Visa changes 'biased' towards universities

22 Sep 2011, 6:28 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Non-university educators have welcomed changes to international student visas but say these are biased towards universities.

The federal government's changes to international student visas have been generally welcomed by the education sector but TAFE directors say the move is disappointing because it favours universities.

On Thursday the government announced it would streamline the visa process for students who want to study a bachelor's degree or higher.

It will also lower the financial requirements for some applicants and introduce new post-study work visas for students who complete a bachelor's degree or higher.

TAFE Directors Australia (TDA) said the review of the visa system by former NSW government minister Michael Knight had sent mixed signals to students interested in studying in Australia.

It said Mr Knight's report was "disappointingly one-sided" in favour of universities.

The organisation also said TAFE institutes would meet eight of the nine factors Mr Knight used to justify giving universities special treatment.

"On the one hand, the Knight Report recognised the high quality of Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system, and yet the recommendations clearly discriminate against international students wishing to study in this area," it said in a statement.

However, TDA chief executive Martin Riordan said he was encouraged that Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans had included his organisation on a panel to further review details of the visa system.

The Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) was also disappointed at the perceived bias towards universities.

Chief executive Claire Field said international students did not and should not have to only choose university studies when coming to Australia.

However, she generally thought the changes would strengthen the higher education sector overall.

"We look forward to working closely with the federal government on the fast implementation so that we can get Australia's international education sector back on track," she said in a statement.

Other organisations, including business representatives Australian Industry Group, welcomed the visa changes wholeheartedly.

The Group of Eight, which represents the Australia's top research universities, said a risk assessment component that recognised high-quality providers would give a sound basis for growth.

"Changes to the risk framework send a clear message that Australian education providers are responsible for ensuring that they uphold quality," chairman Paul Greenfield said in a statement.

Student representative bodies including the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations also applauded the changes.

"The recommendations of the Knight Review will help international students contribute to the cosmopolitan style of our universities," said that organisation's president, John Nowakowski, in a statement.

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