International Students’ Labour Market Outcomes: Regulatory Constraints And Challenges

Abstract

The international education sector is Australia’s largest service-based export industry, making a significant contribution to our economy. International students also provide valuable labour during their stay in Australia and many become skilled migrants post-graduation. However, the current student visa conditions that limit international students’ capacity to undertake work are also inhibiting their successful transition into graduate employment and their ability to secure permanent residency. They are required to navigate contradictions between the restriction on the number of hours of work they can undertake as an international student, and pathways to permanent residency, which are linked to the performance of work, following graduation. As a consequence, international students may be incentivised to breach their visa conditions and accept low skilled and poorly paid work after graduation. These incentivised choices contribute to poor employment outcomes for international student graduates, which risks undermining the international education industry. This article explores the nexus between work and education for international students studying in Australia, and the consequences of contradictory approaches to work in the student and residency visa schemes. It contends that addressing these factors would go some way to enabling international student graduates to secure work commensurate with their education and skill level, which would benefit international students, the higher education sector and the economy at large.