KATHMANDU, Feb 22: The Embassy of Australia in Nepal has advised students studying at the Australia Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT) to remain enrolled at the AIBT until it stops operating.

"The Embassy advises that any students studying with AIBT should remain enrolled and continue to attend classes, to ensure that the conditions of their visa are met and their recourse to the Tuition Protection Service is assured should the provider cease delivering its courses," a press statement issued by the Embassy reads.

It states that if the AIBT does stop operating, the college would be responsible to find students an alternative course or pay them a refund of their unspent tuition fees. The Australian embassy said that Australia’s Department of Home Affairs would also allow a grace period of at least 28 days and up to three months for students to transfer to alternate providers before it would consider visa cancellation. Further extension may be possible on a case by case basis.

After Brighton Pacific Pty Ltd's registration was cancelled by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) on February 19, it said that they intended to seek a review. Brighton Pacific Ltd Pty can seek to have ASQA’s cancellation decision stayed while the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) determines the review. Unless Brighton Pacific Pty Ltd seeks a review and is granted a stay of ASQA’s decision, the cancellation decision will take effect from 26 March 2019.

(READ: Nepali students among those affected as Australia's Skills Quality Authority cancels AIBT's registration) 

"Until the review is determined, the institute is permitted to continue operating, including conducting classes," the press statement reads.

In a separate issue, the embassy said that ASQA was also aware that AIBT has been offering a Diploma of Nursing that is not accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) and has heard reports that some students did not know the course was not ANMAC-accredited.

Likewise, the Australian Embassy Nepal has urged prospective students intending to enrol in courses in Australia to do "as much research as possible" on education institutions, courses of interest, costs, lifestyle in Australia and any other relevant factor by visiting the website. It has also urged education agents in Nepal should provide services to clients in good faith and provide factual information on the institutions they claim to represent.  

The ASQA notified Brighton Pacific Pty Ltd, trading as the AIBT, that it had made the decision to cancel AIBT’s Vocational Education and Training registration and Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) registration.

 
• aibt
 
• australia