Opinion

Education is an $18 billion export. All those international students who study here are classed as exports and it has become big business for our universities and colleges along with the economy.

But student visas are down 30 per cent because of a tightening in the eligibility conditions.

The Howard Government allowed graduating students to stay after they finished their degrees, apply for skilled migration status and eventually permanent residency. In other words, come and study in Australia and you’ll have a great chance of being able to stay here.

Obviously this became a massive migration rort and the current Government tightened conditions. But that tightening has gone too far and students are heading to the more visa friendly competitors like the US and Canada.