Portrait of Sunnie Nguyen, one of the Vietnamese students who mysteriously disappeared in Australia
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Sunnie Nguyen (17 years old, real name Nguyen Hoan Ngoc Anh) is the fifth Vietnamese student at Hamilton High School (Adelaide City) to mysteriously disappear in Australia recently. On January 11, authorities announced that one person had been found, but there was still no news from four cases, including a student who had been missing for more than four weeks. Police said that the five disappearances were not related and that they may have gone to another state.
The case of 5 Vietnamese students missing in Australia: Strange detail 'could not speak English when first arriving in Australia'
In light of this, many people have questioned what policies, regulations and services Australia has in place to support and protect international students?
New moves
At the government level, Australia currently has the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS Framework) in place, which includes the ESOS Act 2000, the National Code of Practice for International Students for Registration Authorities and Education and Training Service Providers 2018 (National Code), the Tuition Protection Service (TPS) and many other policies related to the international education sector.
The ESOS Code requires licensed education providers across Australia to meet consistent standards of education provision, facilities and services, and to protect international students’ tuition rights in the event of visa refusal or related circumstances. However, to be protected by the ESOS Code, international students must arrive in Australia on a student visa, not any other type of visa.
By December 2023, facing many problems such as the housing crisis, the exploitation of student visas to work illegally, and the exploitation of workers, including international students, the Australian government officially announced a new immigration strategy, outlining 8 key actions, including prioritizing the resolution of issues related to the international education sector. This move aims to ensure the integrity of the entire system and better protect international students.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil announced the new immigration strategy in December 2023
One of the new decisions is to increase the English language requirements for students to be able to study. Specifically, from 2024, international students must achieve IELTS 6.0 (or other equivalent certificate) instead of 5.5 as before if they want to apply for a visa, and IELTS 6.5 instead of 6.0 for a post-study work visa. For candidates studying in Australia under the ELICOS English program or university preparation course, these numbers are IELTS 5.0 and 5.5 respectively.
In addition, Australia has made many other commitments to protect the rights of international students, such as strengthening and simplifying post-graduation work visas; limiting visa "hopping"; increasing requirements for international education providers... This country also increases financial proof requirements, and shortens the post-graduation work period for applied master's degrees (from 3 to 2 years) and doctorates (from 4 to 3 years).
After arriving in Australia, one of the popular choices for international students under 18 years old is to live with a host family, as in the case of female student Sunnie Nguyen. And to be able to accept international students, hosts must register and go through a strict screening process from the school, government or intermediary company, according to Mr. Vu Thai An, Director of GLINT Study Abroad Company (HCMC).
"The first type is called host family because when international students come to the house, they will be considered a family member, cooked, taken care of and treated warmly. The second type of host is called homestay, a form similar to renting a room in Vietnam, meaning international students pay a regular fee to the homeowner, but they can also have their meals and laundry provided," Mr. An informed.
Lots of physical and mental support
According to the Australian government, educational institutions at all levels have staff (often called international student advisors) whose job is to look after the physical and mental well-being of international students, such as 1:1 psychological counseling. Many cities and towns in Australia also have support centers specifically for international students called international student hubs.
What's special is that most of these services are free because the top priority of the Australian government and schools is the safety and well-being of international students, according to Mr. Andy Pham, Senior Manager of the Mekong region at the Australian National University (ANU). "For health check-up services, many times you don't have to pay or pay very little," Mr. Andy added.
International students in a counselling session at an Australian university
Mr. Andy also said that for those under 18 years old, if they want to be admitted, international students must satisfy both conditions: have accommodation (such as dormitory on campus or homestay approved by the school) and register guardianship with one of the two designated companies (PSC or ISA). This is a regulation to protect students who have not reached the legal age of majority.
"At ANU, we only accept international students under 18 years old mostly in the February intake every year, because there are many vacant dormitories for them at that time. For the July intake, the school will only accept international students if they are accompanied by a parent until they turn 18, or if they have a blood relative in the capital Canberra (where ANU is located - PV)," Mr. Andy informed.
The manager who has lived in Australia for many years also noted that although the land of kangaroos is considered one of the safest in the world, Vietnamese students should still learn how to protect themselves, because "exceptional cases can happen anywhere". "Avoid going home too late, do not wear headphones when walking on deserted roads or immediately call 000 for the police when in danger... are small tips to know", Mr. Andy advised.
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