INTERNATIONAL education lobbyists are claiming special case status for accounting courses, citing a completion rate of about 130 per cent as an example of the unique role played by the degrees.
And they say a 74 per cent plunge in Indian students shows that accountancy studies are no longer being used as a back-door migration route.
The figures have emerged as the workforce advisory body considers whether accountancy should remain on a key migration services priority list.
Management, tax and general accountants are among the 192 professions on the skilled occupation list, putting them near the front of the queue of would-be migrants seeking Australian residency under the independent and family-sponsored streams of the skilled migration program.
However, the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency, which reviews the SOL each year, has flagged accountancy for possible removal, saying it may not meet the conditions of inclusion.
They include how long it takes to train, how closely the training fits with the occupation and the economic risk of running out of people with those skills.
Educationalists fear a new crash in international enrolments if accountancy is knocked off the list, saying up to half of overseas university students consider accountancy.
According to figures presented at a Canberra forum last month, the number of international students who graduate as accountants significantly exceeds the number of commencing enrolments.
For example about 14,000 overseas students began the typical three-year course in 2008, but more than 18,000 graduated in 2011. Similar patterns occurred in other years.
Domestic graduates also outnumber commencers, although not to the same degree.
International Education Association of Australia executive director Phil Honeywood said the figures demonstrated that any change to accountancy's status could affect enrolments in other areas.
"There's a real danger that if you take accounting off the list, there will be a decline in international business enrolments," he said. Mr Honeywood said Australia was training "culturally diverse accountants for the region, not just Australia".
The forum heard Australian universities had hosted fewer than 1900 accountancy students from India last year, down from more than 7000 five years ago.
And they say a 74 per cent plunge in Indian students shows that accountancy studies are no longer being used as a back-door migration route.
The figures have emerged as the workforce advisory body considers whether accountancy should remain on a key migration services priority list.
Management, tax and general accountants are among the 192 professions on the skilled occupation list, putting them near the front of the queue of would-be migrants seeking Australian residency under the independent and family-sponsored streams of the skilled migration program.
However, the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency, which reviews the SOL each year, has flagged accountancy for possible removal, saying it may not meet the conditions of inclusion.
They include how long it takes to train, how closely the training fits with the occupation and the economic risk of running out of people with those skills.
Educationalists fear a new crash in international enrolments if accountancy is knocked off the list, saying up to half of overseas university students consider accountancy.
According to figures presented at a Canberra forum last month, the number of international students who graduate as accountants significantly exceeds the number of commencing enrolments.
For example about 14,000 overseas students began the typical three-year course in 2008, but more than 18,000 graduated in 2011. Similar patterns occurred in other years.
Domestic graduates also outnumber commencers, although not to the same degree.
International Education Association of Australia executive director Phil Honeywood said the figures demonstrated that any change to accountancy's status could affect enrolments in other areas.
"There's a real danger that if you take accounting off the list, there will be a decline in international business enrolments," he said. Mr Honeywood said Australia was training "culturally diverse accountants for the region, not just Australia".
The forum heard Australian universities had hosted fewer than 1900 accountancy students from India last year, down from more than 7000 five years ago.
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