Australia increases student visa fee by more than 100%.
The Australian government has doubled its visa fees by a staggering 125% for international students to stop record migration levels.
The fee for a student visa has jumped from A$710 to A$1,600.
Simultaneously, visitor visa holders and students with temporary graduate visas are now barred from applying onshore for a student visa.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil stated that these changes are necessary for restoring integrity to Australia’s international education system and creating a fairer and more manageable migration framework.
Also read: Australia tightens Student Visa rules further; check new changes
“The changes coming into force today will help restore integrity to our international education system, and create a migration system which is fairer, smaller and better able to deliver for Australia,” Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said in a statement.
This fee increase has made Australia’s student visa more expensive as compared to those of other popular countries.
Like student visas in the United States and Canada cost approximately $185 and C$150 ($110) respectively.
I can’t believe that, coming on top of the recent policy impacts on our sector, the Govt have today decided to increase non-refundable student visa fees from AUD $710 to $1600! This will make Australia more than double the cost of other countries. This is exploiting young people!
— Phil Honeywood (@PhilHoneywood) June 30, 2024
Likeiwise, the government is tightening visa regulations to close loopholes that allowed foreign students to extend their stay in Australia repeatedly.
The number of students holding second or subsequent visas surged by over 30%, reaching more than 150,000 in the 2022-23 period.
This adjustment follows a series of policy changes aimed at controlling migration, spurred by the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions which led to a record net immigration increase of 60%, reaching 548,800 people in the year to September 30, 2023.
Also read: Australia ends special visa type for international students: All details
The government has also tightened English language requirements for international students as of March, and in May, it raised the financial savings requirement from A$24,505 to A$29,710 — the second such increase in seven months.
However, the higher education sector has criticized this policy.
Universities Australia CEO Luke Sheehy warned that these persistent measures could jeopardize the country’s strong position in international education.
“This is not good for our economy or our universities, both of which rely heavily on international student fees,” Sheehy said in an emailed response.
International education is one of Australia’s largest export industries, contributing A$36.4 billion to the economy in the 2022-23 financial year.
