New simplified streamlined visa framework - major changes
End of financial year in Australia, end of season 6 (GOT - unless you have been in media hibernation mode, you would know!) and end of streamlined visa regime....so much to look forward to!
Let's start off with the Significant Changes in Student Visa Processes in 2016. Commencing from 1st July 2016, a set of key changes are being applied to the student visa programme. The Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) is about to replace the previous SVP (Streamlined Visa Processing System).
The key changes include:
a). Replacement of seven visa subclasses (570,571,572,573,574,575, 576) by a single Student visa Subclass 500.
b). Also being replaced is the Student Guardian Visa (subclass 580) by the Student Guardian visa - Subclass 590.
c). A combined country and immigration risk framework replaces the Assessment Level Framework and previous SVP arrangements.
d). Introduction of mandatory online lodgement of all student visas
A comparative study of what has remained the same with what has changed with the introduction of these new changes:
What stayed the same after 1st July:
GTE
Health Requirements
Visa Conditions
OSHC
Packaging arrangements
What no longer exists:
SVP and Assessment Level Framework
Academic Requirements evidence for visa grants
Exceptional circumstances for lodging onshore visa
Mandatory ‘no further stay’ condition on some student visas
Visa subclasses
Important point - all students currently under SVP regime will need to comply with the terms of their visa conditions as before.
The introduction of these changes does potentially adds more fire to the eternal question of course hopping. Rogue agents looking at short term gains, non genuine students waiting to exploit the providers risk ratings, small providers dipping into the booming onshore recruitment market.....and much more....its a bit of wait and watch for most of our industry professionals....More to come....stay tuned.
(A big thanks to PIER for launching Australia Student Visa Programme Training Course, please visithttp://www.pieronline.org/products/professional_development for further information)
