KUALA LUMPUR – In the latest move to curb its migration woes, the Australian government has doubled the visa fee to A$1,600 (RM5,037) for international students, effective today.
According to a Reuters report, the international visa fee has increased to A$1,600 from A$710 (RM2,235), while visitor visa holders and students with temporary graduate visas are banned from applying onshore for a student visa.
This move is to give some breathing space to Australia’s tightening housing market.
The increase in student visas for Australia is far more expensive than in countries such as the United States and Canada, which cost about US$185 (RM873) and C$150 (RM517), respectively.
Statistics from Australia’s Education Department show that the number of Malaysian students who have studied in Australia from 2005 to 2022 was 113,275, while 15,653 students continued their studies in 2023.
The highest number of foreign students who pursue their education in Australia are from China and India.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil, in a statement, said the changes coming into force today will help restore integrity to its international education system and create a migration system that is fairer, smaller, and better able to deliver for Australia.
It is understood that the Australian government was also closing loopholes in visa rules that had allowed foreign students to continuously extend their stay.
This comes after the number of students on a second or subsequent student visa spiked by over 30% to more than 150,000 in 2022-2023.
This will not be the first time the Australian government has come up with stricter rules for foreign students, as in March it tightened the English language requirement, while the amount of savings international students need to get a visa was increased to A$29,710 (RM93,518) from A$24,505 (RM77,134).
Meanwhile, Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheely said the Australian government’s continued policy pressure on the sector would put the country’s position of strength at risk.
“This is not good for our economy or our universities, both of which rely heavily on international student fees,” Sheely told Reuters.
International education is one of Australia’s largest export industries and was worth A$36.4 billion (RM114.6 billion) to the economy in the 2022-2023 financial year. – July 1, 2024