Rizvi correctly argues that “the current boom in student visa applications lay in former Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s decision to provide overseas students with unlimited work rights”. As a result, “in every month post-COVID, offshore student visa applications have exceeded the pre-COVID all-time record by around 20%to 30%”:“The number of student visa holders in Australia increased from 315,949 at end 2021 to 585,847 at end February 2023, an increase of over 85% in just 14 months”. Rizvi also warns that “the re-imposition of restricted student work rights” will likely lead to “a very large portion of students” struggling to “pay student fees, exorbitant rent for accommodation and rising cost of living”. Thereby, Labor has incentivised overseas ‘students’ to continue using and abusing Australia’s visa system for work rights and permanent residency. Sadly, the Albanese government has chosen to opposite path by raising the weekly work cap by four hours and lengthening post-graduate work rights for graduates by two years.

Source: The Guardian April 11, 2023 07:20 UTC