Immigration Department's red book warns on student backlash after cuts to migration

• Siobhain Ryan From: The Australian January 05, 2011
CANBERRA is preparing for a backlash from tens of thousands of overseas students caught out by its reforms to its migration programs.
The Department of Immigration's Red Book released yesterday warned its incoming minister, Chris Bowen, of a blowout in the overseas student queue for permanent visas and of the likely rejection of most applicants, despite grandfathering provisions aimed at helping them through the changes.
About 455,000 people held student visas when the government moved to review the points test, tighten the list of occupations in demand and reserve the right to cap visa places for some occupations.
About one-third of the 455,000 would have expected to attain permanent residence, but the reforms would now "render a majority of them ineligible".
"Even if their expectations of permanent residence have been unreasonably formed, this group is sizeable, many are aggrieved and they are beginning to mobilise," the Red Book said.
The problem is compounded by the fact there are 106,000 former students already on temporary or bridging visas awaiting a decision on their applications for permanent residency.
Many would be left in limbo indefinitely, the department acknowledged.
The department, which faces an Australian National Audit Office probe into its management of student visas this financial year, is so concerned about student discontent it is commissioning research to specifically monitor them, the Red Book reveals.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/warning-on-student-backlash/story-e6frg6nf-1225981972188