An executive at a leading university has questioned whether the federal government is imposing a migration cap by stealth in its dramatic slashing of visa approvals.
The government has installed tougher visa rules for international students in order to cut migration,but a group of universities says the cost will be “akin to the impact of the pandemic”.
At least three public NSW universities are among the universities to cancel students’ enrolment confirmations.
The cut to the education program is the biggest single factor in driving total migrant intake down to 375,000 this financial year.
From inflation to rental prices - international students feel blamed for anything going wrong in Australia.
The housing shortage has been especially brutal for overseas students. But some find another place to call home.
Legislation to be introduced on Wednesday will also weed out colleges misrepresenting themselves as prestigious institutions and void the registration of providers that have been inactive for 12 months.
The government will in March remove a rule that blocks people from studying in Australia because they aspire to live in the country in the long term.
Australian universities are being urged by the Albanese government to set up courses overseas and online to help bring down numbers arriving in the country.
Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor says the government is also considering measures to weed out unscrupulous providers already in the vocational education and training system.
The university lobby’s outgoing chief,Catriona Jackson,warns the sector needs to capitalise on the emerging African market to stay “on the front of the wave” in the global competition for students.