From Australia to Poland, how visa changes are making studying abroad more difficult and expensive
Aug. 27, 2024, 1:26 p.m.
Read time estimation: 12 minutes.
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Want to study abroad? It’s becoming harder and harder.
A number of nations are changing their visa rules.
Australia has implemented significant changes to its international student policies, including doubling visa fees and reducing student intake, while the UK has altered its regulations concerning student families.
New Zealand has also doubled its student visa fees, Poland has implemented stricter visa regulations, while Canada has altered its policies - resulting in 70,000 international students facing the possibility of deportation.
While the changes are known, what are the specific details? How are they making international education more challenging and costly?
Let’s take a closer look:
Australia
Australia has announced a reduction in its intake of international students, with a decrease of 20,000 students, as reported by News.com.au.
This decision comes after Australia experienced a record number of student enrollments this year.
Australia's Education Minister, Jason Clare, has announced that the country will limit the number of international students admitted in 2025 to 270,000.
Public universities in Australia would be able to admit approximately 145,000 new international students, matching 2023 enrollment levels, along with an additional 95,000 students in vocational education and training (VET) programs.
The Australian government aims to reduce the number of international students to pre-pandemic levels.
"The reality is that several of our major universities have more students enrolled this year than last year," Clare stated.
"The biggest reductions in student numbers will be seen in the vocational education sector, particularly among private providers."
"I have no qualms about ensuring we restore migration levels to pre-pandemic levels, and this is one step towards that goal."
In July, Australia significantly increased its visa fees for international students, more than doubling the previous cost, according to The Times of India.
The fee, which was $454, is now at $1085.
The Australian government also took steps to eliminate loopholes that previously enabled international students to extend their stay.
This policy adjustment followed a surge in the number of students granted subsequent visas, which rose by 30 percent to exceed 150,000 in the 2022-2023 academic year.
In May, Australia implemented a revised policy, raising the financial savings threshold for international students seeking entry.
Students are now required to demonstrate a minimum of $20,153 (Rs 16.91 lakh) in savings, a significant increase from the previous requirement of $16,622 (Rs 13.94 lakh).
This was the second such hike in under a year.
That’s not all.
In March, the government implemented stricter English language proficiency requirements for student visas.
Australia's government has faced growing pressure to ease its immigration policies, which saw a 60% increase in 2023, reaching a record high of 548,800 individuals.
India remains the second largest source country for international student enrollment.
In May, Australia increased the required savings amount for students seeking entry into the country. Data shared by the Indian High Commission in Canberra last year, via Reuters, reveals that over 122,000 Indian students enrolled in Australian institutions between January and September 2023.
Although, the number of Indian student visas saw a decrease of 48 percent from December 2022 to December 2023.
As reported by The Guardian, a staggering one in five student visa applications were rejected this year up to March.
“Authorities rejected 21% of visa applications submitted from overseas in the latter half of last year, with rejection rates reaching 37% for applications from Pakistan, 39% for applications from India, and 52% for applications from Nepal,” a report by Times Higher Education stated in February.
Many others have had to wait a longer for their visas.
Some institutions have even implemented comprehensive bans on Indian students, as reported by the newspaper.
Advertisement “My primary concern is the potential impact on our bilateral relationships with countries that are singled out when government and media highlight these integrity issues by country,” former Australian High Commissioner to India, Barry O'Farrell, told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“There are many economic, strategic and social benefits to Australia and the source countries of overseas students wanting to study in Australia. The practice should be encouraged,” O’Farrell added.
The UK
The UK has also implemented a series of changes to its student visa regulations this year.
Since January, international students have been prohibited from bringing their families to New Zealand unless they are enrolled in a research program or receive government funding for their studies.
Indian study visa holders had the second highest number of sponsored dependents (42,381) – following Nigerians (66,796) – in the year ending March 2023.
The decision was made by the previous Rishi Sunak government.
“There were 138,532 sponsored study visa grants issued to Indian citizens in the year ending March 2023, a 53,429 (+63 percent) increase compared to the year ending March 2022, representing the highest number of study visas granted to any nationality. Grants for Indian nationals studying in the UK have significantly risen since the year ending March 2019, and are now approximately seven times greater,” the UK Home Office stated.
"Our top-tier universities draw in some of the world's most brilliant students to the UK. However, we've seen a substantial increase in the number of dependents accompanying these students, leading to unsustainable immigration levels," UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border Tom Pursglove stated at the time.
The previous Conservative administration also made a commitment to curtail immigration – both legal and unlawful.
“Our unwavering commitment is to achieve a significant reduction in migration. The recent action taken to restrict the inclusion of dependents on the student visa route enables us to effectively safeguard our public services while fostering economic growth by permitting the most valuable students to continue coming here. This measure forms part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at reducing the number of individuals entering the UK by 300,000 compared to last year,” he stated.
According to Business Standard, students enrolled in degree-level programs have been prohibited from changing their student visa to a work visa until they have successfully completed their academic studies.
However, PhD students are eligible to transition to a sponsored work route two years after the commencement of their program.
The UK has also initiated a review of the graduate immigration pathway for international students with the aim of “preventing misuse, safeguarding the integrity and quality of UK higher education, and ensuring its alignment with the best interests of the UK.”
"For the year ending June 2024, Indian citizens comprised the largest group of students granted permission to remain in the UK on the Graduate Route, with 67,529 receiving extensions. This represents nearly half (46%) of all Graduate Route extensions granted to primary applicants," the data indicated.
The changes have seemingly had an impact.
Home Office statistics from the past year, ending in June 2024, indicate a 23 percent decrease in Indian students pursuing higher education in the UK. Despite this decline, Indian students continue to comprise the largest group granted permission to stay under the Graduate Route visa, which enables foreign graduates to work in Britain for two years after completing their degrees.
“There were 110,006 sponsored study visa grants to main applicants who were Indian nationals in the year ending June 2024 (25 per cent of the total), 32,687 fewer than the previous year,” the Home Office statistics revealed.
In 2023, the United Kingdom issued approximately 500,000 sponsored study visas, with nearly one-third going to Indian students.
Indian students received 142,848 sponsored study visas in 2023 – a 54 per cent increase compared to 2022.
International students since January have been barred from bringing their families over – unless they are studying in a research programme or on a government-funded scholarship. Reuters “Most of the increase in foreign students between 2019 and 2023 were from Indian and Nigerian nationals, but numbers for these nationalities have fallen in the latest year (by 23 per cent and 46 per cent respectively),” it noted.
Although the graduate review concluded in May with the recommendation to retain the route, some experts suggest that the review itself discouraged many Indian students from applying.
"It's crucial that we completely dispel the chaos and uncertainty caused by the Graduate Route review. NISAU has reached out to countless students in India to convey the message that the UK remains a welcoming destination for Indian students," National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK chair Sanam Arora told PTI.
Anuj Gupta, the CEO of Youngrads, a digital platform for student enrollment, told Business Standard, “Indian students are now wary of applying to UK universities for a Master’s degree due to stricter visa regulations implemented earlier this year. These regulations specifically affect their capacity to sponsor family dependents, like spouses or children, and prevent students from transitioning to work visas until they complete their studies.”
New Zealand
Following Australia's lead, New Zealand announced a substantial increase in student visa fees, effective October 1, 2024.
As reported by Economic Times, the student visa fee has been doubled, rising from $233 (Rs 19,500) to $466 (Rs 39,000).
The country introduced these modifications after observing a considerable increase in international student arrivals in 2023.
According to a press release from Education New Zealand (ENZ), enrollment numbers for 2023 surpassed those of 2022 by a significant 69,000 students.
This was a 67 per cent rise over 2022.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford explained that these changes were implemented to “establish a more stable immigration system.”
“The changes we’re making are shifting the cost to those benefitting from the system. We’re ensuring it is self-funding and more efficient," Stanford added.
Poland
In the meantime, Poland has implemented stricter regulations for international students.
According to Economic Times, this decision comes after Poland experienced a visa scandal in May.
Polish newspaper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna reported that some foreign nationals were using their student visas to work within the Schengen Area.
Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has announced that the country will no longer issue student visas to individuals who lack high school diplomas.
“A student visa permits the right to work for one year, which has resulted in numerous instances where individuals acquired visas but never attended the university that facilitated their entry,” Sikorski told TVN 24.
Canada
In Canada, the Justin Trudeau administration has declared that it will limit study permits and reduce permanent residency nominations, according to India Today.
This government limit will likely result in only 360,000 study permits being approved in 2024.
That figure is predicted to be 35 per cent lower than it was in 2023, based on data from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The government maintains that these changes were made because the large number of students has put a strain on the country’s healthcare, housing and other essential services.
The cap imposed by the Justin Trudeau government will likely result in the issuance of only 360,000 study permits in 2024. AP Additionally, the government has ceased allowing foreign students to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the border, effective June 21.
This is crucial for international students seeking employment opportunities and permanent residency.
The PGWP witnessed a massive surge in 2023 compared to 2018.
Experts highlight that these policy changes, which have sparked protests across the nation, have put approximately 70,000 international students at risk of deportation.
“I spent six years taking risks to come to Canada. I studied, worked, paid taxes, and earned enough Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, but the government has taken advantage of us,” Mehakdeep Singh, a former international student facing deportation, told City News Toronto.
With inputs from agencies
