Latin American students

The Age - 21 August 2002

Dear Sir/Madam

It is disappointing to see The Age (Red tape ties up the Latins, 21 August 2002) portray a very skewed picture on students wishing to come and study in Australia.

The fact is the news on student visas from Latin America is very good:

• Student visa numbers for most of the major source countries in Latin America have grown. Compared to the previous year, offshore student visa grants increased by 29 per cent for citizens of Brazil and by 36 per cent for Mexico.
  
  Overall grants offshore to Latin American students increased 11 per cent in 2001-02, which followed a 46 per cent increase in 2000-01.
  
  
• Resources to process student visa applications in Latin America have been significantly increased. As a result, processing times have reduced considerably.
  
  
• The number of students from Latin American countries applying for refugee status after arrival in Australia has fallen.

Australia's student visa requirements are based on objectively assessed measures of the risk of non-compliance with visa conditions, including the propensity of students to apply for refugee status. These risk assessments are regularly reviewed and adjusted.

The next adjustment is due from 1 November 2002 and is likely to see risk levels, and therefore the student visa requirements, for a number of Latin American countries reduced.

This will enable the market out of Latin America to continue to grow and be more extensively tested in a number of smaller Latin American countries.

Australia's student visa regime continues to be one of the most innovative and responsive in the world.

Stewart Foster
Director, Public Affairs
Dept of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs