The number of Vietnamese students studying in Australia for the first time has decreased sharply.

Data updated in mid-November 2025 by the Australian Department of Education shows that the number of Vietnamese students coming to study abroad for the first time has decreased sharply, at 42% compared to the same period in 2024.

The number of international students in Australia fluctuates a lot during the year, due to many changes in visa policy - Photo: BAH

This is the second consecutive year that the number of new international students from Vietnam has decreased, and is also the sharpest decline since Australia reopened its borders after the pandemic.

According to statistics up to the end of September 2025, Australia recorded about 821,500 international students studying at all levels of education.

Of this total, more than 36,000 are Vietnamese international students - ranking 4th in the total number of international students studying in Australia, after China, India and Nepal.

However, when analyzed separately by group, the number of Vietnamese students "entering the country for the first time to study" only reached 5,481 people, down 42% compared to the same period last year.

In contrast, the group of Vietnamese students who have studied in Australia since previous years and continue the program increased slightly to more than 30,500 people.

The downward trend is not limited to Vietnam. The Australian Department of Education said the total number of international students arriving in Australia for the first time in 2025 will also fall by about 16%, while the number of those continuing their studies will remain stable, reflecting changes to Australia’s immigration and international visa control policies from 2024.

Another notable development is the number of Vietnamese students enrolling. As of September, Vietnamese people recorded 43,441 registrations for courses in Australia.

Since each student can enroll in multiple courses at the same time, this number is much higher than the actual number of students.

Many experts and some international newspapers believe that this decline is influenced by a series of policy adjustments in Australia.

From November 2025, the Australian Department of Home Affairs will apply a new visa review mechanism under Directive 115, in which processing times are divided according to the level of compliance with international student recruitment targets of each educational institution.

In addition, requirements for financial proof, English proficiency, fees, and post-graduation visa duration have all been tightened in an effort to control net migration and ensure the quality of international education.

Despite the decrease in the number of new students from Vietnam, the structure of Vietnamese study fields in Australia has not changed much.

At the university level, business administration and information technology are still the two majors with the most students.

Meanwhile, at the vocational education level, Vietnamese students continue to focus on service, culinary , management and personal services, fields that are considered suitable for part-time employment conditions of international students.

As of September 2025, the figures released by the Australian Department of Education are considered a relatively complete indicator of the trend for 2025.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/so-du-hoc-sinh-viet-nam-sang-uc-lan-dau-giam-manh-20251126145627444.htm