Australia has announced it will cap the number of international students at 2.7 lakh by 2025 in a bid to tackle rising migration that is causing home rental prices to skyrocket.
Australian Education Minister Jason Clare said today that the limit includes higher education as well as vocational education and training courses.
The move will impact Indian students who wish to go abroad for higher education, especially those from Punjab, where the number of such students is large.
“In June 2022, Australia had set the cap on foreign student intake at 5.10 lakh. In 2023, this number was reduced to 3.75 lakh. Now they have further reduced the annual placement levels. These levels have been given to different universities for all international students, not just Indian students. Universities will distribute the quota first country-wise and then state-wise,” said Sunil Jaggi, a member of Australia’s Migration Agents Registration Authority.
He further said, “Students who were preparing to take admission in February will be affected by this announcement. Students of Punjab will be the most affected.”
A student from Haryana, who wants to study nursing in Australia, said, “This will affect my career. My family is taking a loan for my education as the cost of studying in Australia is very high.”
Another student said, “The Indian government should put forward the students’ viewpoint to the Australian government.”
It is noteworthy that the Australian Education Minister, who visited India last year, had signed an agreement to increase access to Australian higher education institutions for Indian students.
According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, around 1.22 lakh students from the country study in Australia. India’s Quad partner is the fourth most popular destination for Indian students studying abroad after Canada, the US and the UK.
Australia has also increased the non-refundable visa fee for foreign students from A$710 to A$1,600, another measure to reduce migration levels.
Canada has also announced new restrictions on its temporary foreign worker program. Starting September 26, businesses will only be allowed to fill 10 per cent of their workforce with low-wage foreign workers, down from 20 per cent previously. The decision to limit the number of low-wage foreign workers comes in response to rising unemployment rates in Canada. The overall unemployment rate has risen to 6.4 per cent, with the rate for young workers reaching 14.2 per cent.
