The lure of permanent residency and the aspirations and expectations of international students studying accounting in Australia

Australian government policy directs international students to study particular types of disciplines where skill shortages have been identified. This paper examines the outcomes with respect to international accounting students aspiring to gain employment in Australia in accounting. The study includes a survey of international students undertaking a second-year accounting unit at a Melbourne-based university together with feedback from a small number of employers of accounting graduates. The results show that 84 per cent of the international students in the sample intended to seek permanent residency (PR) in Australia and viewed the study of accounting as a means of helping them meet the requirements for PR status. Although most indicated that they intended to seek employment in the accounting field on graduation, the feedback from employers suggests that generally international accounting graduates are not sufficiently 'work ready' to be considered for graduate employment.