Chris Evans OK tests language examiners
Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Evans has given in-principle approval for rival tests to be officially recognised for checks of English proficiency when overseas students or workers seek visas.
"We're very hopeful. There's really no objective reason why TOEFL [the US-based Test of English as a Foreign Language] could not be confidently used in the Australian [immigration] context," said Eileen Tyson, a TOEFL representative in Australia this month for talks.
TOEFL, which dates back to 1964, and a new test from global publisher Pearson are known to have applied to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship for official status.
IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, which emerged from British and Australian collaboration, has had a monopoly since 2001 when the department mandated its test for student visas. It has also enjoyed a near monopoly for skilled migration. IELTS has struggled at times to keep up with the demand for its tests, leading to complaints about waiting times.
Helen Cook, who works with TOEFL in Australia, said insistence on IELTS by the department could be a disincentive for potential overseas students who had a TOEFL result for admission to an Australian university.
Reporting his 2009 study of overseas students who did not take up an offer, researcher Alan Olsen said: "Australia might need to look at why it does not accept TOEFL results for higher degree by research students from countries such as China, India and Iran."
In April 2008, education broker IDP Australia Pty Ltd paid $28.7 million to become sole owner of IELTS Australia Pty Ltd.
Four months later, the Immigration Department began a review of the IELTS monopoly by inviting other test providers to put their case for recognition. One estimate puts the worth of the Australian test market at about $30m, although this may be reduced by the government's decoupling of education and immigration.
Last month, Senator Evans wrote to TOEFL and other test providers to tell them of "his in-principle support for the acceptance of more than one English language test under the migration regulations", a department spokesman said.
There was some more work to be done on the security of tests, and on the equivalence of scores between different tests, before a final decision, the spokesman said.
Source: The Australian
Australia's international education sector under strain
Release date: 18 May 2010
A new list has been released of occupations required for migrants seeking to come to the country without business support. It stops people coming to Australia for lower skill, short courses and then gaining permanent residency based on that training. But education providers say international students are now switching to other countries for their education.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Up till now a quick course in something such as hairdressing or cooking could lead to a foreign student gaining permanent residency in Australia.
But that has all changed. The Government is now set to halve the number of occupations and professions listed in its skilled migration program. The Immigration Minister Chris Evans says the new system will better cater to the country's economic needs.
CHRIS EVANS: Well it's very much tightening up on the skills list. There's more than 200 less classifications here, but critically a range of low-skill occupations such as cooking and hairdressing, where we've seen a growth in vocational education training.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Senator Evans says the education system has driven the migration intake for far too long.
CHRIS EVANS: We've had the education system driving our migration outcomes rather than having our skills needs driving them. This is about making sure that the people who come in on the migration program have the skills we need, have the English levels we need and can get a job in that skilled area.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: As well as the economic imperative there have been other factors behind the Government's changes.
A series of attacks on Indians and the collapse of a number of educational institutions have hurt Australia's reputation as an international education destination. The Government has been under intense pressure to fix the situation.
Already, 20,000 prospective migrants have had their applications for permanent residency rejected. And the changes are expected to affect between 30,000 to 40,000 international students presently studying in Australia.
Andrew Smith is chief executive officer of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training, the peak body for private-sector education courses. He says these students should be allowed to stay under the previous permanent residency arrangements.
ANDREW SMITH: We've got students and your businesses in Australia who've invested very heavily on the basis of the Government's previous policies. And we believe that those students in particular should be able to continue their studies and seek the outcome that was promised to them under previous policies.
We understand the need for change in the immigration policies. We support those changes, but we think that we have a responsibility to honour the commitments we made to existing students.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Andrew Smith says other western countries such as Canada are already taking advantage of the situation and poaching students.
ANDREW SMITH: Well I can tell you that one of the key things that is hurting reputation overseas at the moment and causing students to look to other countries for their education is the uncertainty and the continual change in immigration policy, where we're not meeting the promises we made.
That means that we have, are seen as having an unstable policy environment and it means that investment is being made elsewhere. Our third largest export industry is under increasing pressure as a result of this uncertainty and the continual change in policy settings.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Support for existing students is also coming from within Australia's Indian community. But Dr Yadu Singh an Indian community leader based in Sydney says he supports the overall changes to the system.
YADU SINGH: Indians from India can come to Australia but they have to you know fit in with the requirements which Australia has. We can't just be you know guiding our immigration programs based on some sort of specific trades like you know cookery or hairdressing.
So of course Indians would be welcome but I'm Indian as well. I came as a doctor so you know we want people from all over the world Australia being the multicultural country but we want the right people for the right trade, the right qualifications and we can't allow our immigration program to be controlled or guided only by international education.
MICHAEL EDWARDS: Education agents in India say demand for Australian courses has fallen since news of the changes to the permanent residency regulations were announced.
Source: ABC Radio
New Skilled Occupation List to meet Australia’s economic needs
Senator Evans said the list, developed by the independent body Skills Australia and containing 181 highly valued occupations, would ensure Australia’s skilled migration program is demand-driven rather than supply-driven.
"We intend to fundamentally change the way we target skilled migrants to restore integrity to the skilled migration program," Senator Evans said.
"Through a targeted migration program, the Rudd Government will attract skilled migrants of the highest calibre and deliver people with real skills to meet real need in our economy."
The new SOL is a critical reform in the Government’s overhaul of the skilled migration program and closes the door on those seeking to manipulate the migration system.
Only people with relevant qualifications in occupations listed on the SOL will be eligible for independent general skilled migration.
"Australia's migration program cannot be determined by the courses studied by international students," Senator Evans said.
"This SOL represents a new direction which aims to ensure we choose migrants who have the skills to meet our nation’s economic needs.
"The Rudd Government continues to value the very important contribution made by the international education sector and education providers that deliver high-quality courses to both Australian and overseas students will continue to prosper.
"International students who have the skills our economy needs will still be able to apply for permanent migration or be nominated by employers but we will no longer accept the thousands of cooks and hairdressers who applied under the guidelines established by the Howard government."
Under the Howard government people who completed short courses in vocations such as cooking and hairdressing and had low English skills were almost assured of gaining permanent residence as a skilled migrant.
In 2007-08, of the 41 000 general skilled visas granted, more than 5 000 went to cooks and hairdressers; three quarters of them had formerly studied in Australia. These two occupations have been removed from the new SOL.
The Minister said he would recommend to the Governor-General in-Council amendments to the Migrations Regulations 1994 to give effect to this new framework.
The new SOL is proposed to come into effect on 1 July 2010 to replace the old list which contained more than 400 occupations. It will be updated annually.
Senator Evans said Skills Australia received advice from industry skills councils, industry peak bodies and Professions Australia to ensure the SOL contained occupations Australia needs in the medium to long term.
"The initiative builds on the reforms announced in February," Senator Evans said.
"The Government has increased English language requirements for trade applicants and introduced a new job ready program for onshore trade applicants.
"There is now increased priority for employer sponsored migrants and this will ensure industry is able to quickly access the skilled workers it needs."
During the past 18 months, the Government has driven a reform agenda, aimed at shifting the supply-driven skilled migration system we inherited to a demand-driven one.
"First and foremost, young Australians should be trained and given the opportunity to fill existing job vacancies. The Government has a national plan to ensure young people are skilled in the occupations where there is the greatest need," Senator Evans said.
"But there are some occupations where there will continue to be a high demand for skills and we welcome highly trained people to Australia to fill these vacancies.
"Hospitals can’t go without nurses, country towns can’t do without a local GP and the resources sector increasingly needs skills."
Chairman of the Government's National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce, Parliamentary Secretary for Western and Northern Australia Gary Gray, welcomed the new SOL and said it would address the needs of the resources sector.
"The taskforce has met with resource sector employers across the country and the clear message is that we need a targeted approach to migration," Mr Gray said.
The government recognises the proposed changes would affect some overseas students currently in Australia intending to apply for permanent residence. The introduction of the new SOL does not change the concessions announced in February which provide generous transition arrangements for former and current international students seeking a visa under the General Skilled Migration (GSM) program.
People who have already applied for a GSM visa would not be affected by the implementation of the new SOL.
The changes would in no way affect international students coming to Australia to gain a qualification and then return home.
Skills Australia will publish on its website www.skillsaustralia.gov.au the evidence and analysis for each listed occupation in coming weeks.
Source: Media release, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
The Government will today reveal it will crack down on people manipulating our immigration system by taking up "low-value" education courses as a means of seeking permanent residency. Those wanting to qualify for a general skilled visa will now have to make sure their job is listed on the new "skilled occupation list", which has been whittled down from more than 400 occupations to 181. Highly-skilled migrants - for example doctors, nurses, engineers, scientists, teachers, vets, locksmiths, dentists, midwives, mechanics, bricklayers, carpenters, tilers, electricians and plumbers - are still very much in demand. But foreigners with low English skills who completed short courses in vocations such as cooking and hairdressing - who were previously almost assured of gaining permanent residency as a skilled migrant - will now have to expand their skills if they want to live in Australia. There are more than 200 other occupations that have also been dumped from the new skilled jobs list, including mathematicians, counsellors, historians, fashion designers, translators, park rangers, hotel managers, parole officers, interior decorators, piano tuners, buttermakers, massage therapists, tree surgeons and glass blowers. Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Evans yesterday said that refining the list to "highly valued" occupations would restore integrity to the skilled migration program and close the door on those seeking to manipulate the migration system. "Through a targeted migration program, the Rudd Government will attract skilled migrants of the highest calibre and deliver people with real skills to meet real need in our economy," Senator Evans said. "Australia's migration program cannot be determined by the courses studied by international students. "International students who have the skills our economy needs will still be able to apply for permanent migration or be nominated by [their] employers. "But we will no longer accept the thousands of cooks and hairdressers who applied under the guidelines [that were] established by the Howard government." The new skilled occupation list is due to come online on July 1. Senator Evans said people who have already applied for a general skilled migration visa would not be affected by the implementation of the new skilled occupation list. And the changes won't affect international students coming to Australia to gain a qualification and then return home. In the coming weeks, Skills Australia will publish the evidence and analysis for each listed occupation on its website (skillsaustralia.gov.au). Source: Herald SunHairdressers chopped in visa crackdown
