Australia has just reached a historic milestone in the number of international students. Data released by the Australian Department of Home Affairs shows that as of February 29, 2024, there were 713,144 international students studying in the Oceania country, contributing to a record high increase in the number of temporary migrants, totaling 2.8 million people.
Representatives of Vietnamese students in Australia. Photo (documentary): Van Linh/VNA reporter in Sydney, Australia
This fact shows that despite the Australian Government increasing student visa refusals, the number of international students coming to this country is still increasing at a record rate. Previously, in order to reduce the growing number of international students, the Government of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese initiated measures outlined in the immigration review, including raising English language requirements for international student visas and introducing a “genuine student” test to deter those who are not genuinely coming to Australia to study.
Despite the record high international student numbers, Australian government data also shows a surge in student visa refusals, with more than 50,000 applications rejected in the three months to February 2024. However, experts warn that hasty measures to reduce international student numbers could have negative impacts on the education sector and the broader economy , as international education is a major Australian export, worth about AU$50 billion (about US$33 billion) in 2023.
A new survey shows a shift in the choice of study abroad destinations for international students from major destinations such as Canada, the UK and Australia to smaller countries such as New Zealand, Germany and the US. The shift comes after the Canadian, UK and Australian governments introduced more restrictive policies to manage the surge in international student numbers.
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