Australia has more than doubled the visa fee for international students as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to control record migration, which has exacerbated pressure on the country’s housing market.
Effective July 1, the international student visa fee increased to A$1,600 (US$1,068) from A$710. Additionally, visitor visa holders and students with temporary graduate visas are now barred from applying for a student visa onshore.
“These changes will help restore integrity to our international education system and create a migration system that is fairer, smaller, and better able to deliver for Australia,” stated Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil.
In March, official data revealed that net immigration surged by 60 percent, reaching a record 548,800 people in the year ending September 30, 2023.
This fee increase makes obtaining a student visa for Australia significantly more expensive than in competing countries like the US and Canada, where visa costs are about US$185 and C$150 (US$110) respectively.
The government is also closing loopholes that have allowed foreign students to extend their stay in Australia indefinitely. The number of students on a second or subsequent student visa jumped by over 30 percent to more than 150,000 in the 2022-23 period.
These changes are part of a series of measures introduced since late last year to tighten student visa regulations. The lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in 2022 led to record levels of annual migration. In March, English language requirements were tightened, and in May, the required savings amount for international students to obtain a visa was raised to A$29,710 (US$19,823) from A$24,505, marking the second increase in about seven months.
Universities Australia CEO Luke Sheehy warned that the government’s continuous policy pressure on the sector could jeopardize the country’s strong position. “This is not good for our economy or our universities, both of which heavily rely on international student fees,” Sheehy said in an emailed response.
International education remains one of Australia’s largest export industries, contributing A$36.4 billion to the economy in the 2022-2023 financial year.