最新消息：澳大利亚学生签证重大变革！
澳大利亚政府出台了由Hon Michael Knight所撰写的长达196页的报告。这意味着澳大利亚学生签证将会在不久的将来产生重大的变革。由于之最近两年澳大利亚政府希望澳大利亚的留学和移民分家，加上澳币上涨，全球金融危机导致美元下跌，美国大量吸收以中国学生为主的国际学生。因此，为了简化澳大利亚学生签证流程，保持澳大利亚海外留学市场在国际的竞争力，从去年开始澳大利亚移民局经过多方咨询，决定全部接受各方提出的所有的41个建议。
澳大利亚移民部长的announcement如下：
http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/cb/2011/cb172439.htm
这41个建议中主要的33个建议的英文总结如下：
Notable in these recommendations are the following:
1. The first criterion in assessing a Student visa application is whether the applicant is a genuine temporary entrant;
2. A successful applicant must be both a genuine temporary entrant and a genuine Student;
3. All applicants for higher education Bachelors degree (2+2 or 3+1 arrangements with partner universities), and Masters degree by coursework should be Assessment Level 1 (including packages with ELICOS or foundation courses);
4. All Australian Bachelors degree graduates (with at least two years study in Australia) be given two years post-study work rights in Australia;
5. All Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students (visa Subclass 574) be treated as Assessment Level, and be given three years work rights;
6. Masters by Research graduates be given three years post-study work rights, and PhD graduates be given four years post-study work rights;
7. HDR students be allowed to extend their student visa for up to six months to allow for the interactive marking process. This should also apply to PHD Subclass 576 visa holders if AusAID is prepared to fund the extension;
8. The threshold English language test requirements for standalone ELICOS students be removed;
9. The English language requirements for school students in AL4 be the same as those applying for AL1 through to AL3 and the associated waiver scheme abolished;
10. The maximum a school student visa holder can study English be 50 weeks across all ALs;
11. The current restrictions on student guardians of a maximum of three months of study be maintained but unlimited part‐time study rights for ELICOS study only be allowed;
12. Pre‐paid home stay fees be included in financial assessments on the same basis as pre‐paid boarding fees;
13. As a matter of some urgency AusAID, DIAC, DOHA and other relevant Australian government agencies develop an integrated policy in relation to the award of scholarships and how visa arrangements for awardees are to be managed. In particular they should address the situation of potential awardees who have a disability or HIV;
14. That DIAC and DEEWR meet with state education authorities to work out what can be done to avoid the situation where a visa for a child dependent cannot be granted until proof of enrolment is present and state education authorities will not grant such proof until proof of visa grant is made. Any agreed remedy should apply across all Student visa subclasses;
15.Streamlining applications for semester of year long university non-award courses;
16. DIAC be appropriately funded to further develop research capability across the program;
17. In the event that the research over the next 12 months reveals systemic abuse of dependant (secondary applicant) visas, that the government seriously consider mirroring the recent UK policy and restrict dependant visas to Masters and above courses unless the primary applicant is sponsored by a government;
18. Current arrangements whereby Student Course Variations (SCVs) automatically become NCNs should cease. SCV information should continue to be conveyed to DIAC who should use it as an input into a more targeted and strategic analysis of non‐compliance;
19. Automatic cancellation of student visas should be abolished and replaced by a system in which information conveyed by SCVs is used as an input into a more targeted and strategic analysis of non‐compliance;
20. The mandatory cancellation requirement for unsatisfactory attendance, unsatisfactory progress and working in excess of the hours allowed should be removed, giving DIAC officers the discretion to determine cancellation in particular cases on their merits;
21. DIAC should concentrate its compliance and integrity resources in relation to Student visas on the highest risk areas;
22. DIAC should not only respond to information generated by PRISMS but also be proactive in detecting the sorts of breaches (for example sham marriages and exceeding permissible work hours) which are not reported in PRISMS;
23. That student work entitlements be 40 hours per fortnight instead of 20 hours per week;
24. The necessary legislative changes be made to require the name of any agent involved to be entered into the student’s data into PRISMS, and DEEWR take steps to encourage providers to voluntarily enter agent data into PRISMS in the interim before the ESOS Act is changed to make this mandatory;
25. That DEEWR and DIAC establish a single student identifier to track international students through their studies in Australia;
26. That DIAC undertake a review of the AL framework, with a mind to either abolishing the system entirely or modifying he framework to make it relevant to current and future challenges facing the student visa program. This review should be managed by DIAC but should include reference to an external panel or reference group;
27. That DIAC upgrade its liaison at overseas posts with migration and education agents in relation to the student visa program, including regular meetings to keep agents abreast of any changes in rules and procedures;
28. That the provision of offshore VET sector education be investigated;
29. That DIAC constitute an Education Visa Advisory Group as a primary means of regular two way communication between stakeholders in the international education sector and DIAC;
30. The policy regarding Pre‐Visa Assessment (PVA) be discontinued;
31. Student visas be allowed to be granted in advance of four months before the commencement of the relevant course. Where necessary, visas should specify a date before which the holder cannot enter Australia;
32. That DIAC regularly reviews the current living cost amount, and based on the CPI or other measure amend the amount, as required;
33. That DIAC review the exclusion criteria and policy which relate to student visa non‐compliance.
我们翻译了其中一些和大家息息相关的重要条款。
第3条，所有本科和硕士coursework课程都应该成为一类风险国家。目前一类风险国家不需要提供资金担保和证明。
第4条，所有本科毕业生将获得毕业之后在澳洲的两年工作权利。
第5条，所有的574毕业生毕业之后将获得在澳洲的3年工作权利。
第6条，所有的Master by Research都可以获得毕业之后3年的澳洲工作权利，PhD学生可以获得长达4年的澳洲工作权利。
第8条，单独就读语言的学生不需要提供雅思成绩。（目前中国学生已经是不需要提供雅思成绩了，所以对我们没有太大影响。）
第9条，所有来澳就读中学的4级风险国家学生（包括中国大陆学生），将会和一级至三级风险国际的学生一样，不需要提供雅思成绩，也就是说不需要提供雅思豁免信（IELTS Waiver）。
第10条，所有来澳就读中学的学生最多可以读50周语言，不管是几级风险国家。
第17条，研究表明，很多人在不法利用配偶陪读签证。澳大利亚政府考虑借鉴英国最近的政策，只有读硕士课程或以上学位的学生才可以申请其配偶的陪读签证，或者主申请人是由政府担保资助的。
第19条，学生签证自动取消政策应该被取消，取而代之的应该是一个更有效的评估系统。
第20条，由于学生出勤率，学习进度以及超时工作而产生的强制性学生签证取消应该被废除，应该给签证官更大的酌情权来根据个案决定是否取消签证。（备注：这个绝对不代表来澳洲政府对国际学生出勤率，学习进度或是打工时间的放松规定。）
第23条，学生上学期间的工作时间应该从现在的每周20小时改为每两周40小时。
第26条，有可能取消或更改现有的国家按照风险等级区分的政策。
第30条，取消PVA。
第31条，允许学生签证在开学之前4个月下签，但是签证上面会注明一个日期，申请人在此日期之前不得入境。
澳大利亚政府准备在2011-2013年期间实现完成所有的改革，主要的改革项目或在明年7月1日前完成。
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