The visa payment for worldwide student visas making use of to review in Australia rocketed from AUS$710 to AUS$1,600 as of July 1.
With prices to review in Australia now amongst a few of the highest globally, leaders in worldwide schooling identified the transfer is more likely to deter abroad college students from making use of to Australian universities in favour of different widespread examine locations.
Australia’s minister for house affairs Claire O’Neil said the policy would “help restore integrity to our international education system, and create a migration system which is fairer, smaller and better able to deliver for Australia”.
But the Group of Eight blasted the resolution as a “blatant revenue-raising move masked as deterring low quality students” and “another nail in the coffin for international education”.
“Australia now has among the highest visa fees in the world. The current fee of AUS$710 is already more than double that of comparable nations (New Zealand AUS$344; Canada AUS$168; US AUS$283) and increasing this non-refundable application fee to AUS$1,600 sends entirely the wrong message to market,” it identified.
Its chief govt Vicki Thomson stated the measure would solely act as “a deterrent” to abroad college students. “The recent crackdown on visa approvals has already sent a strong signal that we are not open for business,” she stated.
It is dying by a thousand cuts to our most profitable companies export sector
Vicki Thomson, Group of Eight
She added: “Yet once more our worldwide college students are getting used as money cows to prop up the economic system, the nationwide analysis effort and now to fund different authorities initiatives.
“It is death by a thousand cuts to our most successful services export sector.”
Professor at Deakin University Ly Tran took to LinkedIn to model the transfer “disheartening”.
“I would say this shows how international students are both treated as cash cows and unwelcome. This damages and devalues, instead of increasing value, Australian international education,” she stated.
And IEAA CEO Phil Honeywood stated on X, previously often known as Twitter, that he “can’t believe” the transfer.
“This will make Australia more than double the cost of other countries. This is exploiting young people,” he wrote.
In April, a number of peak our bodies in Australia had urged the authorities to not heed the suggestion of the Grattan Institute to up the visa charges.
At the time, ITECA chief govt Troy Williams stated any such hike in the cost “would be consistent with the Australian government’s clear policy intent to reduce the size of the international education sector”.
“[The measure] would penalise overseas students wanting to take up study in Australia” and be a “job killer”, notably in the vocational instructional and coaching sector,” he added.