Australia to cap international students, aiming to control rent surge

Beginning in January 2025, Australia will limit the number of international students at universities and vocational education institutions to reduce the flow of immigrants and curb the rise in rents.

The Australian Minister of Education announced that from January 2025, the number of international students will be capped at 270,000. As noted by Reuters, immigration could become one of the key topics in the upcoming election campaign.

Data from the local education department shows that in 2024, the number of international students in Australian educational institutions increased by over 18 per cent compared to the previous year.

Australian universities acknowledged that while the government has the right to control migration, as highlighted by Professor David Lloyd, chair of Universities Australia, this should not be "at the expense of any one sector, particularly one as economically important as education." Education is Australia's fourth-largest "export commodity" after iron ore, gas, and coal.

The government announced last year that the changes aim to eliminate "suspicious educational operators" from the market. It was emphasised that over the past two decades, the number of international students has increased 2.5 times, with the most significant growth seen among students from China, whose numbers have more than tripled.

Additionally, Australia recently significantly increased the cost of student visas and tightened regulations to prevent the long-term or indefinite extension of temporary visas by their holders.