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SYDNEY: Australia announced on Monday a huge increase in visa costs for foreign students, as part of the government’s efforts to manage record migration and alleviate pressure on the country’s already tight housing market.
Starting July 1, the cost of an international student visa rose from A$710 to A$1,600 ($1,068). Students with temporary graduate visas and holders of guest visas are now prohibited from applying for student visas in person.
Official data released in March indicated that net immigration surged by 60%, reaching a record 548,800 people in the year leading up to September 30, 2023. This fee increase makes applying for a student visa to Australia significantly more expensive than in competing countries like the U.S. and Canada, where the costs are about $185 and C$150 ($110) respectively.
The government also announced measures to close loopholes in visa regulations that allowed foreign students to extend their stay in Australia indefinitely. The number of students on a second or subsequent student visa increased by over 30% to more than 150,000 in 2022-23.
Moreover, English language requirements were tightened in March, and the minimum savings international students must demonstrate for a visa was raised in May from A$24,505 to A$29,710 ($19,823), marking the second increase in about seven months.
International education remains one of Australia’s largest export industries, contributing A$36.4 billion to the economy in the 2022-2023 financial year.