| Student visa assessment levels changed
Released on 3 September 2008 Improved compliance by international students studying in Australia has prompted an easing of student visa assessment levels for 43 countries in one or more education sectors. Strong growth in the student visa program with 278 000 visas granted to international students in 2007-08 – an increase of 22 per cent on 2006-07 – combined with the improving visa compliance of many international students, are positive signs for Australia’s international education industry. Top Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement Released on 03 September 2008 The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, announced that an Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement will be introduced to make Australian qualifications recognised and renowned throughout the world. The Graduation Statement will describe a higher education qualification in an easily understandable way, relating it to the system within which it was issued and describing qualifications in a clear and consistent way to potential employers and other higher education institutions. DEEWR Top Recent graduates get professional start
Released on 26 May 2008 The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) today welcomed the start of the first professional year (PY) program for recent international graduate students.
The PY concept, introduced in September 2007, is aimed at enhancing the employment opportunities for international graduates who were unable to apply directly for permanent General Skilled Migration, and have met the criteria to remain in Australia on an 18-month temporary skilled graduate visa... Top Four illegal workers located near Batlow Released on 7 April 2008 Immigration compliance officers have detained four Malaysians working illegally on a farm in southern NSW, a spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) said today... ... ‘Employers convicted under this legislation face fines of up to $13 200 and two years' imprisonment while companies face fines of up to $66 000 per illegal worker.’ The department provides a range of services for employers to check work entitlements, including Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) which is a free service, the Visa Entitlement Verification Faxback service and the Employers’ Immigration Hotline. People with information on visa overstayers or illegal workers should call the Immigration Dob-In Line on 1800 009 623. Top
Illegal workers located in Robinvale
Released on 8 March 2008
Immigration compliance officers have detained 13 people in regional Victoria for being unlawfully in Australia.
They included six Malaysians and six Vietnamese who had been working illegally on local farms and a British national, all in Robinvale.
They have been transferred to the Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre in Melbourne and will be assessed for return to their home countries if they have no further claims to remain in Australia.
The location of the illegal workers on March 3-4 closely follows another successful operation last month in which Immigration compliance officers located 17 workers in breach of immigration regulations in the Dareton region.
A Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) spokesman said compliance operations highlighted the Australian Government’s commitment to combating illegal workers and visa overstayers...
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Illegal workers located in Adelaide operation
Released on 26 February 2008
Compliance officers from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) in Adelaide detained six people today for being unlawfully in Australia.
The five Malaysians - four men and a woman - and an Indonesian man were located in an early morning operation at a house in a northern Adelaide suburb.
Two of those detained did not hold valid passports and all six now face removal from Australia.
It is suspected all those detained were also illegally working in the horticultural industry.
A departmental spokesman said its compliance operations highlighted a commitment to combating illegal workers...
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