今天澳洲移民局对学生签证进行重大变革， 38个国家的风险等级降低了。 中国的573类签证将从LEVEL 4降为LEVEL3, 这样， 担保金的金额，存款历史, 担保人都降低要求了。这一政策将从明年4月起执行。
另外， 一些私立寄宿制学校的BOARDING FEE，如果学生在付学费时已支付了一部分BOARDING FEE， 可以在计算担保金时扣除。这一政策从今天起执行了。
原文:
Overview of Student Visa Changes to Assist International Education Sector
On 16 December 2010, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, and the Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans, announced a strategic review of the student visa program and package of measures to ease the pressure on the international education sector.
Certificate Level Vocational Education and Training courses
The department has updated its policy to reflect amendments implemented within the vocational education and training (VET) sector regarding the certificate level courses.
From today, VET (subclass 572) visa applicants who are assessment level 4 may undertake a package of certificate level courses to meet requirements for the grant of a visa.
Applicants can package up to four certificate level courses, which total at least one year’s duration, where one element is a certificate IV level course. Previously for these applicants, it was a requirement that the certificate IV alone was of at least one year’s duration. 572签证为L4等级,需要包括至多4个证书类课程,时间最多1年
Prepaid formal boarding fees
Implemented immediately, the department will refine policy on the assessment of tuition and boarding fees by student visa processing officers. This will encourage providers to separate the boarding component of fees prepaid by students from the tuition fees so that prepaid boarding fees can be counted towards the students’ cost of living requirements.
New statistical publication
The Ministers have committed to improve information exchange between the government and the sector.
The first initiative, an in-depth statistical publication on the student visa program will be available on the department’s website from January 2011. This publication will be updated on a quarterly basis.
Changes to assessment levels
Assessment levels are a risk management approach applied to all student visas, determining the amount of evidence visa applicants need to supply and the level of scrutiny with which their claims are assessed.
From April 2011, assessment level will be reduced, so that 38 countries will have their assessment level lowered across one or more subclasses. A full list of the proposed changes is included below.
China Subclass 573 - HigherEd 3
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