Australia’s prominent international education and learning bodies– Global Education Organization of Australia ( IEAA , English Australia and the Independent Tertiary Education And Learning Council Australia ( ITECA — have actually gotten in touch with the federal government to urgently lower the country’s AUD $ 2, 000 non-refundable student visa application charge.
In July 2025, the government treked the pupil visa application fee to $ 2, 000 The move followed a 125 % fee boost applied just one year previously, from $ 710 to $ 1, 600
In a joint letter dealt with to the Head of state, treasurer, finance minister, and all six ministers on the council for global education and learning, the organisations are pressing for instant relief for certain student accomplices, specifically those relating to:
- independent ELICOS programs and staying in Australia for less than 52 weeks
- non-award courses and remaining in Australia for much less than 52 weeks
Australia now has the greatest pupil visa costs in the globe. According to the signatories of the letter– Phil Honeywood, CEO of IEAA, Ian Aird, CEO of English Australia and Felix Pirie, CEO of ITECA– a 50 % reduction for these accomplices is “both reasonable and essential”.
“These pupils commonly seek a short research experience rather than a multi-year qualification. Needing them to pay the complete $ 2, 000 non-refundable cost for a program long-term months or weeks is inequitable particularly when compared to longer award-conferring programs,” they created.
The field leaders detailed the “severe effect” on independent English language providers in particular, keeping in mind school closures
“Australia has long taken advantage of the soft power and cultural exchange produced by temporary study abroad programs. Other nations actively motivate such programs, adding diversity and worldwide perspectives to their student associates.
Needing [students] to pay the complete $ 2, 000 non-refundable fee for a training course long lasting months or weeks is inequitable specifically when contrasted to longer award-conferring programs
Australian worldwide education bodies
“In addition to lowering variety in Australian classrooms, lowered rate of interest for incoming study abroad and exchange programs (due to the overmuch high visa application fee) will certainly limit outbound term exchange opportunities for Australian pupils with time, as exchange partners seek to remedy inequalities with Australian companies,” the letter continued.
The sector giants argue that maintaining such a high visa application cost is destructive Australia’s track record.
According to the Division of Education, international pupil commencements in the year to July 2025 were 16 % lower than the exact same duration in 2024, with English language universities (ELICOS) down nearly 40 %.
In an meeting with The PIE Information , assistant priest for global education Julian Hillside dealt with the solid feedback originating from ELICOS and research study abroad providers that visa cost walks are having a disproportionate influence on their enrolments. However, Hillside suggests it is not the only factor at play.
“The correlation in between a decrease in overseas student numbers was not actually with the first boost to the visa cost … the correlation with the extra significant drop in student numbers was when we tightened up the visa stability setups as a result of some of the practices we were seeing from particular markets,” stated Hillside.
Regardless of this, he looked for to guarantee stakeholders tuned in to the real-time broadcast that the federal government is taking their responses seriously. “I’ve asked the department to prepare alternatives for government to look at … we are listening,” he claimed.
