The number of applications for international student visas has dropped by more than half, with the impact of the federal government’s controversial migration crackdown already being felt.
The Labor government is aiming to significantly reduce net migration in the coming years, with international student numbers to bear the brunt of these efforts.
A new limit of 270,000 new international student visas was set in August, with the non-refundable fee for applications more than doubled from the start of this financial year.
It appears the impact of these changes is already being felt, with new data released by the government revealing that the number of applications for international student visas made from offshore fell off a cliff in the last two months.
The number of international visa applications made offshore in August was 15,270, compared with 30,703 in the same month last year, a drop of more than 50 per cent.
It’s also the lowest number of applications made in August since 2015, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic years.
The number of higher education applications fell by 40 per cent, with 8,861 made this August compared to 14,932 last year.
The number of applications for vocational education plummeted by even more, with 1,144 made in August this year compared to 5,931 last year, a drop of 80 per cent.
Application fee hikes
The reduction in applications is likely down to a number of issues and new policies from the federal government.
The non-refundable cost of making an application for an international student visa was increased by more than double from $710 to $1,600 in July this year.
The Ministerial Direction 107, issued late last year, aimed to weed out non-students and led to fewer applications from south-east Asia being approved.
While the number of applications made from China remained relatively steady, those from India, Nepal, the Philippines, and Vietnam dropped dramatically compared to last year.
The new data revealed that the number of student visa applications made from India was 1,240 in August, down by 70 per cent from 4,081 in 2023.
There was also an 85 per cent decrease in applications by prospective students from the Philippines, with 1,240 made last month compared with 5,743.
Nepali applicants fell to 1,944 from 4,672 the previous year, while those from Vietnam reduced from 2,617 last year to 1,074.
Widespread visa crackdown
The federal government has been making efforts to reduce net migration levels over the coming years and has focused its efforts on international student numbers.
In August the government confirmed plans to set a “national planning level” of 270,000 new international student commencements, with 145,000 to be at universities and the rest at VET institutions.
This was done to “protect international education from the crooks who try to exploit it…to make a quick buck”, Education Minister Jason Clare said at the time.
Legislation handing the minister new powers to impose caps on the number of people entering Australia to study was also passed by the lower house of Parliament recently.
This bill gives the government the power to determine the maximum number of overseas students coming to Australian shores, which can be set at the provider-level or in terms of specific courses.
This was labelled an “egregious overreach” and “shockingly bad policy” by members of the lower house crossbench.
Australian universities have railed strongly against these reforms, arguing they will exacerbate existing domestic skills shortages and financially cripple the education sector.
Universities Australia has argued that the cuts could cost the economy up to $4.3 billion, and see between 14,000 and 22,500 jobs lost from the 250,000-strong education sector.
