Oz to loosen visa rules to win back Indian students

Witnessing a steep decline in foreigners8217; enrolment in its universities,Australia on Thursday announced that it will relax some visa requirements to win back overseas students,including Indians.

The new changes,expected to be enforced from the second semester of 2012 in the Australian universities,follow a review of the student visa programme led by ex-New South Wales government minister Michael Knight. Under the new rules,the financial requirements for student visas will be eased and applicants will need about 36,000 dollars less in their bank account than they do now. And new post-study work visas will allow students to remain in Australia for two to four years after their course ends,depending on their qualification.

Significantly,Canberra had earlier tightened visa regime for Indian students,stating that a number of them come to Australia to settle down by taking admissions in non-skilled vocational courses like cookery and hair-cutting,implying that this was one of the reasons for a series of attacks on Indian youths here.

8220;We were taking hairdressers from overseas ahead of doctors and nurses,it didn8217;t make any sense,8221; Australian immigration authorities had said last year while tightening the visa rules.