The number of Vietnamese students coming to Australia for the first time to study has decreased by 42%.

The latest data released by the Australian Department of Education on November 19th shows that the number of Vietnamese students coming to Australia for the first time has decreased by more than 40%, and a similar trend is observed in enrollment numbers.

The University of Melbourne campus, currently ranked number 1 in Australia and 19th in the world according to QS 2026.

PHOTO: THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Both groups saw an increase in enrollment.

Specifically, as of September 2025, a total of nearly 822,000 people were studying in Australia, a slight decrease compared to 851,000 in the same period last year. Of these, more than 36,000 were Vietnamese, a decrease of about 4% compared to the previous year, spanning diverse types of study from secondary education and university to vocational education, English language courses, and non-degree or certificate programs such as student exchange programs.

This figure also makes Vietnam the country with the fourth largest number of international students in Australia, accounting for approximately 4% of the total number of foreign students, ranking behind China (189,000), India (138,000), and Nepal (66,000).

A new feature of this year's data is that the Australian Department of Education has clearly divided the number of international students from each country into two groups: those who are new to Australia and have not appeared in any previous statistical data; and the rest, who have been studying in Australia for two years or more at the time of the statistics.

Specifically for Vietnam, a total of 5,481 students were studying in Australia for the first time, a 42% decrease compared to the same period last September, partly reflecting the impact of changes in Australia's international education policy in recent years. Meanwhile, the number of students already studying is 30,571, an increase of more than 2,400 compared to 2024. On a general level, the number of international students coming to Australia for the first time also decreased by 16% compared to the same period last year.

Another noteworthy data point is the enrollment number, as the Australian government allows international students to enroll in multiple courses. According to statistics, as of September, 43,441 Vietnamese students had enrolled in courses in Australia, with the highest numbers in higher education (24,000) and vocational education (12,000). These two groups also saw an increase in enrollment compared to the same period last year, while others experienced slight decreases, and English language courses saw a sharp decline of 66%.

However, overall, the total number of enrollments from Vietnamese international students decreased by nearly 6%, marking the first decline since Australia reopened its borders post-pandemic in 2022. Enrollment in Australian courses for international students in general also decreased by 2% compared to the same period in 2024.

Autumn is one of the most popular enrollment periods in Australia, so the statistics up to September somewhat reflect the overall trend of the country's international education sector throughout the year.

A series of developments related to studying in Australia.

Since mid-November, Australia has implemented a new priority processing mechanism for student visas, in accordance with Directive 115 of the Department of Home Affairs. Under the new regulations, Australia prioritizes student visa processing in three groups depending on the level of compliance of schools with NOSC (Nomination for School Status) targets. Group 1 includes institutions that have not yet reached 80% of their NOSC target; applicants to these schools will have their applications processed within 1-4 weeks. Groups 2 and 3 include schools that have reached 80-115% and those exceeding 115%, with longer processing times.

The National Target for Studying in Australia (NOSC) is a quota that determines the total number of new international students to be admitted to Australia each year – one of the measures taken by the Australian Government to reduce immigration. The NOSC quota for 2025 was 270,000, but this has been raised to 295,000 in 2026. From this overall NOSC quota, the Australian Government allocates individual quotas to schools, both public and private. However, it should be noted that there are many cases where students are exempt from the NOSC quota.

In addition to launching the NOSC, the Australian Government also announced several other measures to better regulate the international education sector, such as increasing financial requirements, English language proficiency requirements, and fees for student visa applications; reducing visa validity periods and increasing requirements for post-graduation work visas...

According to recent statistics from the Australian Department of Education, the most popular fields of study at the university level are management and commerce, followed by information technology. Meanwhile, at the vocational level, international students mainly choose management and commerce; culinary services; customer service; and personal services.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-viet-nam-lan-dau-den-uc-du-hoc-giam-42-185251125200903518.htm