The good news is not as great as it looked Monday

by DIRK MULDER

What’s happened: On Monday, the federal government announced five changes in the way visas for international students are applied, to help those caught by COVID-19 restrictions.  A return to issuing visas from Australian posts off-shore is included.

Joy was unconfined across the industry, with the government applauded for setting the industry up to be internationally competitive when students are allowed to enter Australia.

What this means: But turns out there are satanic imps in the implementation.

For a start, there is the availability of post study work rights for students who hold a visa but are now offshore.

Industry experts expected that this would extend to all people overseas studying with an Australian provider. But not so it seems.

In an email seen by CMM the NSW VCs Committee tells members it is briefed that the government’s intention is,

* students who are currently enrolled offshore but have not applied for a student visa will not have time spent studying on-line without a student visa count towards their PSW eligibility period

* those who have applied for a student visa and commenced studying on-line outside Australia are unlikely to be able to count that study period towards their PSW eligibility period

* all prospective students who apply for a student visa going forward and have it granted before commencing on-line studies offshore will have this period counted towards their PSW

 Outcomes: There is dismay in the industry over the first two points, with experts arguing people who have commenced studying offshore since the stop on issuing visas may not have been able to access a visa and shouldn’t be disadvantaged by not having study count toward their PSW.

A perception problem: Overall this demonstrates the government’s perception problem. It needs to emphasise safety at home but also wants to provide hope and help to international education providers.

For the moment, the former trumps the latter. As a learned reader points out, announcing improving international education access the day before a major announcement on job-support is a good way to ensure the student statement disappears in the news cycle.

But this is not the time for ambiguity. Students need certainty. Institutions need clarity.

And what CMM wants to know is how many people are in this situation.

Dirk Mulder is CMM’s international education correspondent