Commentary Long Term Skilled Migration

[connaust]

Losing on long-term skilled migration.

 

CITING a backlog of more than 140,000 applications for skilled migration, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship released amendments to the system of awarding points for applications last year.

 

The result is it is more difficult and less attractive for international graduates of Australian universities to become skilled residents of this country.

 

Key to this was the raising of the English proficiency requirement by more than 20 per cent, from competent to very good, so that successful applicants have "fully operational command of the language with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriacies. Misunderstandings may occur in unfamiliar situations. Handles complex detailed argumentation well."

 

Native speakers may be feeling a little discomforted here.

 

In addition to the second language hurdle, the immigration department maintains the slowest and most expensive skilled migration application process in the English-speaking world.

 

Rule changes, delays and the expense of processing applications have combined to severely damage one of Australia's largest export industries with increasing numbers of overseas students choosing an easier and cheaper Canada, British or US destination......

[twister292]

Not surprised that this comes from CQU, a university which any student worth his grades won't touch with a barge pole...this university relies on international students for a sizeable chunk of its revenue/funding.

 

If this came from a more reputed uni it might have been received more positively, but considering that researchers from Monash and UniMelb such as Dr Bob Birrel and Prof Lesleyanne Hawthorne have voiced strong support for the proposed reforms, and in fact played a key role in the underlying research and publications that led to the current proposed changes to come into effect from 1 July, it seems unlikely this article will make too much of a stir.

 

Being an international student myself, I can attest to the fact that students from 2 countries in particular (which I will not name) are particularly visible in a class of applicants for permanent visas with sub-par English skills...this cohort of graduates has somewhat frustrated employers and fueled the notion that people with less than functional English are being let through.

 

However, I do believe that Australia has quite a receptive system for graduates from Australian universities.

 

The reforms from July 2011 will make it very hard for students (again, from 2 countries in particular) to get the requisite level of English skills (yes, IELTS 8 in each module is a tall ask from that cohort) but someone who can get that level of English will still be eligible from what the fact sheets show.

 

Admittedly, Australia will have the most stringent level of English competency required for any group of migrants to any country post-July.