Maharjan (Migration)

[2024] AATA 3651

Maharjan (Migration) [2024] AATA 3651 (4 October 2024)

DECISION RECORD

DIVISION:Migration & Refugee Division

APPLICANT:  Mr Ronish Maharjan

CASE NUMBER:  2319196

HOME AFFAIRS REFERENCE(S):          BCC2023/4920232

MEMBER:Gabrielle Cullen

DATE:4 October 2024

PLACE OF DECISION:  Sydney

DECISION:The Tribunal affirms the decision not to grant the applicant a Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa.

Statement made on 04 October 2024 at 1:17pm

CATCHWORDS

MIGRATION – Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa – Subclass 500 (Student) visa – genuine student – genuine temporary entrant – genuine access to funds – enrolment in a registered course – decision under review affirmed           

LEGISLATION

Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000
Migration Act 1958, ss 65, 359, 363
Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2 cls 500.111, 500.211, 500.214

CASES

Hasran v MIAC [2010] FCAFC 40

STATEMENT OF DECISION AND REASONS

APPLICATION FOR REVIEW

1. This is an application for review of a decision made by a delegate of the Minister for Home Affairs on 3 November 2023 to refuse to grant the applicant a Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa under s 65 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (the Act).

2. The applicant applied for the visa on 28 August 2023. At the time of application, Class TU contained two subclasses: Subclass 500 (Student) and Subclass 590 (Student Guardian). The applicant applied for the visa to undertake study in Australia and does not claim to meet the criteria for a Subclass 590 (Student Guardian) visa.

3. The delegate refused to grant the visa on the basis that the applicant did not satisfy the requirements of cl 500.214 of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth) (the Regulations) . The delegate was not satisfied he had genuine access to sufficient funds to meet the costs and expenses during his intended stay in Australia. For the reasons explained below, the issue now before the Tribunal is whether the applicant is enrolled in a course of study as required by cl 500.211(a).

4. On 15 July 2024 the applicant the Tribunal sent the applicant a letter requesting further evidence to meet cl.500.214, outlining the information to be provided and providing a link to the relevant Ministerial Instrument, LIN 19/198. The letter requested the applicant respond within 7 days. The applicant did not respond.

5. On 2 August 2024 the Tribunal accessed the review applicant’s record on the Provider Registration and International Student Management System register (PRISMS). The purpose of this search was to ascertain whether the review applicant was enrolled in a registered course of study, as required by cl 500.211(a), because there was insufficient evidence currently before the Tribunal about this. The PRISMS search showed that the review applicant did not hold a current Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) in a registered course of study.

6. On 19 September 2024 the Tribunal wrote to the review applicant pursuant to s 359A of the Act, inviting the review applicant to provide comments on information that it considered would be part of the reason for affirming the decision under review in writing. The particulars of the information were that the review applicant’s PRISMS record showed that they did not hold a current CoE, which may lead the Tribunal to conclude that the review applicant was not currently enrolled in a registered course of study and did not meet cl 500.211(a).

7. The invitation was sent to the last address provided in connection with the review and advised that, if the applicant does not comment or respond by 3 October 2024 the Tribunal may make a decision on the review without taking further steps to obtain the information and the review applicant would lose any entitlement they might otherwise have had under the Act to appear before the Tribunal to give evidence and present arguments.  

8. The review applicant did not provide their comments or response and the Tribunal has proceeded to making its decision without taking any further steps to obtain them.

9. In these circumstances, s 359C applies and pursuant to s 360(3) the review applicant is not entitled to appear before the Tribunal. The effect of s 363A of the Act is that if a review applicant has no entitlement to a hearing, the Tribunal has no power to permit him or her to appear: Hasran v MIAC [2010] FCAFC 40.

10. For the following reasons, the Tribunal has concluded that decision under review should be affirmed.

    CONSIDERATION OF CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE

11. The criteria for a Subclass 500 (Student) visa are set out in Part 500 of Schedule 2 to the Regulations. The primary criteria in cl 500.211 to cl 500.218 must be satisfied by at least one applicant. Other members of the family unit, if any, who are applicants for the visa need only satisfy the secondary criteria. The issue in the present case is whether the applicant is enrolled in a full-time registered course, and therefore a course of study, as required by cl 500.211(a).

    Enrolment (cl 500.211)

12. Clause 500.211 relevantly requires that at the time of this decision the applicant is enrolled in a course of study: cl 500.211(a). The applicant does not claim to meet any of the alternative criteria in cl 500.211.

13. ‘Course of study’ is relevantly defined in cl 500.111 of the Regulations as a ‘full-time registered course’. ‘Registered course’ is defined in reg 1.03 of the Regulations as a course of education or training provided by an institution, body or person that is registered, under Division 3 of Part 2 of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act), to provide the course to overseas students.

14. According to the PRISMS website, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment is responsible for the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. It is recorded that PRISMS is a computer system developed by the Department in association with the Department of Home Affairs for the purpose of receiving and storing information about accepted overseas students that is given to the Secretary under the ESOS Act. It is further noted that PRISMS provides a secure system for providers of registered educational institutions to comply with legislative requirements by issuing confirmations of enrolments as ‘evidence of enrolment’ in a registered full-time course as required by the Department of Home Affairs and reporting changes in course enrolment, particularly where study ceases, or the duration of the study changes.

15. It is therefore apparent that PRISMS is a business record of the Department of Education, Skills and Employment and is used by the Department of Home Affairs as evidence of enrolment for the purposes of assessing the grant of student visas. While it is possible providers may not update PRISMS as required, the Tribunal accepts that PRISMS is a reliable record of enrolments unless there is specific evidence to the contrary in relation to a particular case. There is no such evidence in this case.

16. Therefore, the Tribunal is not satisfied that at the time of this decision, the applicant is enrolled in a course of study and accordingly cl 500.211 is not met.

    DECISION

17. The Tribunal affirms the decision not to grant the applicant a Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa.

    Gabrielle Cullen
    Senior Member