Australia has long been a leading destination for international students, but 2024 has marked a significant shift in study visa grants. The latest data from Australia’s Department of Home Affairs reveals that study visa grants for offshore applicants have decreased by nearly a third (-29.1%) during the first four months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. This drop comes on the heels of new, more restrictive migration policies, tightening visa requirements, and higher rejection rates.
A Drop of Nearly One-Third in Visa Approvals
From January to April 2024, 74,421 study visas were granted to offshore applicants, a steep decline from the 104,808 visas granted in the same period in 2023. This near-30% drop is significant but still less dramatic than the 53% decline during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Sectors like vocational education and training (VET) and the English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) have been particularly affected, with visa grants in these sectors dropping by 69% and 56%, respectively. These declines represent some of the lowest levels in over a decade.
Impact of New Migration Settings
The drop in visa approvals can be largely attributed to new migration policies introduced by the Australian government in December 2023. These policies include a higher minimum financial requirement for prospective students, a cap on international student enrollments starting in January 2025, and restrictions on students’ transitioning between visa categories. As a result, students now face stricter criteria to prove financial stability, demonstrate English proficiency, and pass the “Genuine Student Test.” These measures have contributed to the increasing rejection rates for offshore student visa applications.
Falling Approval Rates
In the first four months of 2024, the overall approval rate for offshore student visas fell to 77.4%, down from 80.5% in 2023. Historically, approval rates have averaged nearly 90% for offshore applicants from 2005 to 06 through 2023. For both the VET and ELICOS sectors, approval rates dropped to historically low levels of 37.8% and 74.8%, respectively. These numbers suggest that visa processing for these sectors has become significantly more stringent, likely because of the new policies and heightened scrutiny of applications.
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The VET and ELICOS sectors have been disproportionately affected by the decline in visa grants. Together, they accounted for 61% of the total drop in offshore visa approvals from January to April 2024. The ELICOS sector, in particular, saw a dramatic decline in approval rates. For example, Colombian applicants experienced a sharp drop in ELICOS-only grants from 95% in 2023 to just 32% in the first two months of 2024, marking a historic low.
Concerns from the Education Sector
The decline in study visa grants has raised concerns among Australian education providers, who argue that these policies threaten the long-term sustainability of the sector. Troy Williams, the chief executive of the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA), warned that the government’s restrictive approach could lead to financial struggles for many education providers, some of which are still recovering from the pandemic. Job losses in the education sector are also expected as a direct result of these visa restrictions.
Universities Australia’s CEO, Luke Sheehy, echoed these concerns, emphasizing the economic importance of the international education sector, which contributed AUD 48 billion to the economy in 2023. This sector has been a major driver of Australia’s economic growth, supporting not only educational institutions but also the broader economy through job creation and skills development. Sheehy stressed that preserving stability and growth in the international education sector is vital for the country’s prosperity
In the Last…
The sharp decline in study visa grants in Australia signals a significant shift in the country’s approach to international education. While the tighter migration settings introduced in late 2023 aim to regulate student migration, they have also raised concerns about the long-term impacts on Australia’s education sector. As visa approval rates continue to fall and stricter requirements take hold, the effects on education providers, students, and the broader economy are likely to intensify in the coming months.
