The influx of international students to Australia has been on the rise, and the government has noted that the student program is currently garnering a significant number of applications.
"For the current Program Year (2023-24) till 30 November 2023, lodgements (total) remain strong, with almost 225,000 applications lodged since 1 July. This is a 16.4 per cent increase on the same period last year," the Department of Home Affairs told SBS Hindi.
Concurrently, as international students make their return post-COVID-19 pandemic and border closures, the federal government has been intensifying its efforts to combat visa system exploitation.
Last week, Education Minister Jason Clare said, "International education is a key national asset – it is the biggest export we don’t dig out of the ground."
Minister for Education Jason Clare. Source: AAP / MICK TSIKAS/AAPIMAGE
Key visa changes for international students announced in 2023
In July this year, the federal government reinstated a maximum weekly work hour limit of 24 hours for international students, with the objective of deterring the abuse of student visas for employment purposes.
Subsequently, in August, the government closed the 'concurrent certificate of enrolment' loophole, preventing the practice of shifting international students between courses within the first six months of their arrivals.
The COVID-era visa, , which allowed thousands of international students to work without restrictions, was also closed as of September this year for all new applicants.
Work restrictions for international students were reinstated in July 2023. Credit: Tang Ming Tung/Getty Images
As of October this year, applicants for student visas must provide evidence of having $24,505 in savings.
What does the future look like?
On 11 December this year, the federal government revealed a new , indicating a closer scrutiny of student visa applications.
This announcement has come after a review conducted by Dr Martin Parkinson, which concluded that Australia's migration program was not aligned with its intended objectives.
The latest strategy comprises various initiatives focused on international education, with the government asserting that these measures will guarantee the contribution of foreign graduates in addressing skills shortages.
Starting next year, the English language criteria for international student and temporary graduate visas will be increased.
The Australian government is striving to enhance the integrity and quality of international education. Credit: gawrav/Getty Images
Similarly, applicants for a student visa must achieve a score of 6.0, compared to the previous requirement of 5.5.
The government also plans to introduce a new Genuine Student Test for all international students.
"This test will replace the existing Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement to acknowledge that post-study temporary migration (and beyond) pathways are available for those who may be eligible," the strategy said.
The government will also increase scrutiny of individuals seeking a second visa and onshore, so-called 'visa hopping' will be restricted.
The Australian government has suggested modifying the duration and eligibility criteria for post-study work rights. Source: SBS
Consequently, the government has suggested modifying the duration and eligibility criteria for post-study work rights.
Under this change, the will shorten post-study work rights for Master’s by coursework degrees from three to two years and for PhDs, from four to three years.
Apart from this, the maximum age for international students to qualify for a temporary graduate work visa will be lowered from 50 to 35 years old.
The work experience requirement for a Temporary Skills Shortage visa (and future Skills in Demand visa) will be changed to give Temporary Graduates visa holders more opportunities to move on to skilled visas.
Expert view on the latest trends
The median processing duration for student visa applications has been averaging around 16 days and the Department of Home Affairs said it has issued more than 167,200 student visas (total) from July 2023 to November 2023.
Signage for the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs is seen in Melbourne. Source: AAP / JAMES ROSS/AAPIMAGE
Suman Dua, a licensed migration agent, mentioned that there had been a rise in the submission of student visa applications from India, but that this trend could be influenced by evolving regulations.
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"We are already noticing panic among current students who are in Australia about proposed visa changes and these will significantly affect the future applications," she said.
"It would be unjust for the government to alter the regulations for Subclass 485 visa holders genuinely seeking work experience," she said.
"The applicability of post-study working rights to Indian students remains uncertain, as they could potentially receive exemptions based on the terms of a free trade agreement established between India and Australia in late 2022. However, the potential implementation of other reforms could generate a feeling of mistrust among individuals considering applying," she said.
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According to official statistics, the current count of Indian citizens on student visas in Australia stands at 107,912 as of December 2023.
Additionally, there are 8,678 pending student visa applications from Indian nationals, with 5,387 filed within Australia and 3,291 submitted outside Australia up until November this year.
