"No More N10m": Australia Announces New Student Visa Rules, Closes Door Nigerians Exploit for Cheaper Studies
- Nigerian students and other international students will have to devise a new way to make their studies cheaper in Australia
- The one loophole exploited by students to remain in the country through cheaper studies is now closed. The government is also set to increase the savings international students need to obtain a student visa
- Elom Sunday, a public affairs analyst, spoke with Legit.ng on the strict policies against international students globally in recent times and implications for Nigerians
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The Australian government has announced plans to close the loophole international students, including Nigerians, use for cheaper studies.
Before now, international students were allowed to undertake additional courses alongside their core studies called the "concurrent study" rule.
This was designed to help prepare the students for the job market through short courses.
Source: Getty Images
However, the Australian government said many students were misusing the rule to ditch their university courses and permanently switch to cheaper courses.
Education Minister Jason Clare said in a statement said:
"This change will work to stop predatory 'second' providers from enrolling students before they have studied for the required six months at their first provider."
Reuters reports that there has been a sharp uptake in the use of the concurrent study, with 17,000 concurrent enrolments created in the first half of 2023 versus 10,500 for the same period in 2019 and 2022 combined.
More changes
The Australian minister also revealed that the government is increasing the savings international students need to get a student visa.
From October 1, 2023, international students will need to show evidence of A$24,505 (About N12.10 million) in savings, a 17% increase from about N10 million.
She noted that International education is Australia's fourth-largest export industry, and maintaining the sector's integrity was critical for the country's economy.
Stiffer admission policies for international students globally strong message to Nigerians
In a chat with Legit.ng on Tuesday, August 28, Elom Sunday, a policy analyst, said the fact that countries are now adopting stricter admission policies for international students shows Nigeria must develop its key sectors.
This, he said, will discourage the scourge of people leaving the country in droves to seek greener pastures abroad.
He said:
"It is simple. It is not racism or hatred for the individuals involved but hatred and tiredness of accommodating people who have all it takes to be as or better than the countries they run to en mass where shortly after they are granted entry, they subdue, outshine and almost take over the economy of the countries.
"It is a clear message that those countries are fully aware of our evergreen corrupt system here in Nigeria and rather than rising up at all costs with our individual and collective strengths, talents, and capacities we display outside there, we choose to go those countries whose people once faced the same problem we are facing here now but put their lives on the line and got them to where they are now.
"It is a clear message that he who must be justified must be justifiable and he who wants a kernel must buy palm fruit."
Breakdown of amount required to relocate to UK for singles, married
Meanwhile, in another report, Legit.ng disclosed that a Nigerian residing abroad published a comprehensive estimate of how much it may cost to migrate to the United Kingdom.
Although he clarified that it is only an estimate, his study would surely give direction to Nigerians travelling as singles, married couples, and families.
The number of Nigerians leaving for the UK is at an all-time high, mainly via studies.
Source: Legit.ng
