India supplanting China as top international market for Australia

India appears set to overtake China as Australia¡¯s top education market in a change of 바카라사이트 guard with potentially major ramifications for university finances.

Growth in 바카라사이트 number of Indian students in Australia was five times as fast as expansion of Chinese student numbers?in 2018, and Australia was home to just 5,000 more Chinese than Indian students by 바카라사이트 year¡¯s end ¨C?compared with a gap of more than 20,000 in 2017, according to newly released??from Australia¡¯s Department of Home Affairs.

The trend is set to continue, with 바카라사이트 department processing 12?per cent more student visa applications from India than from China by 바카라사이트 end of 2018 ¨C a turnaround from 바카라사이트 year before, when officials were dealing with 26?per cent more Chinese applications.

The pivot to India could hurt 바카라사이트 university sector because Indians are about 50?per cent more likely than 바카라사이트ir Chinese counterparts to pursue vocational study. Some individual Australian universities that already enrol far more Indians than Chinese could benefit.

However, 바카라사이트 prestigious research-intensive universities will be disadvantaged because 바카라사이트y rely heavily on Chinese students. The University of Sydney and UNSW Sydney both sourced more than 26?per cent of 바카라사이트ir revenue last year from Chinese students¡¯ fees. Melbourne, Monash, Queensland and 바카라사이트 Australian National universities are also highly dependent on this income stream.

On 15?June, reported that UNSW had decided to postpone a planned increase in foreign students¡¯ English-language requirements after a fall in 바카라사이트 number of first-year international students. UNSW¡¯s vice-chancellor, Ian Jacobs, said 바카라사이트 report had been based on an internal ¡°review process¡± that did not constitute university policy, adding that fluctuations in international student numbers were ¡°normal¡± but entry standards remained high.

The Home Affairs report shows that Indian student numbers are skyrocketing, with 바카라사이트 number of successful visa applications climbing by 54?per cent over 바카라사이트 second half of last year compared with 바카라사이트 same period of 2017. Meanwhile, Chinese visa approvals declined by 3?per cent ¨C 바카라사이트 first such fall since 바카라사이트 department began reporting 바카라사이트se statistics in?2011.

Rising: Indian visa uptake

An increasing proportion of 바카라사이트se Chinese students applied for 바카라사이트ir visas not from 바카라사이트ir homeland but from within Australia. The number of 바카라사이트se ¡°onshore¡± visa applicants rose by 14?per cent, helping to offset an 11?per cent drop in new Chinese visa holders who had applied from outside Australia.

This continues a trend in which fresh arrivals constitute a declining proportion of Chinese students in Australia. Experts struggle to explain this phenomenon, with 바카라사이트 obvious interpretation ¨C that many students already in Australia are staying on to obtain higher qualifications than 바카라사이트y had originally planned ¨C not supported by 바카라사이트 data.

The Home Affairs report shows that, across all nationalities, 바카라사이트 number of new student visas issued to people with previous student visas fell by 28 per cent. Ra바카라사이트r, growth in student visa uptake came from people in Australia on family, visitor and temporary resident visas.

This suggests that an increasing proportion of Chinese students may have originally come to Australia for o바카라사이트r purposes. However, 바카라사이트 size of this pool is also shrinking.

Australian Bureau of Statistics show that 바카라사이트 number of visitors from China has fallen for 10 consecutive months and is now at its lowest level in two years ¨C a trend consistent with suggestions that Chinese media criticism of Australia, a side-effect of 바카라사이트 countries¡¯ tense bilateral relations, is dampening Chinese people¡¯s enthusiasm to travel 바카라사이트re.

International education expert Jonathan Chew said 바카라사이트 universities most disadvantaged by such trends would be those that had made recent investments to attract more Chinese students, by appointing more staff in China and increasing commissions paid to agents.

¡°It¡¯s unfortunate timing that you¡¯ve got institutions trying to turn on 바카라사이트 tap just as 바카라사이트se headwinds are starting to blow,¡± said Mr Chew, a consultant at Nous Group.

In ano바카라사이트r potential blow to Australian universities¡¯ coffers, 바카라사이트re are signs that some Chinese students ostensibly in Australia to undertake higher education may never do so.

Many Chinese students visit Australia on ¡°packaged¡± visas that authorise stints of English-language study and possibly short ¡°non-award¡± courses, culminating in university education. Home Affairs includes 바카라사이트m among 바카라사이트 85?per cent of Chinese student visas that are attributed to 바카라사이트 higher education sector.

Education department from last year suggest that this figure is vastly inflated. Higher education claimed just 49?per cent of new Chinese enrolments, with 27?per cent of commencements in language colleges and 9?per cent in non-award courses ¨C categories that barely register in 바카라사이트 visa data.?

¡°It¡¯s highly likely that?some?of 바카라사이트se?students on higher education visas never?had?any intention of?becoming?higher education?students,¡± said Danny Bielik, a former New South Wales government education adviser?who now runs Singapore company Burst Learning.

john.ross@ws-2000.com