Overseas students cut to curb migrant intake
International student arrivals have been slashed by almost 24 per cent after study visa approvals fell over the last three months, as Labor seeks to halve the nation’s net migration in two years.
International student arrivals have been slashed by as much as 24 per cent as Labor seeks to use a crackdown on exploitation in the education sector to halve net migration in two years.
The number of visas granted to offshore students fell to 32,003 last month, a 16 per cent decline from the year before, figures from the Department of Home Affairs reveal, after 22,643 were granted in December, a decrease of 24 per cent on the same month in 2022.
The drop in approvals was the biggest in a decade between the months of November and December.
The fall in numbers came amid the introduction of new measures that will see applicants perceived as being motivated by work rights rather than study – known as “non-genuine students” – pushed to be the back of the processing queue.
The Albanese government is seeking to curb net migration from its peak of 510,000 last year, following a surge in overseas arrivals off the back of the pandemic, to 250,000 by June 2025.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said the rate of migration had been “too high” following a surge in temporary migration to address the worst labour shortage since World War II, but changes to student visa processing had begun to take effect. “The early signs are that these changes are working; we are seeing sharp decreases in numbers, ” she said.
“This is led by deep cuts in the areas of higher education where we have unfortunately seen widespread integrity issues.”
International student numbers are predicted to fall further from April when stricter English language requirements begin.
The pandemic event visa officially closed to new applicants last week, with the exit of 115,547 temporary visa holders also predicted to play a major role in driving down net migration.
Despite the recent indications that migration is beginning its downward curve with 547,075 foreign students currently in the country, which is less than before the pandemic, the number of temporary visa holders reached its highest level in a decade with 2.8 million non-permanent migrants here in December.
The surge in temporary arrivals was largely driven by a doubling in visitor visa holders with 601,051 tourists in the country at the end of the year compared to 339,919 in September.
Working holidaymaker numbers have also surged, with 170,437 backpackers in the country in December, up from 144,685 three months earlier.
Early indicators show the government has surpassed the halfway point for its 375,000 net migration target this financial year, with permanent and long-term arrivals increasing by 191,180 people between June and November, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show.
Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan accused Labor of pursuing a “Big Australia by stealth” policy.
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