DIAC & Student Visas - an update

19 October 2012

DIAC & Student Visas - an update

English Australia continues to engage with DIAC on matters relating to the student visa program, both through formal meetings of the Education Visa Consultative Committee (EVCC) and through more regular informal contact.

The most recent meeting of the EVCC was held on 14 September, with the next meeting scheduled for 9 November.

DIAC will now be providing EVCC members with a quarterly update that will provide student visa lodgement and grant rates for all countries (not just the top 20). We will be using this data to identify any concerns regarding specific countries and will raise these directly with DIAC.  The first such queries were raised with DIAC last month regarding China and Vietnam asking for further information behind the high rejection rates for 570 (Independent ELICOS) visas.

Senior managers at each posting are now reviewing Genuine Temporary Entrance (GTE) decisions with some now implementing checks of all GTE refusals.

DIAC has also agreed that it will be more proactive in coming months about educating overseas education agents regarding SVP and GTE procedures. 

Any member college that has specific examples of applicants believed to be genuine who have failed the GTE test should send copies of the rejection letters to the Secretariat. We have been invited to refer these to DIAC for their review.

 

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