Recently, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albonis echoed concerns that international migration is exacerbating tensions in the housing market.
He noted that while the current population is still below pre-pandemic expectations, this will soon change.
According to the Australian Financial Review, although the Australian government has adopted a more stringent strategy to reduce the level of immigration, and the visa refusal rate is close to 2 percent, "the number of international students is still not declining ideally".
In fact, at the end of February, Australia saw record numbers of international students (713,144) and temporary arrivals (2.8 million).
Even though the government has recently taken some measures to limit the number of international students, such as a 35% drop in international student visa issuance in February following the release of immigration reviews in December, this impact is unlikely to be reflected in the stock in the short term.
In response, the government has not ruled out the possibility of stricter measures, such as directly limiting the total number of international students.
The Grattan Institute makes a more radical suggestion:
Significantly increase the international student visa application fee from $710 to $2,500 and use the proceeds to increase the federal rental subsidy.
Currently, student visas are $345 for New Zealand, $285 for the United States, $170 for Canada, and $950 for the United Kingdom.
This proposal is being given positive consideration.
While some are concerned that this will be "in line with the Australian government's clear policy intent to downsize the international education sector", others argue that it is a "very good political" option, although it may be "poor long-term policy".
A spokesman for the Home Secretary said the government was evaluating options in an effort to strike a balance between restoring the integrity of international education and easing housing price pressures.
Phil Honeywood, chief executive of the Australian Association of International Education, said the current high rejection rate was already undermining the confidence of potential international students and that a significant increase in application fees "would have a significant impact on the number of applicants". They oppose any price increase that exceeds the inflation increase, as it would make Australia uncompetitive globally.
Brendan Coates of the Gratan Institute believes that the increase in application fees will have a greater impact on students pursuing less valuable courses, but less on those who want to obtain a university degree.
Some analysts believe that increasing the rent subsidy while raising the cost of international students seems to be a reasonable policy combination, because it can alleviate the pressure of housing costs borne by local families to a certain extent.
Industry insiders also revealed that Canada's upcoming cap on the number of students is also being considered by the Australian government, and it is likely that it will not be implemented soon, but it will definitely continue to be discussed in the future.
Many countries have promulgated new immigration policies
In addition, since this year, a number of countries have announced changes in immigration policies. It can be seen that countries are constantly escalating the difficulty of various types of visa applications.
Let's take a look at these immigration countries that have announced new policies.
The first is New Zealand, where the government has said it will tighten the requirements for applying for work permits.
The new policy includes the introduction of an English proficiency requirement for the Certified Employer visa and a minimum skill and work experience threshold for most employer work visas.
At the same time, the government has also scrapped plans to add 11 new jobs to the "green list".
In Canada, the government announced that it would impose quota restrictions for temporary residents for the first time.
As of 2023, Canada has 2.5 million temporary residents, or 6.2% of the total population. Over the next three years, the government plans to reduce this to around 5%.
In addition, Canada will reduce the number of temporary foreign workers in certain industries from 30% to 20%.
The UK's new immigration policy is also very strict.
From 4 April, the minimum annual wage for a work visa has been raised from £26,200 to £38,700; The minimum annual salary requirement for a family visa has also been increased from £18,600 to £29,000, with a corresponding increase in the deposit requirement.
The UK has also introduced a new 10-year settlement policy, which requires applicants to hold their current visa for at least one year.
In addition to the countries mentioned above, for Australians, travel to Brazil will also be affected by the new policy.
According to the ETIAS scheme launched by the European Union, from April 10, 2025, Australian citizens will need to apply for a visitor visa to enter Brazil, the visa fee is 80.9 Australian dollars, and it is valid for 10 years.
The application process will also be more rigorous, requiring a number of documents such as a letter of intent, proof of residence, airline ticket information, and proof of income.
Overall, the immigration policies of various countries have indeed changed rapidly this year. For those who have plans to study abroad or immigrate, be sure to always pay attention to the latest developments and prepare in advance.
Australia tightens visa approval, and some countries are directly "blacked"
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on April 22 that the federal government has tightened visa policies to reduce the number of immigrants, resulting in students from certain countries being "blacklisted" by universities.
This also includes one of Australia's top eight universities, many of which have introduced drastic measures to prohibit or restrict the refusal of students from high-risk countries, such as India and Nepal.
Since the end of last year, the federal government has prioritised visa applications from low-risk institutions. Earlier this month, the federal government updated the risk ratings of Australian higher education institutions, with 10 institutions being raised.
In a letter to education agents, the University of Adelaide said it would only accept applications from Indian undergraduates under the age of 20, and that the upper age limit could be relaxed to 22 if the applicant had credits in hand.
In addition, the university also refuses to accept applications from any Indian student who has been refused a visa from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom.
Central Queensland University, a Level 2 risk institution, has written to the intermediary saying that it will no longer offer English courses for Indian and Nepalese students.
The university no longer admits any applicants from outside India and Nepal who are over the age of 25 and/or married, except for postgraduate students.
"In order to control the level of risk as much as possible, we need to take these measures now. ”
Edith Cowan University kept its Level 2 risk unchanged, but said in an email that it would no longer accept applications from Indian, Nepalese or Pakistani students for English or academic pathway programs due to increased scrutiny by the Home Office.
Affiliated Edith Cowan College also sent an email telling the agent that it would no longer accept applications from Pakistani and Indian citizens for certain diploma programs.
A high refusal rate can lead to an increase in the risk level of universities, which has led institutions to restrict students from countries with a high risk of refusal.
Although top institutions can recruit students from high-risk countries such as India through a streamlined process, secondary and tertiary universities have more complex vetting of these students.
The latest data from the Home Office shows that in the year to March, overseas student visa refusals hit a record high, while the approval rate fell to a record low of 78.4%.
Western Sydney University lowered its risk rating from the highest level to Level 2 this week after some students cancelled their registrations at the start of the semester to minimise visa refusals.
The University of New England, located in remote NSW, has been reduced from Level 2 to a minimum of Level 3.
Chancellor Chris Moran said the federal government's reforms are seriously impacting the university's ability to recruit international students. "The new visa rules have hit small institutions particularly hard. ”
A spokesperson for Charles Sturt University said the university would actively adjust its screening criteria for bona fide students in line with clear trends and Home Office recommendations, and expressed concerns about current visa approval practices.
"We call on the government to overhaul the current institution-based risk-based model to level the playing field for all students and institutions. ”
"Visa approvals have become extremely unpredictable, with refusal rates in the higher education sector at their highest levels in at least 20 years. ”
In response, a spokesperson for Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said the government was working with the education sector to help institutions cope with the changes.
"We will not apologize for these reforms, though, because they are done to protect the integrity and reputation of the system. ”