From Australian Immigration regarding Student Visa application:
Conclusion
On the basis of the above, I am not satisfied that the applicant is a genuine applicant for entry and stay as a student. Accordingly, I find that clause 500.212 of the Migration Regulations is not met.
GFY Immi!
Well, now that Australia didn’t feel like I was a “genuine applicant”, I am now looking at this as artistic inspiration. Am I a genuine person? What do they mean? Was this age discrimination or political or both? We will probably never know especially how opaque nations are with who they purportedly like and not.
I just love how we are all pawns for the powers that be to play with. At least Australia wants people from Latin America to do their dirty work before they toss them out on their ear. I was fine knowing that they didn’t want Janice and me after graduation, but calling us liars for wanting to study there was simply beyond the pale. I guess a couple of old dirty Americans is just a bridge too far for Australia now but probably a blessing in disguise because it would get really old repeatedly apologizing for stupid American decisions we had no say in.
And think about how much economic activity we would have brought in too? It is hard not to take the verdict from Aussie Immi quite personally. The harshly worded response to our student visa application was not only unprofessional, but felt like a rebuke to any middle aged person or older who wishes to study there. Just DONT especially if you are American! This entire process felt like a grift with zero recourse. And to think I spent nearly $700 USD on an agent who was supposed to make the case for us? Cottage industry designed to screw over international scholars perhaps?
Free movement of people around this world is becoming a supercharged issue nearly everywhere. With increasing global political tensions and climate insecurity, is xenophobia really the answer moving “forward”? Does the world really want a free exchange of ideas? How are these laws decided upon and why? Are humans really free? How old should you be to be an actual student? How much freewill can we truly exercise with so many selfish beings? Have we doomed ourselves by forcing everyone to stay put or is that a necessary evil? Why all the hate?
All said, this may be the end to my academic pursuits as I have been left with a very bitter aftertaste. It is too late to pursue any programs for fall and I have lost my drive and love for academia primarily due to the bureaucracy surrounding nearly every aspect of higher education. This is part of the reason why I chose the Photography Studies College in the first place. Administration already knew me by name and I was a person from day one of contacting them versus navigation around a large university. I just didn’t realize how hateful immi was.
I hope PSC is not happy either even though it changes nothing. It also explains the few foreign students I noticed (albeit I could only attend online). It would just be nice to know that I wasn’t being played for the $1000 AUD admission fee and interest gained on my tuition and OSHC money being held. Again, grift? We may never know. I just know I had some uneasy feelings during the entire process but simply chalked them up to nerves. The bottom line is that I will never use my own money to visit Australia. Y’all missed out on stevensmark visions!
My final shoutout to the people of Australia. May you exist in peace. And good luck to the students continuing at PSC. It was good seeing you all for the first two weeks.