The changes include raising English language requirements for student and graduate visas and granting the government authority to suspend education providers that repeatedly violate rules regarding international student recruitment.
This comes amid record-high migration rates, likely exacerbating the already tight rental market.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil stated in a release, “The actions this weekend will continue to drive migration levels down while delivering on our commitments in the migration strategy to fix the broken system we inherited.”
Additionally, a new “genuine student test” will be implemented to target international students primarily seeking work opportunities in Australia. Furthermore, “no further stay” conditions will be applied more widely to visitor visas.
These measures come in the wake of various actions taken last year to roll back COVID-era concessions initiated by the previous administration, such as unlimited working hours for international students.
The government had announced plans to tighten regulations for students, potentially cutting its migrant intake by half over a two-year period.
Australia increased its annual migration figures in 2022 to address labor shortages faced by businesses, particularly after strict border controls due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the exclusion of foreign students and workers for almost two years.
The sudden surge of foreign workers and students has intensified pressure on an already strained rental market.
Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday revealed a 60 percent increase in net immigration, reaching a record high of 548,800 individuals in the year leading up to September 30, 2023, surpassing the 518,000 figure for the year ending June 2023.
Statistics released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday unveiled a 60 percent surge in net immigration, soaring to a record high of 548,800 individuals in the year preceding September 30, 2023, exceeding the 518,000 tally for the year concluding in June 2023.
Australia’s population surged by 2.5 percent, marking the fastest growth rate on record, reaching 26.8 million people by September of last year.
The unprecedented migration, fueled notably by students from India, China, and the Philippines, has bolstered the labor pool and alleviated wage pressures.
However, it has exacerbated the strain on an already constricted housing market, with rental vacancies remaining at historic lows and elevated construction costs impeding new supply.