A 31 per cent plunge in study visa approvals, taking them back to pre-pandemic levels, is driving a reset of migration levels, as efforts to crack down on non-genuine students reshapes the education sector.

Department of Home Affairs data shows that between July and February, 264,000 study visas were approved, down from 382,000 for the same period a year earlier, taking the leading indicator of student migration back to 2018-19 levels.