New Delhi: Large number of Indian students in different countries claim to have been duped by unscrupulous agents into parting with thousands of dollars in tuition for them to arrange jobs or placements at private colleges as an ‘easy’ way to work toward becoming a permanent resident, an investigation has revealed.
According to the data, in some cases, students recruited by agents working with private colleges signed up for courses they “weren’t interested in” or didn’t plan to attend in order to qualify for a student work permit so they could get a job as soon as they enter the country.
Instead, the students said they worked more hours than legally allowed while trying to get an employer to sponsor them, meaning they had to apply for a full-time work permit and pay fees to immigration consultants to do the paperwork.
Most of the countries immigration rules currently allow international students to work just 20 hours per week while studying and provide limited opportunities to stay in the country after graduation unless they meet certain requirements and find a sponsor.
Working during the studies is very important for visiting students. According to a latest International Student Survey that the opportunity to work while studying is a key driver for the majority of students. Several students had hoped their courses would lead to good jobs, but ended up being a waste of time and money because no employers in their fields of study were willing to hire them afterwards.
One student from India said she had paid hefty amount of fees for courses to maintain her student work permit while trying to persuade her employer to sponsor. “The agents make us fake promises like you can get your work permit,” she told.
