Senator Evans said the department has granted 228 592 student visas to people from 191 countries in the year to June 2007.
The new arrangements will cut overall student visa fees, with applicants now to be charged A$450 (£213) for the one visa with work permission, a saving of $40 (£18) on the previous arrangements.
'Successful applicants will no longer need to have an Australian visa label in their passports as evidence of their visa grant,' Senator Evans said.
'Instead, their visa information will be stored electronically for access through the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service.
'The advantage of the online service is that it allows employers, government agencies, education providers and the visa holders themselves to check visa conditions such as the expiry date, work and study restrictions. |