International Students Face New Challenges in Australia Amid Housing Crisis

Both political parties in Australia have proposed reducing the number of international students to address housing affordability. This shift threatens the nation's long-standing reputation as a favored destination for foreign education seekers.

Australia, once a beacon for aspiring students from around the globe, is facing a significant turning point as both major political parties contemplate limiting the influx of foreign students. The move is positioned as a strategy to tackle soaring housing prices that have turned the real estate market unaffordable for many Australians.

For Ali Bajwa, a Pakistani academic who moved to Australia to pursue a doctorate in agricultural science, the nation provided an excellent educational landscape and welcoming policies for international students. Having arrived ten years ago, Bajwa settled down, contributed to research in weed science, and now teaches at La Trobe University in Melbourne. His experience, however, contrasts sharply with the prospects for future students amid new proposed restrictions.

With housing unaffordability at the forefront of voters' concerns in light of the upcoming elections, leaders are advocating for caps on the number of international students. Proponents argue that reducing student numbers would ease housing demand, thereby stabilizing prices. This marks a dramatic shift for a country that has historically seen international education as a prime economic contributor, often likened to a major export industry.

Bajwa advocates for a more refined approach focused on selection criteria rather than broad restrictions. “We gain a lot more than we lose to international students,” stressed Bajwa. Despite previous attempts by the government to limit student numbers, a recent surge in international student enrollment was recorded, hitting over a million in 2023, aided by relaxed work restrictions post-COVID.

The political landscape remains fraught as the current government has raised visa fees and adjusted its processing systems, hindering overseas student arrivals. Meanwhile, the opposition leader has promised even tighter controls, proposing to cut the annual cap of new international students significantly further, which adds to the prevailing uncertainty for those eyeing Australia as an educational destination.