Australian universities have been accused of allowing foreign students to pass exams without the language skills to get jobs after graduating.
Two new reports highlight the problems students who are not from English-speaking countries face.
Monash University professor Bob Birrell investigated how successful foreign migrants, including those who graduated from Australian universities, were in finding employment between 2001 and 2006.
He found that only a small minority of foreign students who had obtained permanent residency after graduating found jobs they were supposed to be qualified for.
Only 22 per cent of mainland students who graduated in accounting obtained professional or managerial positions, as was the case for 21 per cent of those from India. Yet a majority of Australian accounting graduates were successful in finding work.
The researcher said employers' reluctance was not a result of prejudice but was because applicants lacked English skills. 'Universities could insist that overseas students take remedial communication courses sufficient to achieve professional standards before allowing them to complete their studies,' the report said.