| New immigration rules have left 20,000 Indian applied | | | | scheduled time-frame. |
| for Australian Visa shattered. Now, migrants have to | | | | The applications which have been canceled cover all |
| secure more points in tests. Also those students under | | | | offshore general skilled migration claims lodged before |
| temporary visa regime will have to go home if they | | | | Sep 2007, while transitional arrangements will |
| found unable to produce visa sponsors in the specified | | | | introduced to onshore overseas students to apply until |
| time. | | | | 2012. |
| A new policy has shattered of dreams of many | | | | Occupations such as nurses, general medical |
| Indians who were moving to Australia. Australian | | | | practitioners, mechanical engineers and teachers |
| government has decided to cancel over 20,000 | | | | instead of groups such as cooks and hairdressers fall |
| Australian visa applications applied by the Indians. | | | | under the demand and expected to favor skilled |
| Because the Australian government tweaked its | | | | workers list according to the new system. |
| immigration system that identifies occupations in | | | | On the other hand, Immigration Minister Chris Evans is |
| demand and creates a point system is likely to hit the | | | | likely to point out the loop holes in the skilled migration |
| Indians who are residing in the country under the | | | | program in his arguments. |
| existing skilled migration program. | | | | "The program has been delivering self-nominated |
| Under the new changes which were unveiled on | | | | migrants from a narrow range of occupations with |
| Monday, Feb 8, the Australian Immigration Minister has | | | | poor to moderate English language skills who struggle |
| the new legal authority to decide the number of visas | | | | to find employment in their nominated occupation," |
| for a single occupation. | | | | Senator Evans said. |
| Now, the immigration plans would be developed by the | | | | A newspaper report quoted Evans as saying that |
| state governments. In order to allow time for foreign | | | | foreign students 'can still gain residency if they gain |
| students to find sponsors for their education, a | | | | qualifications in professions that are in demand'. |
| temporary 18-month visa will be granted to those | | | | Evans accused the unscrupulous visa agents of |
| pursuing courses which are no longer in demand. | | | | deteriorating the existing tensions and |
| However, foreign students under temporary visas will | | | | misunderstandings. |
| have to go home if they fail to find sponsors within the | | | | |