 "Australia's student visa surge defies clampdowns, sparks Oppn pushback")
Student visa grants in Australia reached record levels late last year, showing resilience in international education despite 12 months of policy changes and a federal election looming, likely centred on migration issues.
Data from the Australian Department of Home Affairs shows that visa approvals for prospective university students from overseas peaked at nearly 17,000 in November 2024, the latest month for which statistics are available. Since mid-2024, monthly issuances have consistently reached or exceeded pre-pandemic records, driving an overall surge in foreign student numbers.
Higher education accounts for the majority of student visas, with two-thirds or more going to university students.
India a key contributor
India remained one of the largest sources of international students in Australia. As of 2023, there were 746,080 foreign students in the country, including:
159,485 from China
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122,391 from India
60,258 from Nepal
However, questions have been raised about the motivations of some South Asian students, with concerns that the visa system may be used primarily for work rather than education.
“Australia needs to manage its international student intake to balance educational quality with the needs of the economy,” said Clare O’Neil, Minister for Home Affairs, in December 2024.
Policy changes and their impact
Over the past year, Australia has introduced at least ten policy adjustments designed to slow the growth of international enrolments. These included doubling visa fees, raising financial requirements for applicants, and changes to processing priorities, which some say caused delays and an increase in visa refusals.
The opposition has criticised the surge in student numbers since Australia’s borders reopened post-pandemic, attributing the rise to government mismanagement. Peter Dutton, opposition leader, blamed the influx for worsening housing shortages, promising stricter caps on international students if his party wins the general election in mid-May.
“Stricter caps on foreign students will relieve stress on city rental markets,” said Dutton at a campaign rally on January 12 in Chisholm.
The Coalition has also pledged to cut permanent migration intake if elected. Speaking in Chisholm on January 12, Dutton outlined plans to reduce annual intake from 185,000 to 140,000 for two years, rising incrementally to 160,000 by year four.
“Labor has opened the migration floodgates. A record one million migrants have arrived in Labor’s first two years,” Dutton said. “This has placed pressure on housing, infrastructure, and services, with only 350,000 homes built in the same period.”
He added, “The Coalition will impose a two-year ban on foreign investors and temporary residents purchasing existing homes and work with universities to implement stricter caps on international students.”
The late December replacement of ministerial direction 107 with direction 111 may lead to further increases in visa approvals. However, opinion on the changes is divided.
“Some say visa processing has improved, but others find it slower than a year ago,” wrote Dirk Mulder, an international education consultant, on his Koala news site. Concerns remain about how recruitment agents will respond to universities nearing their visa caps, set at 80 per cent of allocated limits, which could result in slower processing.
Visa refusals and appeals
Home Affairs data also highlights the growing number of students fighting visa rejections. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the backlog of appeals at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal had doubled in five months, surpassing 20,000 for the first time. The tribunal overturned two-thirds of visa refusals.
Meanwhile, students are adopting strategies to extend their stay, including starting new courses or applying for asylum.
Figures presented to a Senate inquiry showed that asylum applications from overseas students rose from a monthly average of 300 to 450 in mid-2024, reaching a five-year high of 516 by August.