Universities Accord report proposes easier permanent residency, housing for international students

The final report from the Australian Universities Accord, a broad review of the tertiary education sector, recommends significant reforms for international students shaped by nearly 800 submissions.

A major report has been released containing 47 recommendations across student fees, funding, teaching, university governance, student safety and well-being as well as the international education sector. Source: Moment RF / Mayur Kakade/Getty Images

Key Points

• The federal government has released the final report from the Universities Accord, encompassing 47 recommendations.
• It recommends improvements to the international student experience and diversification of the student market.
• Nishidhar Borra, head of the Association of Australian Education Representatives of India, emphasised the need for focus on the Indian student market.

The Australian Universities Accord's final report has established the framework for the tertiary sector's trajectory in the coming decades.

Released by the federal government in February, the 408-page report contains 47 recommendations across student fees, funding, teaching, university governance, student safety and well-being as well as the international education sector.

It recognised that "international education is Australia's fourth-largest export" and highlighted that international student fees accounted for over a fifth of total university funding.

"In 2022, Australian higher education institutions enrolled nearly 450,000 international fee-paying students, constituting over a quarter of total enrolments, with approximately 120,000 of these students studying Australian higher education courses remotely," it said.

Easier migration pathways

The report emphasised the importance of safeguarding the international student sector's reputation by enhancing overall student experience.

Noting the tendency of international students to seek migration pathways, the report proposed aligning tertiary education with Australian skill shortages and regional study opportunities, in line with the government's Migration Strategy objectives.

More can be done, however, to improve outcomes for international students, particularly in relation to migration opportunities and positive employment outcomes, as acknowledged in the Australian Government’s Migration Strategy.

The Universities Accord's final report

"Improving transparency, clarity and communication about the Australian visa system would improve migration outcomes for international students. This includes addressing issues associated with a ‘permanently temporary’ visa status – where migrants remain in Australia without the opportunity to acquire permanent residency," the report said.

The Universities Accord panel's final report has suggested easier migration pathways for international students. Source: Moment RF / Alexander W Helin/Getty Images

The Review is recommending that, to maintain trust and integrity in the Australian visa system, the Australian Government should continue to act on the recommendations of the Nixon Review and implement the Migration Strategy to protect international students from unscrupulous providers.

The Universities Accord's final report

The report also proposed to recognise the contributions of international students to Australia, alongside enhancing coordination of courses and programs offered to them, in line with the national skills agenda.

Affordable housing

The report highlighted the growing housing challenges faced by international students in Australia.

The Review has heard that international students are one of the factors contributing to pressures on housing availability and cost, and broader infrastructure.

The Universities Accord Final report

It indicated that housing stress could discourage enrolment and hinder access to higher education opportunities.

The Universities Accord report highlighted the growing housing challenges faced by international students in Australia. Credit: Drazen_/Getty Images

It thus proposed the government to have appropriate risk-management strategies for international education that include consideration of access to and availability of affordable student housing.

English language proficiency

The report has also reflected that English proficiency correlates directly with favourable educational and labour market results.

The final report says English proficiency correlates directly with favourable educational and labour market results. Credit: Motortion/Getty Images

Consequently, it recommended that providers implement "rigorous testing and admission standards" to ensure international students possess the necessary English language skills to excel academically and professionally, while also offering customised support as needed.

Other key proposals

The report proposed enhancing alumni engagement programs and research networks, creating a National Student Ombudsman to address student grievances, and crafting a national student charter for the welfare, safety and well-being of all students, both on campus and online.

"International students can face a range of significant issues while adjusting to life in Australia including social isolation, financial hardship, workplace exploitation and discrimination ... Supporting social cohesion within and beyond the classroom will benefit international and domestic students alike," the report said.

The report aims to build a more inclusive and equitable higher education for all Australians. Source: iStockphoto / nirat/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Besides this, it recommended the government and tertiary education providers promote the growth of international education in regional and remote areas, and diversification of international student markets.

While China remains Australia’s major two-way trading partner and single largest source of international students, India is now the world’s most populous nation with the largest youth population in the world. This presents considerable opportunities for Australia.

The Universities Accord's final report.

Reactions

Many universities welcomed the report and its suggestion to improve support for international students.

Charles Sturt University said it was pleased to see the Accord Panel urging the government to work with the higher education sector and others to increase the number of international students in regional areas.

The Student Accommodation Council (SAC) also welcomed the report's recommendations on students' housing.

"The final report recommends that universities should have strategies in place for housing international students – previously they did not need to consider where their student cohort may live when they arrive in Australia," SAC's Torie Brown said.

Student Accommodation Council Executive Director Torie Brown. Credit: John Feder Photography / Newspix

The fastest way to add much-needed student housing to the market, she said, was for universities to partner directly with the purpose-built student accommodation sector

Brown highlighted the safety and suitability of student accommodation for young arrivals in Australia, advocating for the removal of obstacles such as high taxes and planning bureaucracy to expedite the construction of new buildings.

Head of the Association of Australian Education Representatives of India (AAERI) Nishidhar Borra stressed the need to maintain focus on the Indian student market.

Nishidhar Borra, President of Association of Australian Education Representatives of India (AAERI). Credit: Nishidhar Borra

"Main markets such as China, India and Nepal, where the Australian education brand is popular, must not be ignored.

"The middle class in India is growing and has more disposable income now. The Indian middle class is more inclined to study abroad and India has genuine students. The government must consider such facts," he said.

AAERI recently sent a letter to Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil and Education Minister Jason Clare, expressing worry over increasing student visa refusals and the impact on genuine students due to universities' responses.

According to latest data, student visa approvals have hit a low of 82 per cent in the six months to December 2023.

Refusal rates vary by country, with offshore higher education visa approvals from India and Nepal declining from 74.2 and 65.2 per cent in 2022-23 to 60.8 and 47.8 per cent, respectively.

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