Australia has announced a significant reduction in its intake of international students, cutting the number by nearly 20,000 following a record-high enrollment reported this year. On Tuesday, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare revealed that the government plans to limit international student commencements to 270,000 for the 2025 calendar year. This decision is part of a national planning level that is yet to be legislated.
Under this new cap, publicly funded universities will admit approximately 145,000 new international students next year, maintaining levels consistent with 2023. An additional 95,000 spots will be allocated for vocational education and training (VET) courses, a move that the government claims will return figures to pre-pandemic levels. Clare indicated that individual universities have been informed of their “indicative levels” for 2025, with final decisions expected within the next two weeks.
The changes, administered under the international student profile, are intended to prevent the Group of Eight universities from disproportionately benefiting from increased student numbers. This follows a directive from former Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil, urging universities to approve students based on risk factors. Clare emphasized that while some of the country’s larger universities have seen significant increases in student numbers this year, the most substantial reductions will occur in the vocational education sector, particularly among private providers.
Clare defended the decision as part of a broader effort to return migration levels to those seen before the pandemic, stating, “I make no apology for making sure that we’re returning migration levels to pre-pandemic levels, and this is part of that.” While the move has been met with criticism from the sector, particularly regarding its economic impact, Clare argued that it would strengthen the integrity of the system and help eliminate unscrupulous practices that emerged with the surge in international students after the COVID-19 pandemic.
He dismissed concerns that the reduction in numbers would harm Australia’s international education sector, insisting that the changes are about sustainability. “To create the impression that this is somehow tearing down international education is absolutely and fundamentally wrong. It’s about making sure that we set it up in a sustainable way for the future,” Clare stated. He added that the government aims to ensure that the benefits of international education are shared across all universities, not just a select few.
Recent figures indicate that as of May 2024, there were 810,960 international student enrollments, a 17 percent increase compared to pre-COVID levels in 2019. Commencements were also up by 16 percent, reaching 289,230 during the same period. However, the government is also facing pressure to reduce overseas net migration, which reached a high of 528,000 in the 2022-23 fiscal year, to 260,000 this year.
Additionally, on July 1, the government quietly doubled the application fee for international student visas from $710 to $1,600. Clare justified this increase as a necessary measure to generate revenue for educational initiatives. Meanwhile, Troy Williams, Chief Executive of the independent Tertiary Education Council Australia, criticized the government for providing information through media outlets rather than directly to the sector. He expressed concerns about the lack of clear communication, stating, “Right now, when contemplating the future of their institution and the jobs of their staff, all our members have is a government media release,” and called for urgent clarification from the government.
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), representing university staff, also expressed concerns. NTEU President Alison Barnes urged Clare to guarantee that university jobs would be protected. She warned that many vice-chancellors might respond to policy changes by cutting staff, which would undermine the world-class teaching and research that attract international students. Barnes emphasized that job cuts would be particularly devastating at a time when universities have been underfunded for a decade and the government aims for 80 percent of the population to have a tertiary qualification by 2050.
George Williams, Vice-Chancellor and President of Western Sydney University, highlighted the critical role of international students in addressing Australia’s skill shortages, particularly in fields like nursing. He noted that the upcoming Western Sydney Airport and the surrounding Bradfield mini-city, set to open in 2026, would require international students to fill key skill gaps. Financially, Williams warned that a significant cap on student numbers would limit the university’s ability to provide essential equity programs, such as food outreach and support for students from low socio-economic backgrounds. He stressed the importance of international students as a vital revenue source, enabling the university to support domestic students who might otherwise be unable to pursue higher education.
