Advocacy Update
Government announcements
As per our member update on Friday 22 March 2024, the federal Minister of Home Affairs, Clare O’Neil, made the surprise announcement that the new English language proficiency levels, previously planned to be released later this year to align with other changes still being developed, were to be effective as of Saturday 23 March. This gave providers, agents, and applying students only two days’ notice of these changes. The rush to make the announcement did not allow adequate time for the department itself to complete all aspects of the change.
In the Education Visa Consultative Committee (EVCC) meeting held on Tuesday 12 March, I raised member questions about the specifics of the changes, such as how the exemptions to the increases would be applied to extended foundation courses, Study Abroad programs, pathway programs such as university college diplomas and EAP and Direct Entry courses provided by private member colleges. The department took all these questions on notice, acknowledging that it had yet to finalise definitions or the boundaries of the exemptions. No indication was given that the Minister had the intention to implement these changes the very next week.
The department has communicated that it is still finalising these matters and it will publish a list of courses that will be exempted from the increase as soon as it is complete. This means providers and students wishing to apply for a student visa for such programs need to wait to know what level of English will be required of them before they can apply for enrolment.
English Australia notes that the rushed announcement coincided with the release of the latest net migration figures by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The government has made clear that they wish to lower the net migration figure and they appear to have targeted international students as a quick way to achieve this. English Australia is advocating for an urgent change in this effort and an end to the visa processing delays and refusals that are impacting high-quality institutions, such as English Australia member colleges, and genuine students.
Genuine Student Requirement Update March 2024
Another major announcement from the government in recent weeks is the move to end the application of the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement for Student Visa applicants and replace it with the Genuine Student (GS) requirement. Please read the information sheet published by the department here.
One key change that is noted in the information sheet is that the 300-word ‘statement of purpose’ will be replaced by targeted questions. A scan of the instrument also reveals that there is less focus on a student being temporary as the key aspect of genuineness.
Members can also read the legislative instrument that the new regime is based on here. English Australia will be working with the department to explore specific elements of the drafting of this instrument and obtain guidance from immigration on how they see it being implemented.
Members want Voices to be Heard in Parliament
In a recent email, we noted that many members have communicated their desire to voice their concerns with these matters directly with the government and their local MPs and have asked English Australia for assistance with this. To address this need and provide members and their staff with this support, we released a guide for contacting your local MP last week along with key ‘talking points’ and a template letter and email.
Please view the original email here if you missed it.
Branch meetings and member site visits
Over the last month, I’ve enjoyed travelling around the country attending State and Territory March branch meetings, where I was able to meet several members for the first time as well as visit member colleges and see many familiar faces. I want to express my thanks to the State Delegates who ensured branch meetings were fantastic opportunities to share concerns and information among members.
I also thank all those members who took the time to welcome me to their campuses during this whirlwind cross-country trip, including Perth International College of English (PICE), Lexis English Perth, Pheonix Academy, Milner International College of English, Curtin English, Language Links, Navitas Perth, ILSC Adelaide, Flinders University Academy Adelaide, Impact English College, Academia International Melbourne, International House Melbourne, Discover English, Holmesglen Institute, Inforum Education, and UQ College.
In addition to being deeply impressed by the differences between colleges and states during the trip, I was also very moved by the collegiality of our sector. It was also heartening to see member colleges delivering lessons on excellent campuses to obviously very happy students.
Full Calendar Year 2023 Market Analysis
Along with our usual monthly analysis of the two key sources of government data on student visas, this month’s data analysis shows comparisons of the full calendar year of 2023 and 2022.
We have also included a comprehensive overview of enrolments, commencements, visa grants and lodgements comparing the full calendar year 2023 and 2019 in order to compare pre and post-COVID data. This provides insights into the significant differences in the sector and in ELICOS in particular.
View the full report here.
Australian ELT Barometer Survey
Please be reminded that this survey is still open for registrations. For those who have not yet registered, I would encourage all member colleges to participate in the 2024 survey. Having personally enjoyed the benefits of the report for strategic planning and improvement planning that is targeted to the specific things that your college’s students feel about your college and, perhaps more importantly, how this compares to other colleges and their students, I can honestly say that there is nothing quite like this report.
I also note that the aggregated report produced is also a vital element of English Australia’s arsenal for advocating for the sector. Each edition of the survey has shown very high student satisfaction rates that reflect the degree of quality offered by member colleges. Each edition has also provided invaluable insights for innovation and support from state and federal governments.
English Australia Annual Conference: Call for abstracts
English Australia is looking forward to our upcoming annual conference, which will take place from 11-13 September 2024 in Perth, straight after the ST Alphe conference in Perth, which is on 8-10 September. The theme for the 2024 Conference is ‘Impact, Include, Inspire’, and the call for abstracts is now open. I would like to ask you all to consider submitting an abstract, as we are looking forward to having a wide variety of sessions covering many different aspects of ELICOS.
Nominations Open for English Australia Annual Awards
Nominations are now open for our Annual Awards, so make sure you consider nominating deserving colleagues and institutions who have made an impact this past year. The deadline for nominations is 11:59 pm (AEST) on Monday 17 June 2024.
Market Development
I would like to personally thank Austrade, particularly speakers Stephanie Smith, Trade and Investment Commissioner, Greater China, Grace Liu, Education Manager, Beijing, and Jane Lu, Senior Business Development Manager, Taipei, for presenting a fantastic Market Development Spotlight webinar on Greater China and Taiwan this month. We look forward to promoting further sessions on various other key source regions later in the year, including Japan and Korea.
PD Fests
Our NSW and QLD PD fests have both been fantastic events, with a high level of engagement and excitement. Thank you to the presenters, organising committees, and Australian Catholic University North Sydney and UQ College for hosting the these wonderful events. We are looking forward to our future PD Fests across the country over the coming months.
English Australia in the media
The above-detailed issues our members are facing have not gone unnoticed by international education and mainstream media. English Australia is often sought out by media outlets for commentary on issues affecting the education sector, further amplifying our voice and position. We are also in discussion with a number of media outlets at the moment with respect to further voicing member concerns.
Below and in the newsletter, you will see some of the recent articles from key media outlets in our newsletter, which lately have been focused on visa grant rates, delays, and refusals, which include commentary from me and other member representatives.
English Australia’s new CEO, Ian Aird Q&A with StudyTravel Magazine
StudyTravel Magazine: Visa rejections
The Pie News: Visa rejections
The Koala News: Visa grant rates
The Koala News: Annual ELICOS survey
The Australian Financial Review: Visas
Another recent article that may be of interest: The Australian: International students deserve better than this
Please remember to reach out to me directly if you wish to discuss any of the current regulatory changes, your institutions’ visa issues, or any other items. I do hope that before the year is out, I’ve had the chance to speak with every member college directly.
