This country is changing the rules for international students

Australia’s government says it will cap the number of new international students at 270,000 by 2025 in a bid to stem a record influx of migrants that has sent rental prices soaring.

according to Japanese. AzThe decision is the culmination of a series of measures taken since last year to end benefits provided to international students and workers in Australia during the coronavirus pandemic. They helped companies hire staff locally while strict border controls prevented foreign workers from entering the country.

“Today, we have about 10 per cent more international students in our universities than we did before the pandemic, and about 50 per cent more in private vocational education and training providers,” Education Minister Jason Clare said at a news conference.

The number of new international students at universities will be capped at 145,000, roughly the same as in 2023, and the number of new students on practical and vocational courses will be capped at 95,000.

Universities Australia president Professor David Lloyd said the government had the power to control immigration levels but this should not be at the expense of any one sector, particularly an economically important one such as education.

International education is Australia’s fourth-largest export after iron ore, gas and coal, contributing $24.7 billion to the country’s economy in the 2022-23 financial year.

But polls show voters are concerned an influx of foreign students and workers is putting undue pressure on the housing market, making immigration a potential major battleground at the next federal election in less than a year.

Net migration hit a record high in the year to September 30, 2023, up 60% to a record 548,800, with the largest numbers of students coming from India, China and the Philippines.

In an effort to curb growing immigration, the government last month more than doubled visa fees for foreign students and vowed to close loopholes in the rules that allow them to keep extending their stay.

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