Increase in Indian students applying for Australian Visa

An increase in Australian student visa applications particularly from Indian students was seen in the first six months of 2011.

According to a new figures released by Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), the number of Indian students applying for student visa to Australia is beginning to rise after a distressing couple of years.

The statistics showed that the Australian high commission in Delhi has observed a jump of 21 percent in the number of applications for student visas in the first six months of 2011, with the student visa applications reaching more than 3700.

The increase could be attributed to an advertising campaign of Australian government in Indian media to attract professionals to settle in Australia.

Due to widespread media coverage of a number of racist attacks on Indian students, interest in an Australian education from Indian students is believed to have dropped dramatically.

However, speaking to the Age newspaper in Melbourne, DIAC assistant secretary Peter Speldewinde confirmed that "the number of student visa applications is rebounding, that category is up significantly"

"People are generally positive about Australia" he added. "The student issue has come up from time to time, but no one's really pushed it very hard."

With over 15,000 permanent skilled migrants last fiscal year, India continues to be the third-largest provider of permanent skilled migrants to Australia, behind China and Britain.