Australian government has reviewed all visas and there’s an innovative upgrade in their pricings. Most especially, the cost of student visas has been doubled. With the current surge in the price of house marketing, the North American country has increased the price of Australian Visas from A$710 to A$1,600.
Meanwhile, visitor visa holders and students with temporary graduate visas are banned from applying onshore for a student visa. "The changes coming into force today will help restore integrity to our international education system, and create a migration system which is fairer, smaller and better able to deliver for Australia," Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said in a statement.
Official data released in March showed net immigration rose 60% to a record 548,800 people in the year to Sept. 30, 2023.
The rise in fees makes applying for a student visa for Australia far more expensive than in competing countries like the U.S. and Canada, where they cost about $185 and C$150 ($110) respectively.
The government said it was also closing loopholes in visa rules that allowed foreign students to continuously extend their stay in Australia, after the number of students on a second or subsequent student visa spiked by over 30% to more than 150,000 in 2022–23.
English language requirements were tightened in March, while the amount of savings international students need to get a visa was raised in May to A$29,710 ($19,823) from A$24,505, the second increase in about seven months.
Universities Australia CEO Luke Sheehy said the 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," Sheehy said in an emailed response.