An Australian Maritime College international student believes changes to the 457 visa will mean he cannot fulfill his plans to settle in the state.
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Wayne Lim said he would not have chosen to study at the college had he known about the changes and thinks others may be the same.
A University of Tasmania spokesman said the university believes, “current and prospective students are not impacted by the proposed changes to 457 visas”.
When the Prime Minister announced the 457 temporary skilled work visa would be scrapped and replaced with a stricter two-year visa, he also said 200 jobs would be slashed from the list of eligible careers.
The jobs removed from the list include several related to the marine industry and which Mr Lim, studying marine logistics and management, could have applied for on graduation from the AMC.
“The removal of the 200 occupations from the list will impact the graduates from the AMC,” he said.
He explains not being able to nominate an eligible occupations will mean he, and others like him, will not be able to secure permanent residency.
Mr Lim believes this could impact students who are considering where to study, meaning they will select other institutions around the world over the AMC.
Mr Lim came to Tasmania to study with the intention of applying for work and settling in the state after graduation. He said the changes mean he will now have to move back to Singapore at the end of his degree.
He questioned why he would choose to study somewhere he could not develop a career after graduating, and lamented the loss the Tasmanian community would suffer if people like himself were forced to leave at the end of their study.
The university encourages any students concerned about the changes to contact the AMC.
Immigration minister Peter Dutton was contacted for comment.