{"id":27198,"date":"2026-09-22T05:59:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T05:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=27198"},"modified":"2026-09-22T05:59:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T05:59:24","slug":"indian-yoga-teachers-row-sparks-debate-as-australia-tightens-immigration-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=27198","title":{"rendered":"Indian-yoga teachers row sparks debate, as Australia tightens immigration rules"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134392813,imgsize-61878,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/australian-immigration-minister-tony-burke.jpg\" alt=\"Indian-yoga teachers row sparks debate, as Australia tightens immigration rules\" title=\"Tony Burke\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Australia&#8217;s immigration debate has turned the spotlight on international students, temporary visa pathways and a claim involving yoga teachers, with Tony Burke, immigration minister, seeking to draw a distinction between legitimate migration and the vias-hopping.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>In his recent address to the National Press Club, Burke said the government supported immigration as a contributor to Australia&#8217;s economy but wanted greater control over a system that had historically relied heavily on demand-driven migration.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>Addressing claims that Australia was bringing in more yoga teachers than construction workers, Burke said: \u201cThere is an endless refrain that the government is bringing in yoga teachers and not construction workers, to the extent that the shadow minister for housing, Senator Bragg, has even said we are bringing in more yoga teachers than construction workers.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>Debunking this claim, he pointed out that the number of construction workers brought in during the previous financial year was just under 15,000, compared with 4,500 earlier. \u201cWe&#8217;ve tripled the number of construction workers who are coming in,\u201d he said and added that the number of yoga teachers brought in under the current government was zero.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>Burke said yoga teachers appeared on the relevant occupation list because of an agreement made by a previous government with India. The minister attributed the agreement&#8217;s announcement to Dan Tehan, who was then an assistant trade minister.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>TOI reviewed the relevant trade agreement. The Australia\u2013India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, signed in April 2022 which entered into force in Dec 2022, contains a provision allowing for the temporary entry of up to 1,800 qualified professional Indian traditional chefs and yoga instructors annually under the \u2018contractual service supplier category\u2019.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/>Burke also holds various other portfolios including Home Affairs. His comments come as Australia seeks to manage the economic and infrastructure implications of migration while maintaining the benefits of international education.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>Visa hopping under scrutiny<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>Burke also addressed concerns around international students moving from one visa category to another. He stressed that not all visa transitions should be considered visa hopping.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/>He described a legitimate pathway in which a student completes a qualification in an area of skill shortage, moves to a graduate visa, finds relevant employment, obtains employer sponsorship and potentially progresses to permanent residency and citizenship.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>However, the minister said the government was concerned about cases where people who would not meet the requirements for permanent residency repeatedly moved between visas and used appeal processes to be able to stay here as long as possible. <!-- -->\u201cIt eventually becomes absurd to not just let them stay, because at that point they have Australian citizen children and at that point they are so integrated into a local community,\u201d he stated.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>To curb visa hopping &#8211; students repeatedly moving between courses and institutions primarily to pursue a migration outcome rather than an educational qualification, he said that while course extensions and legitimate transfers will remain permitted, students will generally be expected to progress up the qualification ladder, such as moving from a bachelor&#8217;s degree to a master&#8217;s, rather than repeatedly shifting between courses at different levels.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/>Indian students accounted for 16% of Australia&#8217;s international student population in the first five months of 2026, making India the country&#8217;s second-largest source market after China (23%), according to Australian government data. The figures translate to approximately a little over one lakh Indian students during the period as opposed to nearly 1.6 lakh Chinese students. Thus, policy changes would impact the Indian diaspora and aspiring students.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>Further, Australia will no longer generally allow international students and graduate visa holders to automatically bring family members to the country under proposed migration changes. He clarified that existing families already in Australia will not be separated under the new rules, and exemptions will apply to students from Pacific and ASEAN nations (India does not fall in these categories) and those enrolled in certain courses, including PhD programmes.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/world\/rest-of-world\/indian-yoga-teachers-row-sparks-debate-as-australia-tightens-immigration-rules\/articleshow\/134392786.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Australia&#8217;s immigration debate has turned the spotlight on international students, temporary visa pathways and a claim involving yoga teachers, with Tony Burke, immigration minister, seeking to draw a distinction between legitimate migration and the vias-hopping.In his recent address to the National Press Club, Burke said the government supported immigration as a contributor to Australia&#8217;s economy 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immigration debate has turned the spotlight on international students, temporary visa pathways and a claim involving yoga teachers, with Tony Burke, immigration minister, seeking to draw a distinction between legitimate migration and the vias-hopping.In his recent address to the National Press Club, Burke said the government supported immigration as a contributor to Australia&#8217;s economy [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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