Australia implements cap on international students enrolment for 2025

Amid the opposition from the university sector and lots of speculation from the media, the Australian government has announced a limit on international students' enrolment for 2025.

Study in Australia: The Australian government has been trying to manage and control the record level of migration to the country and there was speculation that it will soon announce a cap on the number of international students who can enrol in 2025. Now, the government has announced a cap of 270,000 international students for 2025.

It is part of the government's initiatives to curb the increasing migration that reportedly contributed to a huge increase in home rental prices in the country.

While speaking in a press conference, Education Minister Jason Clare said, "There is about 10% more international students in our universities today than before the pandemic and about 50% more in our private vocational and training providers," as reported by TOI.

Implementing cap follows a series of measures in this direction

To end Covid-era concessions for international workers and students, Australia has been implementing a series of measures since last year. Recently, it increased the visa fees for international students by more than double - from AU$710 (US$477) to AU$1,600. Also, visa hopping stopped on July 1, 2024.

Sunil Jaggi, a member of Migration Agents Registration Authority of Australia said, "In June 2022, Australia capped the foreign student intake at 5.10 lakh. This number was reduced to 3.75 lakh in 2023. Now they have reduced the annual planning levels further. These levels are accorded to individual universities for all international students and not just for Indian students. The universities will distribute the quotas country wise then state wise," as reported by NDTV.

"The students who were preparing to take admission for the February intake will get affected by this announcement. Students from Punjab will be worst affected," he added further.

By the end of September 20, 2023, net immigration in Australia increased by a record 60% to 548,800. This was mostly contributed by countries like India, the Philippines, and China. The series of measures taken by the government to curb immigration resulted in businesses recruiting more local staff.

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