Higher education student visa systems

  Australia’s student visa system is more complex, more costly and more prescriptive than its international competitors, threatening to permanently derail the nation’s 3rd largest export industry unless urgent action is taken by Government to simplify the current system. Research released by the Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) provides clear evidence that Australia’s Higher Education Student Visa System is uncompetitive compared to the UK, the United States, Canada and New Zealand. This report provides a brief overview and comparison of higher education student visa systems in five countries, with a view to making recommendations as to how the Australian system can be modified in specific relation to higher education students in Australia in view of practice elsewhere in comparable countries. Image: kerfern / flick