Ahmedabad, 23rd September, 2011: New international students who obtain their first subclass 573 (higher education sector) or 574 (postgraduate research sector) visa following the proposed Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement, proposed to commence in November 2011 and graduate from Australian universities, will have greater opportunity to work in Australia and enjoy greater faster, easier access to student visas under new student visa regulations announced by the Australian government.

The changes are intended by the government to ensure Australia remains an attractive place to study and a preferred destination for international students.

Under the new regulation, International students who graduate from a bachelor or masters by coursework degree, and have studied for at least two years in Australia, will be able to remain in Australia and work for two years after the completion of their course. Graduate of a masters by research degree will have three years post-study work rights and PhD graduates will have four years post-study work rights.

Students accepted by Australian universities for study in bachelor level degree courses and above will benefit from streamlined access to student visas. Regardless of the student’s country of origin, they will be treated as being in the lowest visa risk category, Assessment Level (AL) 1. This means they will have easier access to student visas with faster processing times. It is proposed that the streamlined visa processing arrangements will be implemented in the first half of 2012.

Furthermore the financial requirements, which meant students had to demonstrate they had money in the bank, will be far less onerous for students who come from countries regarded as having high visa risk.These changes which streamline visa access will benefit students from many countries including China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Speaking on the changes announced, Mr. Harmeet Pental, Regional Director South Asia, IDP Education said, “The changes in the visa rules will really help Indian students looking forward to study in Australian Universities. We have considerable experience of associating with Australian universities and with the introduction of post study work and relaxation in the visa rules we see Australia making major progress towards becoming a preferred destination for Indian students.”

For more details about these changes and other student visa changes announced by the Australian Government Logon to www.india.idp.com or call 4411-8888 or SMS ‘IDP’ to 58558.

About IDP India

IDP Education is the world's largest student placement firm, with more than 80 counselling centres in 25 countries and has placed more than 300,000 students. It is jointly owned by leading online recruitment firm SEEK Ltd. and 38 Australian universities and is the co-owner of IELTS - the world’s leading English proficiency test with the British Council and Cambridge University (ESOL examinations).

IDP offers comprehensive counselling services for students looking to study in Australia, USA, UK and Canada. Currently, IDP in India has counselling centres in 14 cities guiding students and their families through the entire process from university/course selection through application/visa process and pre-departure planning. For the past 40 years, IDP has been helping students and their families find the right fit for their dream of higher education. For more information or a live chat with an IDP counsellor, visit www.india.idp.com