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Tighter migration rules will cost Australia jobs and a billion dollar export education industry.
17 August 2010
Tighter Australian skilled migration rules squeezes higher education
Australia faces loosing 36,000 jobs and risks a billion dollar export education industry as tighter rules for skilled migration drive away foreign students.
The Australian export education industry, worth about $18 billion, could see losses of up to $3.3 billion annually in three years under a worst-case scenario, Australia’s technological universities warned yesterday.
Under the worst-case scenario, the tighter Australian skilled migration rules would cause a 35 per cent fall in university students numbers.
Even under a mild scenario of a 10 per cent fall in starting university students, losses would build up to $1.1bn a year in three years, Australian Technology Network chairman Ross Milbourne said.
"What we are seeing from current policy settings is potentially economic suicide," the University of Technology, Sydney vice-chancellor said.
Recent Curtin University modelling found higher education was suffering "collateral damage" from stricter Australian Student Visa and immigration policies aimed at dodgy colleges.
The modelling shows 36,000 fewer jobs in 2014 if university commencements drop by 35 per cent.
The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people lodge their Australian Visa application at the Australian Embassy.
