As many as 17,300 jobs have been lost in universities and $3.8 billion will be wiped off revenue by the end of this year, says Universities Australia, as pressure builds for national cabinet to rescue the international student market.

The Association of Australian Education Representatives in India, meanwhile, says demand for enrolments in Australia has slumped by 50 per cent while that for places at competitor universities in Britain and Canada – which have open borders for international students – has risen sharply.