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| Australia to strengthen visa application checks to prevent fraud |
| Natasha Chaku/ PTI / Melbourne Aug 20, 2009, 14:59 IST |
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In yet another step to cleanse its overseas education sector hit by scams and the Indian student crisis, Australia today said it will now strengthen checks on visa applications to stamp out fraud and ensure that only "genuine students" enrol for studies here.
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Evans said Australia will not tolerate fraud in the student visa programme which has to support the entry of only genuine international students.
"Australia's student visa programme supports the entry of genuine international students. For those students, the department provides a convenient, efficient service," he said.
"The message is clear: genuine international students remain welcome in Australia, but we will not tolerate fraud in the student visa programmes," he said.
Evans said applications for student visas has grown by 20 per cent to 362,193 in 2008-09, with almost 28,000 student visas refused, an increase of 68 per cent on the number of refusals in 2007-08, an official statement said today.
"While overall student visa compliance rates remain high, there are elements of concern within this large caseload," the minister said.
The targeted measures will address the potential for document fraud and issues around financial capacity of pupils to live and study in Australia, besides identification and bonafides.
The measures implemented with immediate effect includes upgrading the interview programme to build a strong evidence base around fraud, removing or restricting eVisa access for some agents where there is evidence of fraud or inactivity, and restricting access to eVisa for some segments if analysis demonstrates restricted access would allow for better control.
The measures will target parts of the student visa caseload in India, Mauritius, Nepal, Brazil, Zimbabwe and Pakistan.
"These measures are consistent with those used by other countries that receive large numbers of student visa applications, such as the United States," Evans said.
The measures are part of the government's ongoing response to any changes in risk in visa programmes and will build on work already conducted across the student visa programme to combat fraud.
Similar arrangements are already in place for students from other countries, such as Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
"Student visa requirements are aligned to the immigration risk presented by an applicant. The greater the risk identified, the more evidence required to be granted a student visa. Risk is determined by an objective analysis of visa compliance," Evans said.
The next formal review of student visa risk framework is scheduled for 2010. The data obtained from the enhanced checking of student visa applications will help inform future reviews.
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