File photograph of scholars attending the Examine Australia showcase in Chennai.
| Photograph Credit score: RAGU R

FILE PHOTO: A lady poses for an image through the orientation week at The College of Sydney, in Camperdown, Australia February 15, 2023. REUTERS/ Stella Qiu/File Photograph
| Photograph Credit score:
STELLA QIU

Australia mentioned on July 1 it had greater than doubled the visa payment for worldwide college students, the newest transfer by the federal government to rein in file migration that has intensified stress on an already tight housing market.

From July 1, the worldwide scholar visa payment has risen to AUD1,600 ($1,068) from AUD710, whereas customer visa holders and college students with momentary graduate visas are banned from making use of onshore for a scholar visa.

“The adjustments coming into power at present will assist restore integrity to our worldwide schooling system, and create a migration system which is fairer, smaller and higher in a position to ship for Australia,” Residence Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil mentioned in a press release.

Official knowledge launched in March confirmed web immigration rose 60% to a file 548,800 folks within the 12 months to Sept. 30, 2023.

The rise in charges makes making use of for a scholar visa for Australia far costlier than in competing nations just like the U.S. and Canada, the place they value about $185 and C$150 ($110) respectively.

The federal government mentioned it was additionally closing loopholes in visa guidelines that allowed international college students to repeatedly lengthen their keep in Australia, after the variety of college students on a second or subsequent scholar visa spiked by over 30% to greater than 150,000 in 2022–23.

Australia progressively tightening scholar visa guidelines

The most recent transfer follows a raft of actions since late final 12 months to tighten the coed visa guidelines because the lifting of COVID-19 curbs in 2022 boosted annual migration to file ranges.

English language necessities had been tightened in March, whereas the quantity of financial savings worldwide college students must get a visa was raised in Could to AUD29,710 ($19,823) from AUD24,505, the second enhance in about seven months.

Universities Australia CEO Luke Sheehy mentioned the federal government’s continued coverage stress on the sector would put the nation’s place of energy in danger.

“This isn’t good for our economic system or our universities, each of which rely closely on worldwide scholar charges,” Mr. Sheehy mentioned in an emailed response.

Worldwide schooling is one among Australia’s largest export industries and was value AUD 36.4 billion to the economic system within the 2022-2023 monetary 12 months.