This information was given by Shri S.M.Krishna, Union Minister of External Affairs in reply to a question by Shri Prabhat Jha in Rajya Sabha Today.

He said that the Australian authorities have clarified that the changes in student visa rules are not directed at India or any one country. They apply generally and broadly. The policy objective of the changes is to modernise Australia's skills migration programme. According to Australian authorities, the previous arrangements were outmoded and were not providing Australia with the skills that Australia needs for the future.

With a view to stamp out fraud and ensure that students have the financial capacity to live and study in Australia, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), Government of Australia announced (August 2009) strengthening of checks on student visa applications. The targeted measures, which will address the potential for document fraud and other issues around financial capacity, identification and bona fides, include:

· Upgrading the interview programme to build a strong evidence base around fraud;

· Removing or restricting e-Visa access for some agents where there is evidence of fraud or inactivity, and

· Restricting access to e-Visa for some segments of the caseload if analysis demonstrates restricted access would allow for better control of fraud;

Also the DIAC has announced the increase in financial requirement with effect from 01 January 2010, for overseas students to at least $ 18,000 a year instead of the current $ 12,000, besides the cost of tuition fees, travel cost and cost of any dependents and DIAC will make an assessment on whether the funds demonstrated by students will be available to them while they are in Australia.

On 08 February 2010, Senator Chris Evans, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship announced an overhaul of the general skilled migration programme in Australia. The major reforms to the programme are:

· All offshore General Skilled Migration applications lodged offshore before 1 September, 2007 will be withdrawn. It will affect about 20,000 people (including 2400 from India) who will get refund of their visa application charges, costing about A$ 14 million.

· The wide ranging Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) stands revoked with immediate effect. In its place, a new and more targeted Skilled Occupations List (SOL) will be developed and reviewed annually. The Critical Skills List introduced in the beginning of 2009 will also be phased out.

· The points test used to assess migrants will be reviewed.

· Certain occupations may be capped.

· Individual state and territory migration plans will be developed so that they can prioritise skilled migrants of their choice.

These reforms are going to affect international students who have come to Australia with the hope of getting permanent residency based on MODL. The new arrangements will give first priority to skilled migrants who are sponsored by an Australian employer. According to new rules, those international students who hold a vocational, higher education or postgraduate student visa will still be able to apply for a permanent visa if their occupation is on the new Skilled Occupations List. If their occupation is not on the new SOL, they will have until 31 December 2012 to apply for a temporary skilled graduate visa on completion of their studies which will enable them to spend up to 18 months in Australia to acquire work experience and seek sponsorship from an employer.