Australia tightens visa rules, toughens English test for overseas students

In an effort to overhaul what it said was a “broken immigration system”, Australia has decided to tighten the visa rules for international students and low-skilled workers. BBC reported that the Australian government aims to slash the annual intake to 250,000 - roughly in line with pre-pandemic levels - by June 2025.

Under the new migration strategy, international students must achieve better scores on English tests. Additionally, there will be increased scrutiny during their second visa application that would prolong their stay.

“Our migration strategy is a bold plan to get migration working again for all Australians. The strategy helps us get the skills we need – in healthcare, for our net zero transition and in our digital economy. We are acting to design out migrant worker exploitation from the system so we can protect wages and conditions for migrants and locals alike,” said Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil. She further said, “This strategy is about building back integrity into the system, with treasury forecasts showing that migration is expected to decline substantially over the next financial year.”

The decision comes after net immigration was expected to have peaked at a record 510,000 in 2022-23. Official data showed it was forecast to fall to about a quarter of a million in 2024-25 and 2025-26, roughly in line with pre-Covid levels. O’Neil said the increase in net overseas migration in 2022-23 was mostly driven by international students.

“International education is a key national asset – it is the biggest export we don’t dig out of the ground. That’s why strengthening the integrity of our international education sector is so important. The Albanese Government’s Migration Strategy sends a clear message that we will act to prevent the exploitation of students and protect Australia’s reputation as a high-quality international education provider,” said Minister for Education Jason Clare.

Migration has climbed to record levels in Australia, adding pressure to housing and infrastructure woes, reported BBC. It also mentioned that there are some 650,000 foreign students in Australia, with many of them on their second visa.

With agency inputs