Australian student visa changes undermine campus diversity push

I am a proud recipient of a fully funded scholarship from the University of Sydney and I have been waiting for my visa for the last 14 months.

Surely the key issue is whether international student visa applicants are bona fide? In other words, are their applications supported by legitimate (rather than fraudulent) detail, are they applying for courses that suggest they are in it for the long haul (e.g. university degrees) rather than residency acquisition (e.g. short-term diplomas), are they of an age that suggests they are attending for educational purposes (i.e. 18-25, in the main), and do they have demonstrable funding backing (otherwise they will inevitably take on jobs that become their predominant occupation and may well segue into jobs for residency)? In New Zealand less than five per cent of applicants from China are turned down for student visas because they clearly tick all the boxes. On the other hand only half those from South Asia are accepted because their applications just do not stack up on one or more of these criteria. It's nothing to do with favouring or "disfavouring" diversity. It is all about whether applicants are bona fide students or whether the major ulterior purpose is a form of entry to low-level qualifications that will permit a path to residency, almost regardless of academic criteria. In New Zealand we have the problem that some tertiary institutions - e.g. provincial polytechnics - are only marginally viable and international students are seen as an important financial asset, regardless of academic criteria. I think governments have the right to establish parameters of this kind as important quality and policy filters.