Australia tightens its migration rules

Australia tightened yesterday it's migration rules in an effort to slow the inflow of foreign students attending short and low level education programs in hope to settle in the country, and to reemphasize the need to preferably welcome engineers and doctors.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans said about 20,000 overseas applications have been rejected, and new rules would require better english skills and target the best and the brightest.

► See the new rules on the Australian Immigration Website

Australia has experienced a sudden rise of Foreign students in recent years, climbing from 150,000 in 2002 to almost 400,000 in 2009. India recently overtook China as the largest source of applicants (117,000 students), ahead of South Korea, Nepal, Thailand and Brazil.