Dodgy agents not just limited to India or China

[Guest siamsusie]

I don't want to take the thread off track but it does appear that Jacqui Smith has effectively gotten away with her expense claims.

Ex-Home Secretary Jacqui Smith apology over expenses claims - Herald Scotland | News | Politics

Looks that way! and now just breaking news we have Prince Andrew of all people Prince Andrew claims bank bonuses are “minute” - Herald Scotland | News | Home News defending the bankers. Choice coming out of someone who has troughateered all his life, the poor little man hasnt heard that the tax payer owns a few of the banks... anyone sorry to be off thread, "infractions" sound painful:wink:

[Guest Gollywobbler]

MPs' expenses: wives demand watering down of ban on family members - Telegraph

 

:biglaugh: Nepotism is now compulsory in the UK apparently.

[tcillc]

Indian police probe English language test scam

Source: The Age

 

TOP executives of a company contracted by Australia's largest recruiter of international students are being investigated for fraud in India.

 

In the latest scam to hit Australia's international education industry, Indian police this week arrested one man and are hunting a second as part of an investigation into a swindle involving English language proficiency tests.

 

The fraud involved students with poor English allegedly paying to have someone more proficient sit English tests on their behalf. Students from India must pass an English test as a condition of their Australian visa.

 

Revelations of the scam call into question the integrity of the English-language testing system for foreign students, and raise fears some Indian students are entering Australia using English language certificates gained by fraud.

 

Indian police were tipped off about the scam earlier this year by IDP Education, Australia's biggest international student recruitment company.

 

IDP, the British Council and Cambridge University deliver the International English Language Testing System in 120 countries, with a near monopoly on the world's leading English language proficiency tests.

 

IDP Education subcontracts to a company called Planet EDU to conduct the tests in India. Vishal Mehta, the man arrested by Indian police, was operations manager at Planet EDU until September 2008, when he was sacked. The Age believes Mehta was allegedly charging students $12,000 to $24,000 each to organise an exam impersonator for them.

 

The other man sought by police is a relative of Planet EDU's chief executive, Sanjay Malaviya.

 

IDP, which is half-owned by 38 Australian universities through their holding company, IDP Education Australia Ltd, detected the fraud through its security procedures in India. IDP chief executive Tony Pollock described Planet EDU as a ''highly professional outfit'', saying he had confidence in the company's chief executive because he had ''turned in'' a family member. ''He's very serious about rooting out these problems,'' he said.

 

He told The Age: ''We do from time to time detect attempts at fraud. Often we're not able to secure an arrest but we've been trying to work more closely with the Indian police.''

 

Mr Pollock said other scams IDP had uncovered involved people offering to sell copies of the test in advance, despite the fact ''that's simply impossible''.

 

With increasing numbers of people sitting the test each year and Australia being a popular study destination because of the possibility of gaining permanent residency through international education, it had become a ''high-stakes test''.

 

''When you have high-stakes tests, people will take greater risks or be more ingenious in trying to find ways around it,'' he said.

 

Fearing a security breach in May, IDP withheld test results. Most were later released but some tests were considered to have been sat by ''substitutes'', Mr Pollock said.

 

Because it was difficult to detect if a test had been taken by someone other than the true candidate, increased security measures had been installed at test centres over the past two years, he said.

 

As part of the Indian police investigation into what are called ''impersonation cases'', two men and a woman in their 20s from Hyderabad were arrested in July.

 

A spokesman for Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship said the department welcomed ''any information on these scams'' so they could be investigated.

 

Any applicant found providing fraudulent documentation to support claims for a student visa would have their application refused, he said.

[Guest Glenn Pereira]

SYDNEY(AUSTRALIA): The CEO of the Migration Institute of Australia, Maurene Horder, arrives New Delhi this week looking to increase awareness of professional services available to Indians heading to Australia for work, education or as migrants.

 

Horder, will be speaking to an influential group of business delegates at the India Australia Investment Forum 2009 which takes place at the Lalit Hotel in New Delhi on Monday.

 

“My key message is that seeking out the best accredited advice, ensures the best chance of success for people wanting come to Australia,” said Horder. “Like everywhere, Australia has its share of unscrupulous operators and avoiding pitfalls is best achieved by checking that agents have accreditation - that they are indeed Registered Migration Agents. We offer that service – which is freely available on our website.”

 

The latest official statistics show that Indians are the third largest group of permanent resident additions to Australia and some 90,000 Indians are currently studying in the country.

 

“The relationship between our countries has strong foundations in trade and increasingly both countries are enjoying the benefits that come with globalisation of skills and knowledge.”

 

As well as addressing the business forum, Ms Horder will meet with education agents to explore future professional development options, and with registered migration agents to discuss Australia-India migration issues. The MIA has 54 members operating in India.

 

Acknowledged as the profession’s peak body in Australia, MIA embraces a highly qualified membership of some 2000 agents globally. Members are engaged in continuous professional development and provided access to a continuous flow of government and legislative information. “Amendments to our migration legislation occur quite frequently,” says Horder.

 

“For example, the ‘Occupations in Demand List’, can change a couple of times a year. These and other developments illustrate the point that it is important to use a professional who is up-to-date on migration issues and trends.

 

All of our member agents are obliged to maintain current knowledge and so are well placed to offer up-to-the-minute advice.”

 

SEE: Punjab News __________________