The Australian Government has commissioned a strategic review of Australia’s current Student Visa Program. This comprehensive review will be headed by the Honorable Michael Knight AO.

The review is aimed at ensuring the ongoing quality and competiveness of the international education sector as well as strengthening the integrity of the Australian Student visa program.

Australian Immigration Minister, Mr. Chris Bowen said  “The review will look at ways to better manage immigration risk in the student visa caseload and deter breaches and misuse of the program, as well as consider the suitability of separate visas for different education sectors”

The Review will consider and make recommendations on:

• an effective partnership framework for key stake holders in the international education sector
• existing threshold requirements for Student visa applicants including English language proficiency, financial capacity and educational qualifications
• strategies to effectively gauge and manage integrity risks in the Student visa program, including the appropriateness of the course Assessment level model.
• new compliance measures to prevent misuse of the Student visa program and deter visa condition breaches
• suitability of separate visas for Schools, Vocational Education and Training, Higher Education, Postgraduate Research, AusAid or Defence, Non-award and Student Guardians.

The result of the Student Visa Review is expected by mid 2011. Recommendations from the Review will no doubt form the basis of future reforms to Australian immigration law.