Study In Australia

• Australia has been considered a popular destination for international students for many years, offering a laid back lifestyle and a wealth of opportunities. It is for these reasons that growing numbers are opting to apply for a student visa and head down under.
• Recent reports however have shown great concern for the Australian Government as rising amounts of visa holders have been reported not complying with the immigration laws surrounding their student visa.
  
  In order to study in Australia an overseas student must first obtain the correct study visa, which is sub-divided in categories. An applicant can then only be granted a visa upon securing a confirmed place on a course from a bona fide Australian educational institution. Despite this it seems that the current rule which limits those whom are in the country on a study visa to working 20-hour weeks is the fundamental rule which many are breaking.
  
  Highlighting this problem Immigration and Citizenship Minister Chris Evans recognised that a new trend in particular of such students acquiring jobs as taxi drivers is emerging. It is thought that those in such labour positions are nearing double the restricted labour hour's commitment as laid out by the government. Evans said "Taxi owners, like all employers, are responsible for ensuring that overseas workers including students abide by their visa conditions."
  
  Despite official warnings to taxi business owners threatening hefty fines and up to two year jail sentence for those employing students whom are in breach of their visa restrictions; cab advocacy bodies revealed that the industry was largely ignoring the law.
  
  In response to the governments publisised concerns the National Liaison Committee (NLC) for International Students in Australia say that it is because of fundamental economic pressures that students are being forced to exceed their allocated working hours.
  
  President of the NLC Eric Pang said "The working hours should be up to the students and the institutions…If the student can study full time and is performing well then, yes, they can work more than 20 hours. The new Government should be reviewing this policy but the aim should be to provide more flexibility and more rights in terms of how much students want to work and how much they want to study."