The increased fees for Australian student visas now significantly exceed those of competing countries such as the US and Canada.
Sydney: Australia announced on Monday that it has more than doubled the visa fee for international students, marking the latest step by the government to manage high migration levels that have exacerbated pressures on the housing market.
Effective July 1, the fee for international student visas has increased to A$1,600 ($1,068) from A$710. Additionally, onshore applications for student visas by visitor visa holders and students with temporary graduate visas have been prohibited.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil stated, “The changes implemented today will restore integrity to our international education system and create a migration system that is fairer, smaller, and more effective for Australia.”
Official data released in March revealed that net immigration surged by 60% to a record 548,800 people in the year ending Sept. 30, 2023.
The hike in visa fees now makes applying for an Australian student visa significantly more expensive compared to other countries such as the U.S. ($185) and Canada (C$150 or $110).
The government has also announced the closure of loopholes in visa regulations that allowed foreign students to extend their stay in Australia indefinitely. This decision comes after the number of students on subsequent student visas increased by over 30% to more than 150,000 in the 2022-2023 period.
These changes follow a series of measures since late last year aimed at tightening student visa regulations, coinciding with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in 2022, which led to a surge in annual migration to record highs.
In March, stricter English language proficiency requirements were introduced, while in May, the minimum savings required for a visa were raised to A$29,710 ($19,823) from A$24,505 — the second increase in about seven months.
Luke Sheehy, CEO of Universities Australia, expressed concern about the ongoing policy pressures on the sector, warning that they could jeopardize Australia’s strong position. “This is detrimental to both our economy and our universities, which heavily rely on international student fees,” Sheehy stated in an email response.
International education represents one of Australia’s largest export industries, contributing A$36.4 billion to the economy during the 2022-2023 financial year.
