HYDERABAD: After the US, Indian students in Australia too have started facing additional checks by the authorities. According to local student associations, Indian students working for more than the stipulated 48 hours every fortnight have come under the scanner of the authorities. There have also been reports of visas of some students being cancelled.
Increased scrutiny
According to students in Melbourne and surrounding areas, about 40 business establishments, which employ students, were inspected by the authorities on Thursday. In fact, a visa cancellation letter of a student went viral on social media on Friday in several WhatsApp groups and on Facebook.
“The visa of the student is said to be cancelled, and he is deported,” said Rajkumar Vadlakonda, general secretary of the Indian Cultural Association of Victoria. He added that many students drive cabs or work as delivery boys, earning about AUD 1,500 to AUD 2,000 a week without realising that they were risking their visa status.
“In this case, the student was caught after his mobile phone was checked,” he added. The letter being circulated on social media stated he was working for over 50 to 60 hours a week. He has been enrolled in the graduate diploma of management (learning) programme since Dec 2024. Telugu students in Australia told TOI there was no clarity on whether working as a cab driver or delivery boy constitutes part-time or full-time work.
“Working at grocery stores, fuel stations and other business establishments comes under Tax File Number,” said a student from Warangal, enrolled in a master’s degree in mining engineering in Melbourne. “Jobs such as delivery boys and cab drivers come under Australian Business Number. So, we are under the impression that driving for a cab aggregator doesn’t count as part-time work as we are self-employed. Many of us drive for three to four hours whenever we have some time or are in need of money.”
Category confusion
He added that after hearing about the latest case, many like him have decided to stop driving for aggregators for a while. For part-time jobs, students are paid about AUD 25 to AUD 30 per hour. During vacations, there is no cap on the number of hours a student can work. Students said that they are treading with caution as inspections, although common, seem to have gone up. Members of various associations said that they were cautioning students against breaking visa norms.
“Students need to understand that they will have enough opportunities to earn after completing their course as they can get a temporary residency visa for two years initially and two more years later. We are counselling them, saying they can only work for about 20 hours a week during the duration of their course. That money is sufficient to cover their expenses. But, some of them violate norms and get into trouble,” said Adhi Reddy, founder of Adelaide Telangana Association and former president of the Indian Association of South Australia.
According to students in Melbourne and surrounding areas, about 40 business establishments, which employ students, were inspected by the authorities
