Foreign students are dropping out of Australian universities at record rates to work, in a backdoor immigration rort revealed in a new report.

The Menzies Research Centre has found that more international students are “course hopping’’ into cheaper vocational courses – or dropping out of study altogether – so they can make money working.

“Visa-hopping has become the backdoor for non-genuine students to get work rights in Australia,’’ the centre’s chief economist, Nico Louw, said on Wednesday.

“The student visa system is being systematically exploited and the numbers are too large to ignore.

“Once onshore, international students can remain in Australia on a succession of student and bridging visas almost indefinitely.’’






This is not new. It has been going on for decades.