| OVERSEAS students seeking to remain in Australia | | | | program will focus on areas where large numbers of |
| as permanent residents may face strict new visa | | | | recent graduates with permanent resident status have |
| conditions as part of a government rethink of the | | | | flooded job markets already in oversupply. |
| skilled migration program. | | | | The report will be handed to Senator Vanstone early |
| A discussion paper being circulated by Immigration | | | | next month for presentation to cabinet. |
| Minister Amanda Vanstone flags the likely imposition of | | | | Changes to the skilled migration program are expected |
| a higher English language requirement for skilled | | | | to be introduced in May. |
| migrants to ensure they do better in the Australian job | | | | One of the report's authors, Monash University's Bob |
| market. | | | | Birrell, said that although the evaluation looked at the |
| It also points to the likely creation of a temporary visa | | | | entire skilled migration program, it focused on onshore |
| category targeting overseas students studying in | | | | visas granted to students. |
| Australia to make sure they get skilled work | | | | "There are problems, particularly with the overseas |
| experience locally before they become eligible to | | | | student group, because they are the most rapidly |
| migrate. | | | | growing group," Dr Birrell said. |
| The Immigration Department has appointed an outside | | | | "The enrolment of overseas students has been mainly |
| panel of labour market experts from Monash, La | | | | driven by the potential for permanent resident |
| Trobe and Flinders universities to assess the | | | | outcomes. So we are looking at how they are doing in |
| performance of skilled migrants in the workforce. | | | | the Australian labour market, and I think it's fair to say |
| The evaluation of the General Skilled Migration | | | | that there are some problems. |