25% of students study in Oz for permanent residency: Survey

Almost a quarter of foreign students study in Australia in order to become permanent residents, a new survey has claimed, the findings which may threaten the $17 billion education industry following new changes to skilled migration system.

Respondents rated Australia as a safer place to study than any other country, including the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand but rated quality of education slightly poor when compared to them.

According to the online survey of over 1600 foreign students from over 10 Australian universities says that 24 per cent of respondents were studying overseas in order to become permanent residents, which was five per cent more as compared to when the query was asked in a similar survey in 2005.

The results could heighten industry fears about the possible impact of recently announced changes to the skilled migration system.

Recently government overhauled the skilled migration system that has delinked permanent residency to foreign students with certain trade courses like hairdressing and cookery.

The new arrangements, which will give priority to skilled migrants who have a job lined up with an Australian employer, have been generally welcomed by universities, but private colleges, the fastest growing sector of Australia's $17 billion-a-year international education industry, have predicted catastrophe.