Highlights
- Concerns are raised about the drain of an Australian educated and trained workforce
- There is an increasing trend for international students to relocate to another country
- Despite several years in Australia, some are now frustrated by the ever-changing criteria for Australian permanent residency visas
Many former international students on a temporary resident visa are starting to look for other options amid the uncertainty of ever becoming a permanent resident in Australia where they studied and gained local work experience.
Deakin university's (REDI) reveals that the opportunity to work in Australia after completing their education is one of the major factors influencing students to study in Australia. But changes to immigration rules mean many students are already starting to look elsewhere as Australia reduced the number of permanent visas places from 190,000 to 160,000 last year.
Rabia Afzal moved to Canada after living in Australia for over three years. She had arrived in Australia as an international student and completed her Masters's degree in Education (TESOL) and gained experience of teaching at a private institute in Sydney. Despite many efforts, she says she lost all hope of getting a temporary resident (TR) visa in Australia.
"Instead of spending more time and lots of money to get a TR in Australia, I applied for Canadian permanent resident visa and surprisingly received a PR invitation in one week", she told SBS Urdu.
Rabia Afzal moved to Canada after living over 3 years in Australia. Source: Supplied
I was not willing to go through the frustration of the TR / PR process that is overpriced and lengthy. Instead I decided to move to Canada and within 10 months of the entire process, now I am doing the job in my field in Vancouver
The Australian government recently announced changes to the and to reduce population pressure on major cities.
The government has also taken steps to reduce the number of skilled permanent residency visas to 108,682 in 2019-20. The reveals it's a reduction of 19,868 skilled visas for 2019-20.
On the other hand, Canada plans to increase its intake of migrants, increasing the number of skilled permanent visas from 192,500 to 203,050 in 2021.
Number of skilled and family permanent visas granted, Australia, 2007–18 Source: Department of Home Affairs, Australian Migration Statistics 2017–18, worksheet 1.0, data.gov.au, April 2019.
Professor Ly Tran of Deakin University is the chief investigator of the REDI research report 'Impact of Post-Study Work Rights Policy in Australia'.
She says that Australia is a preferred destination for international students because of many factors.
However, an overwhelming majority of international students say the option of temporary graduate visa is a big factor in choosing Australia a preferred education destination. She says that can change soon.
"Australia will start loosing its preferred destination place If TR/PR will be limited or difficult to obtain", she says.
Lots of employers prefer those who are holding PR or local citizenship, which automatically discriminates against those who are on a temporary visa
Sydney-based migration consultant Salman Kazmi agrees that the reduction in the number of PR visas is negatively impacting applicants and Australia could have a shortage of an Australian educated workforce familiar with local conditions.
He says while the permanent visa places have been reduced, the required points for permanent residency have continuously increased. He says these two factors have rendered many international students ineligible for permanent residency in Australia.
"Applicants must score a minimum of 65 points to gain a visa under the General Skilled Migration program, but practically only those who acquire points between 85-95 are getting an Australian PR," Mr Kazmi said. 
Another student who has been living in Australia for over six years told SBS Urdu on the condition of anonymity that the lengthy and uncertain cycle of Australian PR process took a toll on his physical and mental health.
Source: SBS
My relationship broke down and I had gone into an anxiety disorder due to uncertainty. I am fed up with this and have decided to move to Canada and now my PR approval is in the final phase.
Masooma Rizvi also shares a similar story.
She arrived in Australia in 2014 and completed two degrees. But her major subject was not listed under the skilled occupation list. Masooma did another degree in accounting but then the points system changed and she says she then lost all hope.
Australia Permanent Migration Program, 2018-2019 Source: SBS
The Department of Home Affairs says it doesn't comment on individual cases. However, a shake-up of visa categories in 2018 led to a reduction in the number of PR visas.
Last year, the government capped the annual intake of PR at 160,000 for the next four years in a bid to ease pressure on larger cities like Sydney and Melbourne. This was announced in conjunction with a 44 per cent increase in visas granted under the regional sponsored migration scheme.
