Ahmedabad: The craze between students to study in Canada could surge more as just a few days back the government of Canada announced unlimited working hours for international students and the government of Australia is planning to cap work hours for international students again.
The Australian government in a statement said, “From July 2023, the number of working hours for international students will be capped again. The number of hours will be revised with a view to finding the right balance between work and study,”
In January 2022, the Australian Government temporarily relaxed working hour restrictions for student visa holders to address workforce shortages.
Before the relaxation, international students had a cap of 40 hours a fortnight for work.
Last month, Australia announced it was extending post-study work rights for international students in industries with a skills shortage.
A rule change will allow bachelor’s degree graduates to stay in Australia for four years, master’s graduates for five years and Ph.D. holders to stay in the country for six years.
Currently, international undergrad students can stay in the country for two years, master’s graduates for three years, and doctoral students for four years.
Australia’s chambers of commerce, at the national, state, as well as territory levels, came together to back the government’s announcement of post-study work rights extension for international graduates, earlier this week, in what is being seen as a major endorsement for the move.
However, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has proposed a three-point plan to enhance the country’s “international student market competitiveness and strengthening the pipeline of skilled labour”.
(Vinayak)