EDITORIAL I see the Yo-Yo department is at it again playing around with the student visa assessment levels. So why the changes now? Does it mean they actually can see what a mess they have made of things? This Yo-Yo approach to DIAC policies is played with a wrecking ball into our well founded education system. If they get bored just going up and down God help us if they try the loop the loop maneuver. It must be hard running an educational institution in Australia these days. Sitting in their office must be like being perched on the Tower of Terror ride, bathed in a ball of sweat waiting for the big free fall to cut in. I mean really, if students want to come here, let them come. Who cares it they share 5 to a room to cope with Sydney`s rental market? It`s a bonding experience right? Who cares if they come wanting residency, then citizenship, then run for parliament and become the Prime Minister? Hell that`s the wonder of a democratic society which Julia has already pulled off. Throw out all this rubbish of having to demonstrate how parents kept a money box under their beds to pay for their children degree expenses. If they can pay for the tuition fees before the student arrives here to study, that`s good enough for me. I think most Australians would agree. Who on earth cares where the money comes from anyway? If you have a lovely old grandfather who wants to share his wealth before he falls of the perch, then good on him. So what if he is a Mafia Godfather. Why is it that if your from the UK, USA and Japan for example, that DIAC doesn`t care how they pay for living here? What makes the money coming from India or China so different from their`s. It should be compulsory for all government members to have experience in running a business before they can placed into parliament. If we have a great product to sell such as education to the outside world, then for goodness sake sell it properly. Educational institutions are the V8`s of the Australian economy but DIAC has decided to hitch the nations beloved caravan to the back loaded with so many guidelines and regulations, the tow bar turns into a sparkler when drive is selected. And what about this MRT waiting game? I see that DIAC has been so busy rejecting many of the old PG5 applications for any reason they can lawfully justify, they may have forgotten that they all end up at the MRT. So when some new Yogi Bear case officer who doesn`t understand the points system properly, rejects the application, taxpayers money go wasted down the tube so the learned professionals can argue it out at the MRT. Here is a recent real life example. Jane has been waiting for 2.5 years in the PG5 group of applicants on a bridging visa just to get a case officer for her 885 visa. When she finally gets the Yogi Bear representative of the Minister he rejects the application demonstrating his lack of knowledge of the regulations. He doesn`t seek advice of the Skilled Migration DIAC policy section such as Jane had before lodging her application. He also doesn't ask Jane about it who just happens to have the written policy advice. SO for the $2575 Jane paid to have her application professionally assessed it is all over without even the courtesy of communicating with her to ask some questions about why she thought she could claim certain points. So Jane is now off to the MRT where she will most certainly win. However she needs to wait another two years before a hearing date will be issued. In total then it`s going to be 4.5 years in Australia on a Bridging visa before her residency will be granted. Dear Minister, if you can`t see the stupidity in what Jane has had to endure, then it is time for the back bench.
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Managing Director
Karl Konrad |
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