The extension of simplified and faster visa processing is a gain especially for vocational education providers and universities who will extend their already existing SVP services to advanced diploma students.

Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Scott Morrison, and Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne, made the announcement this week saying it will support sustainable growth to the international education industry in Australia.

“Extending SVP arrangements will help capitalise on these trends, reducing red tape and helping to attract further students from overseas”

“The number of international students seeking to study in Australia continues to rebound positively, with an increase of over 27% in the number of visas granted to offshore applicants in the 2013-14 programme year,” said Pyne.

“Extending SVP arrangements will help capitalise on these trends, reducing red tape and helping to attract further students from overseas.”

The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) shows there are currenlty 867 advanced diploma level courses registered across 290 providers.  In 2013, of the 303,000 international commencements,  506 were for Advanced Diploma level courses at higher education institutions and 11,806 at VET providers.

Similar to the SVP extension to private universities last year, invitations to participate will be sent to eligible providers in the second half of 2014. The government hasn’t said how many invitations will be sent.

Subject to relevant legislative change, under the stewardship of the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, the government proposes to implement this extension by early 2015.

The extended SVP arrangements will be similar to those currently in place for universities and non-university higher education providers and existing SVP institutions will also gain access to SVP for their advanced diploma level course students, where applicable.

While the rollout is a step in the right direction to benefiting an increasing number of providers, industry stakeholders argue that the government isn’t doing enough to create a equality across all sectors.

“We welcome the news that SVP will be expanded further, but it is still perpetuating a model that creates a non-level playing field for English language colleges”

Claire Field, CEO of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) said the arrangements are welcomed, including the specific emphasis on VET but the organisation “continues to advocate for a coherent set of policy changes to make it easier for all high performing providers to attract genuine students (irrespective of the sector they operate in or the qualifications on their scope)”.

Speaking with The PIE News Executive Director of English Australia (EA) Sue Blundell added that the expansion to a select few providers “is still perpetuating a model that creates a non-level playing field for English language colleges.”

“English Australia will continue to advocate alongside the other peak bodies to explore alternative models of streamlining visas for quality providers that will be fairer and more inclusive,” she added.

The service which requires students to provide less evidence of funding or previous study was originally introduced to Australia’s 42 university providers in 2012 in a bid to boost enrolments. Last year it was extended to just 19 private providers sparking reaction from the private sector that other reputable providers were being left out of the privileged service.