the stakes of the transformation of temporariness into permanence.</p>
<h2>People need people</h2>
<p>Understanding the social networks of temporary migrants is also crucial. Social networks can be highly supportive and dramatically improve migrants’ sense of wellbeing and belonging, as well as access to work. Peers can educate each other about rights, trade information about support services, and develop grassroots institutions that assist other temporary migrants.</p>
<p>NGOs or informal support networks (including online networks) often fill the gaps for those without access to government-funded services, providing advice on everything from legal rights to health and housing. Established ethnic communities can provide a basis of support for temporary migrants, but there is also concerning evidence of co-ethnic exploitation, where employers or intermediaries such as labour hire companies benefit from the particular vulnerabilities of temporary migrant workers. </p>
<p>It is time for a more rigorous discussion of temporary migration that includes but goes beyond the labour market experiences of migrant workers. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“They called for labour but people came.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>This much-quoted observation on the European guest worker programs of the 1960s by Swiss writer Max Frisch still rings true.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/46941/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shanthi Robertson currently receives funding from the Australian Research Council for the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award Project 'Staggered Pathways: Temporality, Mobility and Asian Temporary Migrants' (DE150100748).
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martina does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.
</span></em></p>Australia’s current interest in the work temporary migrants do is laudable but needs to extend to other important issues of this million-strong community.Shanthi Robertson, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney UniversityMartina Boese, Lecturer, Sociology, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/455062015-08-11T15:59:10Z2015-08-11T15:59:10ZHard Evidence: how many foreign students stay in the UK?<p>The UK government has placed <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tier-4-visas-immigration-rules-changes">extra restrictions</a> on non-EU students staying in the UK after finishing their studies and there are reports that the home secretary, Theresa May, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33561040">plans to restrict student migration</a> even further. The restrictions have been adopted as part of the UK government’s attempt to reduce annual net migration – the difference between the number of people coming into and leaving the UK – to <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/politics-blog/11602078/Immigration-how-will-the-Conservatives-tackle-it.html">fewer than 100,000</a>. </p>
<p>Students who arrive or leave the UK for more than 12 months are counted as migrants in official net migration statistics in the same way as those who come and go for other reasons. Unsurprisingly, there has been significant opposition to students being included in the migration target from universities, further education institutions and <a href="https://theconversation.com/drop-students-from-migration-stats-to-save-historic-ties-and-uks-international-reputation-35703">public figures</a>. </p>
<p>In light of potential new restrictions on student migration, with <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33561040">leaked proposals</a> suggesting students may need to show more evidence of financial savings when they arrive, it’s worth evaluating the recent trends in student migration to the UK. </p>
<p>There are two key questions: is there evidence of a recent downward trend in international student numbers, particularly non-EU students? And are non-EU students “temporary” migrants or do they tend to stay in the UK and add to the overall population?</p>
<h2>How many students come and go</h2>
<p>There are two key sources of student migration data to the UK: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015">administrative visa data from the Home Office</a> and <a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/migration1/migration-statistics-quarterly-report/may-2015/rft-provisional-estimates-of-ltim-year-ending-dec-2014.xls">International Passenger Survey</a> (IPS) data from the Office for National Statistics. </p>
<p>The sources diverge as to the actual number of students arriving, but are consistent in two findings: student migration comprises a significant share of international migration to the UK, and it has declined since 2009. </p>
<p>In 2014, there were 200,000 study-related visas granted to main applicants, according to the Home Office. This is a slight increase (+0.4%) compared to 2013, but lower than the peak of 273,000 in 2009. The IPS data suggests a similar trend, as the graph below shows. </p>
<iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/tyoHB/1/" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" oallowfullscreen="oallowfullscreen" msallowfullscreen="msallowfullscreen" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>There is also substantial annual variation across student groups, including type of course, which correlate well with <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/foreign-student-visas-home-secretarys-statement">restrictions</a> and clampdowns on “bogus colleges” imposed by the government during the previous parliament. These have been particularly restrictive on non-university students, such as those going to further education colleges. </p>
<p>In 2014, the number of university-sponsored study visa applications was 169,000, a slight increase from 2013. This was higher than the 2010 total of 143,000. But the biggest drop was in the further education sector – any education after secondary school that isn’t university. There was a 10% decrease in the number of study visa applications in the further education sector in 2014, which dropped to 19,000 from 65,000 in 2010.</p>
<p>It’s important to place all these numbers into the context of the government’s push to reduce net migration. If 100% of students left the country within a few years, then over the long run they would not contribute to net migration, even under the current statistical measures. This is because students would add to immigration numbers when they arrived and add to emigration numbers when they left, with a net impact of zero over time.</p>
<h2>Switching visas</h2>
<p>Student visas expire shortly after the course ends. However, student visa holders may be able to stay legally in the UK if they switch to another category, such as work or family.</p>
<p>Switching from study to work has become harder in the past few years because of the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/261421/tier1poststudyworkguidance1.pdf">elimination of the post-study work programme</a> in 2012. Some policies that facilitate students’ transition into the labour market after graduation using what are <a href="https://www.gov.uk/tier-2-general/switch-to-this-visa">called Tier 2 visas</a> do still remain in place. </p>
<p>People switching from study to work are currently not subject to the cap on the number of Tier 2 sponsorships, which is set at 20,700 a year, divided monthly. This means they currently do not have to meet newly increased salary requirements that kick in if this monthly cap is met. </p>
<p>In June 2015, the first time the monthly cap was met, and people earning less than £46,000 per year <a href="http://www.ukvisas.com/news/tier-2-skilled-worker-cap-reached-for-first-time/">were refused visas</a>. Employers who take on a student who has switched to a work visa are also exempt from the requirement to show they have looked for UK or EEA candidates. </p>
<p>But the UK government has recently <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tier-4-visas-immigration-rules-changes">announced</a> further restrictions on the rights of students to stay in the UK after finishing their studies.</p>
<p>The number of people switching from study into other categories fell substantially between <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015">2011-12 and 2013-14</a>, as the graph below shows. In 2014, fewer than 12,000 people extended their stay in the UK by switching from study to another category. The majority (59%) switched into work, while 33% switched into the family category.</p>
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<p>The annual number of students granted entry visas to the UK (as main applicants) <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015/immigration-statistics-january-to-march-2015">has fluctuated</a> around 200,000 over the past few years. In other words, the vast majority of people who enter on student visas are not switching into other categories.</p>
<h2>Adding to the net migration target</h2>
<p>The IPS asks respondents why they are coming to the UK, allowing us to identify students on their way in. Since 2012, respondents who are surveyed on the way out of the UK are also asked why they originally came. This allows an estimate of the number of people who come as students and – eventually – the number of them that leave.</p>
<p>The IPS suggests that 135,000 non-EU students entered the UK for study in 2014. The number of people who had previously arrived as students and who are estimated to have emigrated from the UK in 2014 was 44,000. </p>
<p>Taken together, this suggests that in 2014, net migration of students according to the IPS was 91,000 – that is, 91,000 more new students arrived than former students left. This snapshot must be interpreted carefully, because the people arriving and leaving are part of different cohorts. We do not yet know how many of the 2014 student cohort will leave, as many are not expected to do so for a few years. </p>
<p>Also, survey respondents must recall their initial reason for coming to the country a few years earlier. Since mixed motivations for migration are common, it is possible that respondents may have been systematically less likely to say they arrived as a student when leaving – especially if they also worked for a couple of years after graduation.</p>
<p>However, if the current number of student inflows and outflows remained stable at these levels for several years, it would suggest that a majority of students were not going home. For the past three years the estimated inflows of students has been significantly higher than the number of self-reported former students estimated to be leaving, as the third graph below shows in the balance column. </p>
<iframe src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/KWFK2/1/" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" oallowfullscreen="oallowfullscreen" msallowfullscreen="msallowfullscreen" width="100%" height="406"></iframe>
<p>Those fighting the restrictions on student migration often argue that students <a href="http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Documents/2013/Backbench%20Debate%20Student%20Visas%206-6-13.pdf%23page=6">bring economic benefits</a>, are not <a href="http://www.britishfuture.org/articles/public-baffled-students-included-governments-migration-targets/">seen as migrants by the public</a> and only stay in the UK temporarily. There seems to be substantial evidence in favour of the first two points. However, data sources on the extent to which students remain in the UK after their studies point in different directions and students could be adding to the UK population. The next few years should provide more insights on this possibility.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/45506/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carlos Vargas-Silva has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, John Fell Fund and the Department for International Development in the past.</span></em></p>As the government looks to further tighten visa rules for non-EU students, how many are choosing to remain after their courses finish?Carlos Vargas-Silva, Associate Professor and Senior Researcher, University of OxfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/412182015-05-06T05:24:42Z2015-05-06T05:24:42ZWhy I’m resisting the Conservatives’ war on foreign intellectuals in Britain<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/80419/original/image-20150505-8426-4a1nig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Academics doing battle with the Home Office. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">British visa entry via FotograFFF/www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Earlier this year, the UK lost a great scholar through a “soft deportation” <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/comment/opinion/miwa-hirono-my-home-office-hell/2019275.article">when Miwa Hirono voluntarily left the country</a> after an extended legal battle with the Home Office that left her and her family financially and psychologically exhausted. </p>
<p>Hirono, a Japanese citizen, worked for the University of Nottingham for nearly seven years as an expert in UK-China relations, had a child born in the UK, and had every intention of permanently residing here. However, she had been “absent” from the UK for more than 180 days over the past five years and as such was in breach Home Office residency requirements. </p>
<p>There is no doubt that the country benefited enormously from Hirono’s presence here. Even business secretary Vince Cable <a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/03/vince-cable-hits-out-home-office-decision-deport-government-adviser">spoke out</a> against the Home Office policies that compelled her to become a UK émigré.</p>
<p>I am an immigrant from the US grappling with my own set of work visa difficulties. After seven years here undertaking a UK-funded PhD, a two-year postdoc and now in a permanent position the University of Southampton, I remain under imminent threat of deportation, as do all of us lacking permanent residency. </p>
<p>Staying in the UK has cost me everything I have earned, destroyed relationships and severed ties to family in the US. I am regularly bewildered by my own stubborn desire to live and work here and struggle, as I know many of my colleagues do, to come to grips with whether this precarious existence is worth trying to maintain. Since arriving in 2008, I have been slowly collecting stories from colleagues about their costly battles with immigration authorities – and they are surely just the tip of the iceberg. </p>
<h2>Visible targets</h2>
<p>Riding a wave of EU-induced xenophobia, David Cameron <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/6961675/David-Cameron-net-immigration-will-be-capped-at-tens-of-thousands.html">declared in 2010</a> that he would “cut net migration to tens of thousands” from almost 300,000 per year. What Cameron did not say is who would be barred or deported from the country. Since that campaign promise, a steady war of attrition has been waged against Britain’s skilled workers arriving from outside the European Union, including those working at academic institutions, who, because they are playing by the rules, are most-easily targeted for removal through either “hard” or “soft” measures.</p>
<p>Soft measures make life untenable so that the migrant chooses to leave of their own volition, which is cheaper for the government. On the harder end of the spectrum, one person emailed me to say that his friend was in the middle of a PhD in London when he was “deported suddenly in the middle of the night after waiting a year for a decision on what should have been a routine visa extension”.</p>
<p>We can trace the implementation of these Conservative immigration policies to April 2012 when the <a href="http://www.workpermit.com/news/2012-03-23/uk/uk-immigration-changes-6-april-2012-affects-tier-1-2-4-visas-apply-now.htm">Home Office scrapped</a> the enormously popular Tier 1 post-study work visa, which gave students a window of up to two years to find work in the country with their newly-acquired UK university degrees. </p>
<p>A recent <a href="http://www.appgmigration.org.uk/sites/default/files/APPG_PSW_Inquiry_Report-FINAL.pdf">parliamentary report</a> found that since the closure of the post-study work visa programme, there was a drop of 88% in the number of skilled and highly-skilled non-European graduates remaining in the UK to work, and that the number of students from overseas declined in 2012-13 for the first time in 29 years.</p>
<p>I was able to get my application in for a Tier 1 post-study work visa just before the closing deadline in 2012. This bought me enough time to secure a two-year postdoctoral position at the University of Oxford later that year. However, had I not been incredibly fastidious in following the changes in legislation, or had I not had the resources to pay the £918 application fee and been able to show £2,800 available funds for the preceding three months, I would not be here right now. </p>
<h2>Tighter and tighter restrictions</h2>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/80422/original/image-20150505-16612-1cb7cgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/80422/original/image-20150505-16612-1cb7cgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/80422/original/image-20150505-16612-1cb7cgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/80422/original/image-20150505-16612-1cb7cgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/80422/original/image-20150505-16612-1cb7cgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/80422/original/image-20150505-16612-1cb7cgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/80422/original/image-20150505-16612-1cb7cgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Forced to fly away.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/davepatten/8258050551/sizes/l">davepatten/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
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<p>The next blow to skilled workers landed in July 2012 when the Home Office also <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-and-private-life-rule-changes-9-july-2012">changed the rules of spousal visas</a> so that families must make £18,600 in the 12 months prior to application in order to keep a partner in the country looking for work. </p>
<p>One of the first outspoken victims of this <a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/graduate-forced-out-of-uk-for-not-earning-enough.19001472">particular policy was Andrew Wilbur</a>, a geographer originally from California, who had earned a PhD from Glasgow University, had been married to a Scottish woman for six years and was, by all measures, highly qualified. Wilbur was offered a job at Glasgow University after graduation but was unable to take it up because their combined household income did not exceed the threshold in the run-up to application. As a result, not only did Wilbur have to leave the UK, but the situation also forced his Scottish wife to leave. The only other option was to have their family split up. </p>
<p>Academic jobs are incredibly competitive. However, increasingly under these coalition policies, highly qualified immigrants do not even have to opportunity to compete. </p>
<p>When I eventually began my job at the University of Oxford in September 2012, I shared an office with a British-born natural resource expert who was working in a part-time research position as part of a larger project in the department. His wife was a US citizen and had, like him, recently earned a PhD from a UK university. After attending a series of job interviews (I went to six interviews over an eight month period before being offered my postdoc position) she received a letter from the Home Office stating that because her British husband made only £18,000 per year as a part-time researcher and she did not have an income, she would need to leave the UK, having fallen below the £18,600 threshold. </p>
<p>After watching them scramble find another £600 hiding in the previous year’s income somewhere, they both decided that they had had enough, packed up and moved abroad. They are good people and they were doing important work. They were no strain on the system. But faced with the prospect of their family being split up, their choice was obvious. </p>
<p>In 2015, along with making <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32281155">non-EU foreign nationals pay for the NHS</a> (which we already pay taxes into if we are working), the <a href="https://www.freemovement.org.uk/full-immigration-appeals-ended-immigration-act-2014-brought-into-force/">Home Office also removed</a> the right to appeal their refusal of visa applications in many instances. </p>
<h2>Waiting it out</h2>
<p>Currently, the Home Office is reviewing my work visa application (a move from the Tier 1 post-study work visa, now expired, to a Tier 2 employer-sponsored visa) and I got the application in before the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/immigration-bill-becomes-law">Immigration Act 2014</a> took effect in May 2015. They have been “reviewing” the application since October 2014, which means my passport has been in a filing cabinet in Sheffield since then. It is clear that the Home Office has made a practice of retaining foreign passports for extended periods in many such instances, as they have with myself and Miwa Hirono.</p>
<p>I am used to being grounded. Since 2012, I have only been “allowed” to leave the UK twice. Both times required specific authorisation from my caseworker, which was only given after enormous pressure was exerted by my lawyers at great expense to myself and my hosting universities. I am fortunate to have the full support of the University of Southampton at present, but human resources is understandably wary every time my name comes up – they are as afraid of contravening confusing Home Office policy as I am. If, after waiting this long for a decision, the Home Office deny my visa for some reason, I will appeal and appeal again, as long as I need to. It is now a matter of principle.</p>
<p>My PhD research was overtly political and resulted in my house being raided twice and a <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/may/22/oxford-university-academic-shard-jail-place-hacker-garrett">high-profile court case</a>. I <a href="https://theconversation.com/urban-geographers-brush-with-the-law-risks-sending-cold-chill-through-social-science-25961">was spared a jail sentence</a>, but after pleading guilty to five counts of incidental criminal damage to railway property, I was given a three-year discharge and ordered to pay £2,000 costs.</p>
<p>I perfectly understand, in that context, why the Home Office is treating my application as complicated and I accept that due to the nature of my research I may need to prove, in Home Office speak, that my presence is “conducive to the public good”.</p>
<p>I have no problem fighting – but I am tenacious and single. Hirono, who had a husband and a child to consider, had her passport retained for a year through the appeal process. As much as we might appreciate Britain, being kept captive against one’s will is never going to be a situation one chooses without very good reason. </p>
<h2>Rhetoric vs reality</h2>
<p>Most people I ask about these situations, regardless of their political leanings, find them abhorrent. It seems to me there is a severe disconnect between the vitriol levelled at immigration into the country and the government policies actively curtailing immigration, which are damaging families, destroying careers and triggering an unprecedented skilled worker exodus from this sceptred isle. </p>
<p>A few weeks ago, in a cosy Hampshire pub, I was marking student papers when I heard a man at the bar loudly denouncing “immigrants” for “ruining the country”. When I ordered my next pint, I introduced myself and told him I was an immigrant. After speaking to him for a few minutes, it turned out his daughter had studied geography at Southampton. Had she been a few years younger, I likely would have been her lecturer. </p>
<p>By the end of our brief chat, he clapped a hand on my shoulder and told me “you know, when I say I’m frustrated about immigration, I wasn’t talking about people like you”. Perhaps by “people like you” he meant “white” or “American” or even “highly skilled”. I didn’t ask. But as I sat there sipping my beer, thinking about the upcoming election that I have no right to vote in despite paying the same taxes he does, I could not help but wonder if he was planning to cast a vote to cast me out.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/41218/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bradley Garrett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Academics are on the frontline, battling the Home Office over new visa regulations.Bradley Garrett, Lecturer in Human Geography, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/369222015-02-17T06:13:11Z2015-02-17T06:13:11ZWhy Finland and Norway still shun university tuition fees – even for international students<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/72007/original/image-20150213-13188-1vd5dku.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">International students: you can still study for free in Helsinki. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/hugovk/10390820706/sizes/l">hugovk</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>All the Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – provide higher education free of charge for their own citizens and, until recently, international students have been able to study free too. But in 2006, Denmark introduced tuition fees for international students coming from outside the European Union and European Economic Area. In 2011, Sweden followed suit. Now only Finland, Norway, Iceland and Germany do not collect tuition fees from international students.</p>
<p>Despite some moves to introduce fees, all these countries remain real exceptions in a world where international students are often a lucrative source of income for universities. </p>
<p>In Finland, the issue reared its head again last year when <a href="http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=2014110615485070">the government</a> proposed that universities would be able to introduce fees for international students coming from outside the EU after 2016. After a lively public debate, in January the Finnish government <a href="http://thepienews.com/news/finland-gov-abandons-introduction-of-tuition-fees-for-non-eu/">decided not to go ahead with the proposals</a>. </p>
<p>Researcher Leasa Weimer’s <a>recent study</a> concluded that the main actors opposing tuition fees were the powerful Finnish student organisations. They feared that collecting tuition fees from international students would open the gate to tuition fee reform for national students as well. </p>
<p>Those students, politicians and academics resisting tuition fees also said that a tuition-free system supports international social justice by giving students from developing countries an opportunity to participate in higher education. </p>
<p>They also argued that the introduction of tuition fees would undermine Finnish internationalisation efforts as it would be likely to lead to a significant decrease in the number of international students – as happened in Denmark and Sweden after the introduction of tuition fees there. In Sweden the drop was 80% <a href="http://www.uk-ambetet.se/statisticsfollowup/annualstatisticsonhighereducationinsweden.4.7ff11ece146297d1aa652b.html#h-HighereducationinSweden2014statusreport">during the two years</a> following the introduction of fees. </p>
<h2>New source of revenue</h2>
<p>On the other side of the debate, the promoters of tuition fees – which include university managers, the ministry of education and business representatives – advocated a neo-liberal stance on education as a private good. They argued that competition for international students would enhance the quality of teaching and make Finnish universities more competitive in the international marketplace.</p>
<p>They also pointed out that it was unfair for Finnish taxpayers to pay for the education of international migrants’ coming to Finland where they also enjoy good social benefits. This argument has gained traction as a populist political view in Finland. Promoters also claimed that international students would be a new source of revenue for universities.</p>
<p>In November, Norway’s <a href="http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20141127172341464">government backed down</a> from a <a href="http://www.tnp.no/norway/panorama/4636-norway-to-introduce-tuition-fees-at-universities">proposal to introduce fees</a>. The main arguments against the reform were quite similar to those aired in Finland: student organisations, in particular, feared a “domino effect” by which tuition fees for international students would be the first step in introducing them for domestic students. </p>
<p>The rectors of Northern universities and university colleges – some of which are geographically remote – <a href="http://www.nrk.no/nordland/vil-innfore-studieavgift-1.11974696">argued</a> that they would lose many international students, especially Chinese and Russian students, if they started charging tuition fees. </p>
<p>According to Agnete Vabo at the Norwegian Institute for Studies in Higher Education and Research, the leaders of the most prestigious universities in Norway also argued that tuition fees would mean a great loss in terms of maintaining the diversity and quality of the international student population. In a globalised world this would be very problematic. </p>
<h2>Equality key in Nordic model</h2>
<p>We know that education is expensive everywhere – including in Nordic countries – and that someone has to pay for it. The crucial question is who. But to answer this, it is important to pay attention to the differences between the societal goals and social dynamics of higher education in Nordic countries and countries which charge university tuition fees, such as the UK, US or Australia. </p>
<p>The Nordic higher education systems are almost entirely publicly funded. According to <a href="http://www.oecd.org/edu/Education-at-a-Glance-2014.pdf">OECD Education at a Glance 2014</a> the proportion of public funding varies between just under 90% in Sweden and 96% in Norway and Finland, whereas in England only 30% of the costs of higher education are paid by the public purse. </p>
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<p>All Nordic countries also have a strong tradition of equality, which in education translates into offering equal educational opportunities for all citizens. The Nordic countries have policies to encourage gender equality and to support students from lower socio-economic groups to enter universities. </p>
<p>As a result, there is greater equality of educational opportunity in Nordic countries. Finnish students whose parents went to university are only 1.4 times as likely to participate in tertiary education as their peers whose parents did not got to university, according to the OECD. In Sweden, a young person with university-educated parents is 2.3 times more likely to go to university themselves, while in the UK they are six times more likely.</p>
<p>Yet perhaps the most important difference between the Nordic countries and countries such as the UK is the ethos of education as a civil right and a public service rather than a commodity. Degrees are not seen as commodities to be exchanged in the marketplace. </p>
<p>As the cases of Sweden and Denmark show, the neo-liberal argument for education is not unknown in Nordic countries. But a strong counterargument is rooted in the values of Nordic welfare societies which see higher education primarily as an equality issue. </p>
<p>A high level of education is beneficial for the development of society including business and industry, making it a collective economic issue. With this argument, education is defined neither as a private investment nor a commodity, but a civil right. So, individual human beings should not have to pay for it.</p>
<hr>
<p>Next read: <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-germany-managed-to-abolish-university-tuition-fees-32529">How Germany managed to abolish university tuition fees</a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/36922/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jussi Välimaa has received funding from the European Science Foundation, The Finnish Academy, European Commission, Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, Finnish Work environment Development Foundation and from other public funding agencies.</span></em></p>All the Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – provide higher education free of charge for their own citizens and, until recently, international students have been able to study…Jussi Välimaa, Professor, Finnish Institute for Educational Research, University of JyväskyläLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/374542015-02-13T02:42:10Z2015-02-13T02:42:10ZSpeaking with: Shanthi Robertson on the changing face of migration<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/71921/original/image-20150213-13211-15sxyuo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Australia has changed from primarily being a destination for permanent settlers to having an increasing number of temporary arrivals.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ben Beiske/Flickr (modified)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Immigration is a contentious topic in many parts of the world, and the debate in Australia has been predictably framed around asylum seekers, the burdens on taxpayers and the protection of local jobs. This narrow focus has meant migrants are often divided into categories of “good” and “bad”.</p>
<p>The reality is a lot more complex and nuanced. For much of Australia’s history, most migrants were permanent settlers. Now, increasing numbers of temporary visitors – students, working holiday makers and temporary workers – are arriving. The shift in the nature of migration and the make-up of migrants has had significant flow-on effects on the economy and society which are often forgotten.</p>
<p>Dallas Rogers speaks with Shanthi Robertson about the changing face of migration in Australia and the complex relationships between governments, migrants and commercial industries throughout the migration process.</p>
<hr>
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<p>Music: Free Music Archive/<a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Liquor_Files/">Blue Dot Sessions: Liquor Files</a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/37454/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dallas Rogers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Immigration is a contentious topic in many parts of the world, and the debate in Australia has been predictably framed around asylum seekers, the burdens on taxpayers and the protection of local jobs…Dallas Rogers, Urban Studies Lecturer, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/357032014-12-22T06:31:39Z2014-12-22T06:31:39ZDrop students from migration stats to save historic ties – and UK’s international reputation<p>For more than 200 years the histories of India and Britain have been closely intertwined. Forged in the age of the empire, the bond between our two nations is nonetheless one that has become mutually enriching.</p>
<p>From the British, India has inherited both its democracy, its second language and – most important of all – its cricket. In the UK, India’s influence is equally evident, from the the country’s enduring love affair with curry to the popularity of the booming Bollywood film industry.</p>
<p>It is this unique brand of internationalism, alongside world-class universities, which first drew me to settle in the UK and continues to attract talent from all over the globe. Our seats of learning are rightly revered as being – along with those of the United States – the finest in the world.</p>
<p>Universities have long been one of the UK’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk-educations-soft-power-will-weaken-if-student-visas-remain-so-hard-to-get-33568">greatest cultural exports</a> and their continuing strength is something I have proudly observed over my past few months as Chancellor of the University of Birmingham.</p>
<h2>Reputation tarnished</h2>
<p>In 2011-12, non-EU overseas students contributed <a href="http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Documents/2014/TheImpactOfUniversitiesOnTheUkEconomy.pdf">£7.3 billion to the UK’s GDP</a>, according to Universities UK, while the scholars drawn to UK shores constantly enrich the country’s culture and invigorate the economy. Despite these evident benefits, the government’s heavy-handed treatment of immigration has seen this <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-uk-government-is-undermining-one-of-its-most-valuable-exports-education-29681">welcoming reputation shaken</a>, leaving foreign students less certain than they once were of Britain’s openness.</p>
<p>Last year, the number of international students enrolling in UK <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10737618/Foreign-student-numbers-drop-for-first-time-in-30-years.html">universities dropped by 1%</a> – the first reduction of this kind in over 30 years. With a recent survey by the National Union of Students (NUS) revealing that <a href="http://www.nus.org.uk/en/news/press-releases/international-students-feel-unwelcome-in-uk-as-immigration-bill-set-to-create-new-barriers-to-study/">51% of international students</a> find the government to be unwelcoming, it is clear that the UK’s image abroad is changing. </p>
<p>And yet, at the same time as the Home Office is setting about deterring the brightest and best, it is losing control of illegal immigration. If I were to ask Theresa May how many illegal migrants are living in the UK today, she would be unable to answer.</p>
<h2>Damaging Britain</h2>
<p>Part of this problem lies in the statistics. By including overseas students as immigrants in our figures, a climate of hostility against foreign talent is being created, which is damaging not only to universities, but also the UK’s future as one of the top ten global economies. Every engineer, every computer scientist and every young hopeful turned away will be received with open arms by academic institutions in the US and other parts of Europe. </p>
<p>I have added my voice to those of the deputy prime minister <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/08/26/clegg-overseas-students-excluded-immigration-targets_n_5715741.html">Nick Clegg</a> and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28922706">Lord Heseltine</a> calling for the removal of foreign students from immigration figures. The opinion of the general public is also with us, with <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/public-against-cutting-back-on-overseas-students-poll-finds/2015363.article">59% against reducing the number of foreign students</a>, even if it makes meeting immigration targets more difficult. Despite this, legislation remains unchanged.</p>
<p>Following the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10423913/Mays-3000-security-bond-for-African-and-Asian-visitors-dropped.html">abortive attempts</a> of the UK government to impose a security bond on “high risk” visa applicants from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India, it is hardly surprising that students from these countries are beginning to look elsewhere for their further education. The number of Indian students applying to UK universities fell by a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25761133">staggering 25% last year</a>. This figure is alarming to me personally, but it should also sound as a warning note to politicians. Clearly, strong measures are required to win back the confidence of this historical partner, and reverse a worrying trend.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/67704/original/image-20141218-31049-rqami5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/67704/original/image-20141218-31049-rqami5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/67704/original/image-20141218-31049-rqami5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=164&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/67704/original/image-20141218-31049-rqami5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=164&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/67704/original/image-20141218-31049-rqami5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=164&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/67704/original/image-20141218-31049-rqami5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=206&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/67704/original/image-20141218-31049-rqami5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=206&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/67704/original/image-20141218-31049-rqami5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=206&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>I travelled to India in October with the universities minister, Greg Clark, as part of an initiative to future-proof Anglo-Indian relations. While there, it became clear that many Indian students and business leaders have a negative perception of the UK government’s stance towards immigration, despite their awareness of the great potential the country can offer. </p>
<h2>Not a one-way street</h2>
<p>Schemes such as <a href="http://www.britishcouncil.in/generationuk">Generation UK-India</a>, unveiled during our trip, will go some ways towards correcting this problem. At present, the flow of students between the two countries is practically one-way, with only one British student travelling to India for every 300 going from India to the UK.</p>
<p>This seems ludicrous: India is one of the fastest growing economies in the developing world with higher education institutions that are crucibles for innovation and entrepreneurship. By encouraging UK students to experience higher education in India, we will broaden their minds and give them the competitive edge, reaping huge rewards for both countries. Furthermore, the personal and business relationships they will form during their time abroad will cement friendship and stimulate future trade between our nations.</p>
<p>I have long spoken of the necessity for British companies to hold global ambitions from day one. In such a fast-moving, interconnected and integrated world, our businesses cannot afford to lose sight of the international picture. </p>
<p>Today’s students are the entrepreneurs of tomorrow – any investment in international learning we make today is also a move to strengthen the businesses of our future. This is why the fostering of international learning, both at home and abroad, cannot be anything less than an absolute priority.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/35703/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karan Bilimoria is founding member of the prime minister of India's Global Advisory Council. Until 2012, he was chairman of the University of Cambridge India Partnership Advisory Board. He is chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership. </span></em></p>For more than 200 years the histories of India and Britain have been closely intertwined. Forged in the age of the empire, the bond between our two nations is nonetheless one that has become mutually enriching…Karan Bilimoria, Chancellor, University of BirminghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/335682014-10-31T11:08:38Z2014-10-31T11:08:38ZUK education’s soft power will weaken if student visas remain so hard to get<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/63040/original/jv8g8zsz-1414510521.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">We got here! </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/birkbeckmediaservices/9949861283/sizes/l">Birkbeck Media Services Centre</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Welcoming international students used to be one of the key ways that Britain developed long-term, soft power relationships to aid trade and wield political influence. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/abigail-hackett-130562/articles">One in ten current global leaders</a> were educated in the UK. But according to independent research commissioned in 2013 by Regent’s University London, only 68% of students believe that the UK is a good place to do business and only 51% feel that they have developed contacts to help them do business with the UK in future. Our educational impact is bleeding away.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/home-affairs-committee/news/110317-student-visas-release/">2011 report by the Home Affairs Select Committee</a> was highly critical of the government’s approach to welcoming international students and expressed concerns that more regulation of visas could have serious unintended consequences. In 2013, for the <a href="https://theconversation.com/drop-in-overseas-students-adds-to-universities-cash-woes-25451">number of international students</a> enrolling at UK universities declined for the first time. </p>
<p>In the wake of this clear warning signal to government, on October 23, the select committee ran a joint conference with Regent’s University to consider how the land currently lies on student visas. Of particular concern was the continuing inclusion of students within the <a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-lack-the-lobbying-clout-to-exempt-students-from-migration-target-30948">government’s net migration target</a>. </p>
<h2>Not very welcoming</h2>
<p>While everybody recognised the sensitive nature of the immigration topic, with the exception of a lone and isolated representative of Migration Watch UK the speakers and participants all spoke up about the many benefits to be gained from international students and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-uk-government-is-undermining-one-of-its-most-valuable-exports-education-29681">contribution they can go on</a> to make to the UK economy. </p>
<p>Simon Walker, director general of the Institute of Directors and Fiona Tait from Deloitte <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-29746859">made the point</a> that first-class international students and graduates are a valuable resource for the UK who should be welcomed.</p>
<p>All the speakers at the event believed the UK must maintain regulations to ensure that only the brightest and best students receive visas to study in Britain and that “<a href="https://theconversation.com/cost-of-student-visa-clampdown-weighs-heavily-on-colleges-29245">phoney colleges” be closed down and penalised</a>. </p>
<p>Research commissioned by Regent’s from Youthsight, of students at 105 universities showed that 94% of international students recognised the outstanding quality of a British degree. More than 80% were satisfied with their programmes and the quality of learning experience. But around 40% felt they were not welcomed by their universities for anything other than the revenue that they contributed. As many as 50%, particularly at Russell Group institutions, felt that they were not integrated with other students. </p>
<h2>Visa woes</h2>
<p>But the current visa system is not fit for purpose. What’s needed are consistent and clear processes for visa applications that remain stable over time. There needs to be a rapid response to applications and requests for assistance, that could be helped by the development of a courteous, customer care service to manage visa applications and to welcome students to Britain to start their studies.</p>
<p>John Vine, chief inspector of borders and immigration, said that he felt progress on customer service had been made in the last two years but that there was still a long way to go. The management of applications at different application centres around the world can vary greatly. Vine said he still finds “tremendous inconsistency in quality”. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/paul-wordsworth-laments-the-academic-isolation-caused-by-visa-privatisation/2016051.article">privatisation of visa services in some countries</a> and the transformation of many visa offices into post offices rather processing points is not helping maintain consistency across the world. </p>
<h2>‘No cap’ insists minister</h2>
<p>In his keynote speech, James Brokenshire, the minster for immigration and security, repeated the standard government line that there is no cap on genuine international students studying in Britain. But in my opinion, the problem is that the UK makes it such a difficult and lengthy process to gain a visa that increasingly, students from traditional provider countries such as India, Pakistan or Nigeria decide to not to come to the UK.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, when a senior figure from the Australian higher education system visited the UK, he thanked the UK universities minister for the UK’s tough visa policy for international students. “It was”, he is reported to have said, “making it much easier for Australia to succeed in an increasingly competitive market for such students.” </p>
<p>For short-term political reasons, despite the fact <a href="http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Pages/InternationalStudentsUKimmigrationDebate.aspx#.VE-wiRbvbIp">that Universities UK has lobbied for change</a> on the net migration question and been backed by six parliamentary select committees, students are still included in the net migration figures.</p>
<p>In a glimpse of what the alternative could be, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, prime minister of Spain until 2011, told the conference that Spain’s welcoming policy for international students – which has been constant for 15 years – means the country is now <a href="http://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/university-news/erasmus-sets-new-record-study-abroad-funding">the most popular destination for Erasmus students</a> in Europe. </p>
<p>The UK is at a tipping point. Unless we improve our processes and reputation among international students soon, we will pass the point of no return and never be able to recover our position.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/33568/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aldwyn Cooper is a member of GuildHE, Universities UK and London Higher. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, a member of the QAA Advisory Committee on Degree Awarding Powers (ACDAP) and the HEFCE Strategic Committee on Governance, Leadership and Management.</span></em></p>Welcoming international students used to be one of the key ways that Britain developed long-term, soft power relationships to aid trade and wield political influence. One in ten current global leaders…Aldwyn Cooper, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, Regent's University LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/332922014-10-23T11:26:10Z2014-10-23T11:26:10ZDon’t let immigration policy push students and academics away from the UK<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/62540/original/95z9hfm9-1413993739.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C36%2C1024%2C547&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Stay or go?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dannyman/4672474943/sizes/l">dannyman</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The UK has taken a bad turn in its attitude towards foreigners. I am a Portuguese national doing biomedical research for the NHS and King’s College London in collaboration with very talented staff from all over the world. In my view, the current political discourse against immigration is not conducive to this country being able to attract, maintain and benefit from talented and hard-working people. </p>
<p>This is true in all fields but in particular for the UK’s academic and research force which relies heavily on international migration. </p>
<p>We are in the middle of an unprecedented financial crisis which, according to Bank of England economist Andrew Haldane, caused a fall in real wages that is <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/oct/17/bank-england-chief-economist-gloomier-interest-rates-andrew-haldane">“unprecedented since at least the mid-1800s”</a>. Yet both the prime minister, David Cameron, and his <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-harsher-immigration-stance-wont-save-labour-from-ukip-33045">opposite number, Ed Milliband</a> have taken the view, prompted by the threat from UKIP – and against <a href="https://theconversation.com/hard-evidence-are-migrants-good-for-the-economy-30439">most available evidence</a>, that one of the biggest threats to the well-being and prosperity of the British voter is the fact that people like me who were born elsewhere come to work in the UK.</p>
<h2>Immigration clampdown</h2>
<p>The Coalition’s insistence on counting students as part of its target for net migration – the number of people coming into the country, minus the number going out – continues to cause <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-uk-government-is-undermining-one-of-its-most-valuable-exports-education-29681">heated debate</a>. A clampdown on the way <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/science-and-technology-committee/news/international-stem-student-report/?_ga=1.189698786.839241031.1394450951">student visas are awarded</a> has drawn criticism from the House of Lords and <a href="https://theconversation.com/drop-in-overseas-students-adds-to-universities-cash-woes-25451">university vice-chancellors</a>. Andrew Hamilton, a vice-chancellor at Oxford, called the UK visa system “<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-29522229">hostile to student entry</a>”. </p>
<p>But this hostile climate affects not only students but also research and academic staff. The 2014 Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist John O’Keefe – an American academic working at University College London – <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29504767">publicly said</a> that the UK’s immigration policy is “a very, very large obstacle” to attracting the best scientists. </p>
<p>He suggested that “we should be thinking hard about making Britain a more welcoming place”. How would you feel to be working for an company where the management constantly promises to reduce the number of employees of your kind? It’s the situation us migrants are facing in Britain.</p>
<h2>Globalised universities</h2>
<p>Looking at the composition of the UK’s elite universities really shows how much this country is drawing on world talent. Students and staff from all over the world create a uniquely qualified and talented resource for UK universities. </p>
<p>For example, I work among six PhD-level scientists doing bioformatics analysis with numerous Kings College London (KCL) academics and NHS doctors. In our team, four are non-British EU nationals (with PhDs awarded elsewhere) and one is non-EU national (with a PhD from a British university). Our goal as “translational scientists” is to make current advances in medical biomedical technology applicable to the healthcare of the nation. We work on cancer treatments, immune diseases, transplantation among other areas.</p>
<p>In fact, much of the success of UK universities and science is built around migration. Consider how many non-UK academic staff work at some of this country’s top institutions. The graph belows shows the percentage of non-UK academic staff (including Europeans) in a selection of top universities, based on data I requested from them. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/62518/original/p2qqjqvg-1413984497.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/62518/original/p2qqjqvg-1413984497.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/62518/original/p2qqjqvg-1413984497.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62518/original/p2qqjqvg-1413984497.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62518/original/p2qqjqvg-1413984497.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=460&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62518/original/p2qqjqvg-1413984497.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62518/original/p2qqjqvg-1413984497.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/62518/original/p2qqjqvg-1413984497.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Importance of non-UK researchers at elite institutions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Source: University data.</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Across Oxford, Cambridge, University College London, KCL and the London School of Economics, more than 30% of research and academic staff (excluding PhD researchers) are not originally from the UK. </p>
<p>Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency also shows that across the sector, 25.8% of academic staff were from outside the UK in 2012-13. In total, 14.4% were from the EU. The proportion of non-EU staff has remained steady over the last four years at just over 11% of the total academic population. </p>
<p>While there is no specific threat to academics’ own visas, they are not being encouraged to work here by the strong anti-immigrant feeling in the country and the Coalition’s net migration targets. </p>
<h2>Economic benefits</h2>
<p>Evidence continues to mount about the benefits of immigration to the UK economy – about <a href="https://theconversation.com/revealed-immigrants-put-34-more-into-public-finances-than-they-take-out-19845">£25 billion of net contribution</a> to public finances between 2001 and 2011, according to research from UCL.<br>
Universities are not only a significant sector of the UK economy, they are also a unique, high-quality investment in the future prosperity and quality of life in the UK. International students and academics are big contributors to that. Universities UK has <a href="http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Documents/2014/TheImpactOfUniversitiesOnTheUkEconomy.pdf">estimated that</a> non-EU students pay £3.2 billion in tuition and non-UK student off-campus expenditure generates £7.37 billion of output and more than 62,000 jobs for the UK economy. </p>
<p>Science research operates in a sector where competition for talent is fierce. With the general election approaching in 2015, if Britain’s politicians insist on dialling up the hostile attitude to foreigners and do not follow O’Keefe’s advice, then there are other places who will more happily welcome the benefits of immigration.</p>
<hr>
<p>Next read: <a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-lack-the-lobbying-clout-to-exempt-students-from-migration-target-30948">Universities lack the lobbying clout to exempt students from migration target</a></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/33292/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Filipe Gracio works as research staff at the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre - Translational Bioinformatics Core, at Guy's and St Thomas Hospital, and is an Honorary Research Associate at KCL's School of Medicine. His views do not necessarily reflect the official position of the organisations he works for. </span></em></p>The UK has taken a bad turn in its attitude towards foreigners. I am a Portuguese national doing biomedical research for the NHS and King’s College London in collaboration with very talented staff from…Filipe Gracio, Bioinformatician and Data Analyst. , King's College LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/292452014-07-18T08:42:01Z2014-07-18T08:42:01ZCost of student visa clampdown weighs heavily on colleges<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/54109/original/qd5dcq88-1405587550.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1%2C55%2C998%2C598&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Access denied, for some higher education colleges. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-162892850/stock-photo-uk-visa-in-passport-closeup.html?src=Udq-3nl7DgFVY2JEHBpW_A-1-27">UK passport via xdrew/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The British government’s recent <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/home-office-student-visa-clampdown-rocks-sector/2014151.article">decision to suspend the licences</a> of one university and 57 private further education colleges to sponsor international students has generated shockwaves across the sector. Another two universities are no longer able to sponsor new international students, pending further investigation. Overseas students bring in substantial revenue to higher education, and the denial of access to this income source will present the affected institutions with significant financial challenges. </p>
<p>Across the sector, 30% of all fee income comes from students domiciled outside the UK and EU. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/54025/original/747xg5hs-1405528751.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/54025/original/747xg5hs-1405528751.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/54025/original/747xg5hs-1405528751.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=190&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54025/original/747xg5hs-1405528751.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=190&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54025/original/747xg5hs-1405528751.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=190&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54025/original/747xg5hs-1405528751.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=239&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54025/original/747xg5hs-1405528751.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=239&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54025/original/747xg5hs-1405528751.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=239&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<p>Of course, universities also have <a href="https://theconversation.com/hard-evidence-are-universities-getting-more-money-for-teaching-25940">other sources of income</a> – from research activity, endowments, funding council grants and so on. But on average overseas student fees still account for more than 12% of all revenues in the sector. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/54026/original/8g2vy89d-1405528831.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/54026/original/8g2vy89d-1405528831.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/54026/original/8g2vy89d-1405528831.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=216&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54026/original/8g2vy89d-1405528831.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=216&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54026/original/8g2vy89d-1405528831.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=216&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54026/original/8g2vy89d-1405528831.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=271&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54026/original/8g2vy89d-1405528831.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=271&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/54026/original/8g2vy89d-1405528831.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=271&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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</figure>
<p>The financial sustainability of some institutions is clearly put at risk by the recent move. A <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/glyndwr-planted-the-seeds-of-its-financial-woe-some-time-ago/2014550.article">report in Times Higher Education</a> points to ongoing financial woes at one of the affected universities, Glyndwr. Whatever the rights and wrongs are of the decision to withdraw the licences to sponsor international students, all of the affected institutions have a clear incentive to respond quickly by changing their procedures in order to restore confidence.</p>
<h2>Where responsiblity lies</h2>
<p>It is entirely appropriate that students entering the UK to study should be able to demonstrate they have the prerequisite set of skills – and this includes ability to learn in the language they will be taught in. Higher education providers should not admit students without these skills, and they should take reasonable precautions to ensure that they do not. </p>
<p>In so doing colleges often rely on tests conducted by third parties, <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-all-english-tests-for-foreign-students-are-fraudulent-23108">most of which</a> are very reputable. But a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26024375">BBC Panorama investigation</a> in February 2014 provided evidence of fraud in one of the testing systems. </p>
<p>Ensuring that students who ought not to be admitted are not let in requires integrity both in institutions’ own admissions procedures and in the testing mechanisms. If sanctions are to be imposed on higher education providers, it needs to be clear that it is these providers themselves that are responsible for the failure in the selection process. But institutions that have innocently relied on testing systems that are now shown to be suspect should not be penalised for the shortcomings of those systems.</p>
<h2>Damaging migration rules</h2>
<p>The decision to withdraw licences to sponsor international students only reinforces the rhetoric surrounding the government’s stance on migration. Although qualified students remain welcome to study at UK institutions of higher education, <a href="https://theconversation.com/immigration-rhetoric-is-a-threat-to-britains-long-term-growth-27248">this rhetoric</a> has served to make the UK a tougher sell for universities. </p>
<p>This has become a particularly acute problem with the government’s persistent with a policy to include students within its net migration target, despite <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10934148/Students-must-be-stripped-out-of-immigration-figures.html">widespread calls</a> for a change to its policy. </p>
<p>Changes in visa regulations mean that overseas students graduating from postgraduate programmes are no longer entitled to stay in the UK for a couple of years to work once they complete their studies. This was an entitlement that many used to take up as a means of paying for their studies. </p>
<p>All of this means that institutions with unimpeachable admissions processes have been adversely affected too, as Cardiff University’s vice chancellor Colin Riordan has <a href="https://theconversation.com/drop-in-overseas-students-adds-to-universities-cash-woes-25451">pointed out on The Conversation</a>. The overall number of Indian students coming to study in the <a href="https://www.hesa.ac.uk/pr184">UK fell by almost a quarter</a> in a single year following announcement of the visa change in 2011-12. It <a href="http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2014/201408a/name,86921,en.html">fell again in 2013</a>. </p>
<p>The wider impact of this is significant. Using a methodology that <a href="http://gianlucasalvatori.nova100.ilsole24ore.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/files/global-value-of-education-and-training-exports-to-the-uk-economy.pdf">I developed ten years ago</a> to evaluate UK export earnings due to overseas students, the latest data suggests that the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/229845/bis-13-1082-international-education-accompanying-analytical-narrative.pdf">value of such exports amounts</a> to well over £10bn each year. Constraints on the ability of our higher education institutions’ ability to sell their services have a non-trivial effect on the UK’s export earnings and GDP.</p>
<p>Effective controls do need to be in place so that students attending UK universities are equipped to benefit from the experience. That should be the driver. Let’s bear in mind that students are typically not migrants at all, but rather consumers seeking to buy and take home a successful UK export. So targeting students and universities as part of a broader migration policy is neither appropriate nor innocuous.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/29245/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Geraint Johnes received funding from the British Council and a consortium of government departments in 2004 to develop the methodology used to evaluate exports of education.</span></em></p>The British government’s recent decision to suspend the licences of one university and 57 private further education colleges to sponsor international students has generated shockwaves across the sector…Geraint Johnes, Professor of Economics, Lancaster University, and Director of the Work Foundation, Lancaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/254512014-04-11T12:53:14Z2014-04-11T12:53:14ZDrop in overseas students adds to universities’ cash woes<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45995/original/6h9hkbt4-1397040232.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Class one – how much you owe us.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/birkbeckmediaservices/9949861963/sizes/l">Birkbeck Media Services Centre</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sweeping changes to the way student visas are allocated have been <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/science-and-technology-committee/news/international-stem-student-report/?_ga=1.189698786.839241031.1394450951">recommended</a> by the House of Lords science and technology select committee. It is the sixth time the government has been given such steers on the issue by a parliamentary committee.</p>
<p>The latest report has recommended the reinstatement of the previous post-study work student visa regime, a streamlining of the applications process, removing students from net migration targets, more attention to international perceptions and more policy stability.</p>
<p>These recommendations come at a time when evidence is emerging that the Home Office policy on student visas may be having a significant effect on international student numbers. New figures showing that there has been a decline in the number of international students coming to the UK for the first time in 29 years have been <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/International-student-numbers-in-England-fall-for-first-time-in-three-decades/articleshow/33151532.cms">picked up around the world</a>. </p>
<p>The trends indicated in <a href="http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2014/201408a/#d.en.86921">Global Demand for English Higher Education</a>, published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in April 2014, have attracted attention closer to home too. In the current tight funding environment for universities, the impact of this drop in international students on university finances will worry funding councils throughout the UK.</p>
<p>The decline certainly coincides with the advent of the coalition government, and it isn’t difficult to see what appear to be some clear correlations, even if it is difficult to prove cause. It would be perverse not to associate the 24% decline in undergraduate applications from the European Union that happened in 2012 – after seven years of steady growth averaging around 5% per year – with the introduction of much higher <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/student-fees">student fees</a>. </p>
<p>But EU students do have access to similar tuition fee loan arrangements as UK students. It’s not impossible to project that as they begin to understand they are not paying an up-front fee so much as incurring a defined, income-contingent future tax liability, the numbers might begin to mount again – if the system continues to <a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-need-more-than-a-pledge-to-reduce-student-fees-25186">exist in its present form</a>.</p>
<p>The bigger focus, certainly for universities, is likely to be on the trend in international student enrolment from outside the EU. Here the picture is surprisingly mixed, given the much less favourable visa regime that international applicants now have to brave. </p>
<p>Undergraduate enrolments have continued to rise, albeit more slowly than in the past. Double-digit growth figures between 2008 and 2011 have fallen back to 1% and 2% in 2011-13, coinciding with the new regime. </p>
<p>More worrying is postgraduate enrolment for students from outside the EU. Here we have seen a decline of 1% per year from 2011 to 2013, again on the back of very strong growth over the previous few years: as much as 20% in 2008-9 and 8% as recently as 2010-11.</p>
<p>Postgraduate numbers are substantially higher than for undergraduate: just over 70,000 postgraduates from outside the EU, versus just over 50,000 undergraduates, so these drops are significant. The problem is that we have seen declines in home post-graduate enrolment too, probably linked to lack of funding. This is creating a <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-postgraduate-study-still-just-for-the-elite-23265">real problem for the UK</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45992/original/xnqjvnnq-1397038884.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45992/original/xnqjvnnq-1397038884.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/45992/original/xnqjvnnq-1397038884.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45992/original/xnqjvnnq-1397038884.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45992/original/xnqjvnnq-1397038884.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45992/original/xnqjvnnq-1397038884.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45992/original/xnqjvnnq-1397038884.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/45992/original/xnqjvnnq-1397038884.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Changes in flows of postgraduate students from outside the EU in 2012-13.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">HEFCE. Analysis of the HESA standard registration population at English HEIs, and the equivalent population at English FECs, 2005-06 to 2012-13</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The UK’s knowledge economy requires not just a substantial proportion of the population to be university educated, but also much greater numbers of those to have a higher degree. Some postgraduate programmes – notably in engineering and computing – would be unviable without international students. The strategic implications of this are problematic, because these are the very areas in which <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f3448602-aa1e-11e3-8bd6-00144feab7de.html#axzz2yYyirGNa">employers say there is a particular skills shortage</a>. </p>
<p>The broader economic implications of the decline in international student enrolment are serious too. A Universities UK report entitled <a href="http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Pages/ImpactOfUniversities.aspx#.U0UHMldZ1WU">The Impact of Universities on the UK Economy</a>, also published in April 2014, has estimated the impact of all non-UK student personal off-campus expenditure at £4.91 billion in 2011-12. The knock-on output generated throughout the UK economy comes to some £7.37 billion, while knock-on employment generated amounts to 62,383 jobs. </p>
<p>If we look at the total economic impact generated by non-EU students on and off campus, the total output comes to £13.9 billion, while the contribution to GDP is £7.3 billion. These are staggering sums of which the Treasury should (and does) take note.</p>
<h2>Losing ground</h2>
<p>But there are wider implications even than this. Anybody who has travelled abroad on behalf of their university knows that UK higher education is held in great affection and esteem throughout the world. </p>
<p>People of influence, up to and including heads of state, have studied in the UK, sometimes many years ago, and continue to be supportive to this day. The role of universities in creating <a href="http://exeduk.com/britain-risks-losing-out-to-global-competitors-on-soft-power-race/">“soft power”</a>– networks of UK-friendly opinion-formers and influencers – is critical, and once eroded, can be difficult to recreate. This is all happening against a background where the competition is not idle.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/work-rules-relaxed-for-foreign-students/story-fncynjr2-1226598601904">Australia</a>, the <a href="http://www.gwhatchet.com/2012/01/30/obama-loosens-visa-requirements/">US</a> and above all <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/work-postgrad.asp">Canada</a> have recently made their own visa regimes for international students much more attractive. Students from round the world who choose Canada as a study destination know that they will be able to work in the country once they have graduated for up to 3 years, and might have the option of staying even longer. </p>
<p>Their <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21600129-foreign-students-are-going-english-universities-how-ruin-global-brand">equivalents in the UK</a> have only four months to find a job that will pay more than £20,300 and then can only stay for two years.</p>
<p>While it’s true that there is no cap on international student visas, and there is much support within government for the universities’ desire to recruit more of them, the latest figures from HEFCE lend weight to the suspicion that the changes in the visa regime that have taken place in the UK since 2010 are <a href="https://theconversation.com/university-lecturers-must-remain-educators-not-border-guards-23948">now taking their toll</a>. </p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/25451/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Colin Riordan is chair of the UK Higher Education International Unit.</span></em></p>Sweeping changes to the way student visas are allocated have been recommended by the House of Lords science and technology select committee. It is the sixth time the government has been given such steers…Colin Riordan, Vice Chancellor and President, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/239482014-03-04T12:19:44Z2014-03-04T12:19:44ZUniversity lecturers must remain educators, not border guards<p>The increasingly stringent control of student migration by the Home Office is damaging both the integrity of our relationships as teachers with students and the future of our universities. It was for this reason that <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/02/checks-on-students-undermine-trust">160 academics signed a letter published in The Guardian</a> against the ways in which this crackdown corrodes relationships of trust that are essential to learning.</p>
<p>After the publication of the letter, Dr Vassiliki Kolocotroni – one of the signatories – received this email from a Glasgow University student:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Dear Dr Kolocotroni,</p>
<p>I don’t take your course, so I’ve never had the pleasure of being in your lectures. However, I saw your name undersigned on a letter that appeared in the Guardian yesterday regarding immigration checks on non-EU students.</p>
<p>My girlfriend is an undergraduate student from the United States studying here at Glasgow, the constant checks of her immigration status along with the souring of opinion on immigrants displayed in the national media have often made her feel like a criminal before she has done anything wrong.</p>
<p>The knowledge that some of the academics here have felt strongly enough to protest this to a national newspaper is sure to make her feel a little less persecuted and for that I would like to thank you personally.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As British universities become increasingly globalised and <a href="https://theconversation.com/radical-reform-of-indias-higher-education-sector-will-open-the-door-for-british-universities-23160">seek new international markets</a> for undergraduate and postgraduate students, those same students are subject to stricter forms of surveillance and control. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/7984976/Immigration-minister-calls-for-tougher-look-at-visa-qualifications.html">Speaking in September 2010, Damian Green</a>, then immigration minister in the Conservative/ Liberal Democrat coalition government, justified immigration controls by saying that student visas had risen from 186,000 in 2004 to 307,000 in 2009. He claimed that one in five students remain after their viva and that only half of the students study degree courses.</p>
<p>Students have become the latest object of fear and immigration panic. New phrases have emerged within anti-immigrant discourse like “bogus students” who are <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-26024375">accused of using higher learning illegitimately</a> to gain visas and “backstreet colleges” who it is claimed are selling immigration and not education. This has ignored the large sum of money international students contribute to the education sector.</p>
<p>In 2009, <a href="http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Documents/2009/EconomicImpact4Summary.pdf">Universities UK found</a> that gross earning from the higher education sector was some £53 billion. The personal contribution overseas students make through their off campus spending was estimated at £2.3 billion. </p>
<p>In addition, overseas non-university students who have legally extended their visas are working in the health and social care industry where there are labour shortages.</p>
<h2>Classrooms not checkpoints</h2>
<p>There is a paradox at the heart of this debate. In a globalised world, universities become what <a href="http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674929531">Bill Readings calls “post-historical”</a>. They are not any longer the custodians of the national past or domestic culture, but rather focused on how they measure up against global rivals in the pursuit of “excellence” and “world-class status”. </p>
<p>Additionally, UK universities are <a href="https://theconversation.com/it-still-makes-sense-to-build-an-overseas-campus-23200">increasingly seeking new international markets</a> for the recruitment of undergraduate and postgraduate students. At the same time that universities are widening their horizons, the mobility of academics and students is subjected to stricter surveillance and limitation.</p>
<p>As the new <a href="http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2013-14/immigration.html">Immigration Bill moves through the House of Lords</a>, there is also something else going on here that is important to speak out against. </p>
<p>It is not simply that young people are more mobile than at any point human history. Border control is moving into the heart of our social and professional life. Healthcare officials are required to check the immigration status of their potential patients. Lecturers and universities are also being asked to share attendance information of international students with the Home Office. </p>
<p>The central principle at the heart of Home Office policy and what is referred to as the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-rules">Points Based System</a> is that in the words of the UK Border Agency, “those who benefit from immigration must play their part in controlling it”. This implicates a much wider range of people into the techniques of surveillance and regulation. As a result, a lecturer’s class register becomes a checkpoint.</p>
<p>What universities rightly fear is losing their “trusted status” with regard to applying for student and staff visas. This is a very serious matter that impacts not just on a university’s ability to recruit international students, but ultimately its financial solvency. But what will the long-term price be? International students paying large amounts of money to study in Britain are being treated like criminals.</p>
<h2>Time to speak out</h2>
<p>Anti-immigrant rhetoric and practices make international students into suspects spreading fear, mistrust and anxiety within our classrooms and lecture halls.</p>
<p>Going to university is often a defining time of any student’s life. During those years they learn more than academic knowledge, they also learn a sense of place in the world and where they stand within it. How will this generation of young, talented people studying in Britain from all over the world look back in 20 or 30 years on the suspicious way they have been treated? What long term effects will current policy have on their sense of the value of British higher education?</p>
<p>What is at stake is much more than the self-interested way politicians use anti-immigrant rhetorical for electoral gain. Rather, what is being damaged is the movement of imagination, the value of the classroom as a space for cosmopolitan dialogue and the ethos of university education itself. That is why, along with individual academics, Universities UK – “the definitive voice” of an “autonomous university sector” – as their mission statement puts it, must speak out now against the folly of government policy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/23948/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les Back receives funding from the European Union</span></em></p>The increasingly stringent control of student migration by the Home Office is damaging both the integrity of our relationships as teachers with students and the future of our universities. It was for this…Les Back, Professor of Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/231082014-02-18T06:09:22Z2014-02-18T06:09:22ZNot all English tests for foreign students are fraudulent<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/41701/original/qtz7y39s-1392638978.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Must improve. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">CookieM</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Revelations of fraudulent practices allowing bogus students to obtain visas to study in the UK have been received with shock and disbelief by English language teachers.</p>
<p>An <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26024375">investigation by BBC’s Panorama</a> focused on the sale of fake examination certificates and bank statements to enable students to gain visas to study in the UK. The students then only had to put in an occasional appearance at their college while simultaneously holding down a job.</p>
<p>As an academic working in English Language testing, I was stunned by what I watched on Panorama. It was hardly credible that an invigilator could actually stand in an examination room and read out the answers to a multiple-choice test paper. Equally mind-boggling was the sight of examination candidates making room for surrogate candidates to take their place and complete their exam for them.</p>
<p>The test in question was the <a href="http://www.ets.org/toeic">Test of English for International Communication</a> (TOEIC). But this is not the most commonly used test to generate a <a href="http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/adult-students/can-you-apply/cas/">Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies</a> (CAS), a pre-requisite for people applying for a student visa for the UK.</p>
<h2>Stringent anti-fraud measures</h2>
<p>There is now a growing fear of the reputational damage the Panorama investigation could have on all English language tests among teachers. </p>
<p>The University of Surrey, like many other higher education institutions, is a centre for the <a href="https://www.ielts.org/default.aspx">International English Language Testing System</a> (IELTS). This system is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP:IELTS Australia, a subsidiary of education company IDP, and the University of Cambridge English Language Assessment. It is one of the most commonly used tests of English for entry to degree programmes in the UK, with more than 2m people taking the IELTS test in 2013. </p>
<p>Over the years, IELTS has introduced a series of security measures aimed at detecting the increasingly ingenious attempts of unscrupulous test-takers to cheat the system. Since 2012, biometric measures have been implemented to assist in combating imposters. These include finger scans and a high-resolution photograph of the candidate that appears on their certificate. </p>
<p>IELTS test centre staff are also trained in impostor detection and fraudulent document recognition. The authenticity of certificates can also be verified online by all recognising organisations that accept IELTS scores.</p>
<p>Examiners, invigilators and administrators at Surrey’s IELTS centre are now concerned that the international reputation of IELTS could suffer as a result of the negative publicity for English language tests. This seems intensely unfair. There are more than 900 locations worldwide, including Surrey, where IELTS is administered and the same high standards of security are demanded in each one.</p>
<h2>Value of international students</h2>
<p>Many sectors of the population worry about immigration and probably many of their concerns are justified. As usual, it is the law-abiding, <em>bona fide</em> majority who often suffer as a result of the misdemeanours of the minority. In the current case, this minority is a group of opportunistic, profiteering businessmen with extremely dubious notions of ethics, intent on making money out of bogus students.</p>
<p>It is no surprise that the home secretary, Theresa May, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2555459/Theresa-Mays-grave-fears-student-visas-Huge-fraud-revealed-lets-200-000.html">wholeheartedly condemned the fraud</a>. The investigation made a mockery of the stringent security measures the government has been applying in an attempt to win voters’ support on the immigration question. And there are some serious implications which go the heart of the higher education sector.</p>
<p>Statistics recently released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency put the <a href="http://www.hesa.ac.uk/content/view/1897/239/">number of international students</a> in UK higher education at 425,265 in 2012-13. These students are highly valued members of our universities – not only for their financial contribution.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/highereducation/Documents/2013/UKandChina.pdf">Universities UK estimates</a> these students bring in £10.2 billion a year, projected to increase to £17 billion by 2025. But they also make an important contribution to the educational environment in terms of their linguistic and cultural heritage. They create an enriching multicultural experience for all UK students, and bring fresh expertise to our research communities. </p>
<p>They can facilitate links for our UK graduates as they enter the competitive global marketplace. And after graduation, international students retain strong, positive links with the UK. In a 2013 research paper setting out the wider benefits of higher education, the UK government said this “<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/240407/bis-13-1172-the-wider-benefits-of-international-higher-education-in-the-uk.pdf">growing ‘army’ of alumni</a>” are going on to act as informal ambassadors for “brand UK”. </p>
<p>The ties forged through the emotional bond created by these students while they are in the UK can have important implications for future social, economic and political collaborations.</p>
<p>So, although government authorities, educationalists and the general public are right to be alarmed by the fraud exposed by Panorama, the vast majority of <em>bona fide</em> international students and English language test providers should not be forgotten. Their contribution to the social and economic fabric of the UK should remain valued.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/23108/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Michelotti works for the University of Surrey which is an official IELTS Test Centre. IELTS is jointly owned by The British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge English Language Assessment. </span></em></p>Revelations of fraudulent practices allowing bogus students to obtain visas to study in the UK have been received with shock and disbelief by English language teachers. An investigation by BBC’s Panorama…Sarah Michelotti, Senior tutor, School of English and Languages, University of SurreyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.