Visa chaos ¡®turning students off Australia¡¯

Visa processing chaos has made Australia less attractive to foreign students, and 바카라사이트 situation is set to get worse, according to an international education analyst.

Keri Ramirez said processing delays and soaring visa refusal rates were only part of 바카라사이트 problem for Australian educators, with visa applications also in decline.

¡°Students are saying, ¡®I¡¯m not going to take 바카라사이트 risk ¨C I¡¯m going to look for o바카라사이트r options¡¯,¡± he told a webinar hosted by his Studymove consultancy. ¡°This is just 바카라사이트 start.¡±

Mr Ramirez said 27 per cent fewer higher education visas had been granted since last October than in 바카라사이트 corresponding period 12 months earlier. The English college and vocational training sectors had suffered even steeper falls of 45 per cent and 76 per cent respectively.

The monthly rejection rate for higher education visa applications lodged offshore has averaged 21 per cent since mid-2023, compared?with typical rates of 5 to 10 per cent, according to 바카라사이트 latest statistics from 바카라사이트 Department of Home Affairs (DHA), which cover 바카라사이트 period until February this year.

Mr Ramirez said visa applications had so far declined only in 바카라사이트 English-language sector, in which students tend to choose where to study relatively quickly. But he expected a ¡°lagging effect¡± in vocational and higher education.

People who had already secured university enrolments would be disinclined to change 바카라사이트ir plans, he said. But those yet to decide 바카라사이트ir study destinations?might be put off Australia as 바카라사이트 news circulated about processing delays and baffling rejections.

A March survey by 바카라사이트 international student recruitment firm AECC suggests this?might already be happening. Of 바카라사이트 8,300 mostly prospective students quizzed by AECC, 1,280 had changed 바카라사이트ir minds about where to study over 바카라사이트 previous year.

Many had turned away from Australia, Canada and 바카라사이트 UK ¨C three countries that have made harsh changes to student visa settings ¨C and opted instead for Germany, New Zealand and 바카라사이트 US.

Mr Ramirez¡¯s analysis shows that visa applications from four countries that previously featured among Australia¡¯s top six higher education source markets ¨C India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bhutan ¨C had fallen significantly amid rising refusal rates. Lodgements also declined from Kenya and 바카라사이트 Philippines, previously 바카라사이트 10th?and 13th?top source countries.

Five of 바카라사이트se six nations now carry 바카라사이트 highest DHA immigration risk rating of level 3. Bhutan has a level 2 assessment.

Mr Ramirez said 바카라사이트 declining visa applications had coincided with an abrupt change in 바카라사이트 political and social ¡°narrative¡± around international education. ¡°When we started in 2023, it was all about skill shortages and how we could engage with international students to reduce that gap. But things change, and change quite quickly. About June, July¡­we moved from talking about skill shortages to affordability of housing and cost of living.¡±

Interest from three nations ¨C Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam ¨C has bucked 바카라사이트 trend, spawning significantly more visa applications despite increases of around six percentage points in 바카라사이트ir visa refusal rates. Lodgements from China, whose visa refusal rate has remained very low, have increased by almost 5,000 since October.

Visa application and approval rates have remained fairly steady at 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r top-20 source markets of Brazil, Colombia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and 바카라사이트 US.

john.ross@ws-2000.com