The Migration Amendment (Temporary Graduate Visa Application Charge) Regulations 2024 introduces a one-off increase in the Visa Application Charge (VAC) for the Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa, effective 1 February 2025.
New Application Charges
Initial Subclass 485 Visa Applications:
Primary applicant: $2,235
Secondary applicant (over 18 years): $1,115
Secondary applicant (under 18 years): $560
Subsequent Subclass 485 Visa Applications:
Applicable to holders of a Subclass 485 visa in the Post‑Study Work, Post‑Higher Education Work, or Replacement streams applying for the Post‑Higher Education Work stream.
Primary applicant: $880
Secondary applicant (over 18 years): $440
Secondary applicant (under 18 years): $225
Component
Current charge
1 Feb 2025
Base application charge
$1945
$2235
Additional applicant charge for an applicant who is at least 18
$975
$1115
Additional applicant charge for an applicant who is less than 18
$490
$560
For those who already hold a Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa and are applying for a subsequent one
Base application charge
$765
$880
Additional applicant charge for an applicant who is at least 18
$385
$440
Additional applicant charge for an applicant who is less than 18
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has released the findings of a December 2024 snapshot survey of 200 German universities. Based on those survey responses, DAAD projects that foreign enrolment in German higher education will reach 405,000 in the 2024/25 winter semester. That represents a nearly 10% increase year-over-year, and the greatest annual growth of the past decade.
The responding universities collectively account for 70% of Germany’s international enrolment, and DAAD summarises the survey data as follows: “Around 90% of universities report a stable or rising number of newly enrolled international students. Over half of the universities surveyed reported rising numbers, with a third reporting a sharp increase (10% or more). A further third reported no change, while a good 10% of universities reported a decline.”
The German agency notes that commencements were also up this year, by 7% overall and with notable gains in graduate student numbers in particular.
When asked to name the most important hurdles for foreign students in Germany, survey respondents said that visa policy and visa processing was the number one issue (83% of responding universities). This was closely followed by the availability of affordable housing (75%) and costs of study/costs of living in Germany (69%). “We urgently need more affordable accommodation for students from Germany and for international students,” said DAAD President Dr Joybrato Mukherjee. “This is also essential for the continued success of Germany as a centre of business and innovation.”
The need for expanded career supports and work opportunities for international students also came through in the survey results. As Dr Mukherjee explains: “German universities are demonstrably very attractive for international students. In times of an increasingly noticeable shortage of skilled workers, we should do more in science, business, and society to open up career prospects in Germany for young people who come here from all over the world to study.”
Even so, the German government, in collaboration with higher education institutions around the country, has introduced new labour force transition supports for foreign students within the past year. Those initiatives include a funding commitment of up to €120 million through 2028 in order to smooth the transition to work for foreign graduates.
After worrying international enrolment trends in 2024, UK universities look poised for a better year beginning with the January 2025 intake. That outlook is informed by some advance data from service providers such as the student recruitment platform Enroly and enrolment services specialist UniQuest.
According to reports in Times Higher Education, international student deposits made through Enroly for the January 2025 intake are 27% higher than last year, and issuances of acceptance letters are up 14%. This is uplifting news especially since student visa applications in the first three quarters of 2024 were down 16% compared with the previous year.
Separate data from UniQuest also confirms international students’ renewed interest in the UK. UniQuest reviewed more than 40,000 applications for the January 2025 intake and found that firm acceptances (i.e., students who have said a definite yes to their offers) are up by 31% over 2024. Indian acceptances grew by 11%, and Pakistani acceptances jumped by 91%.
UK gained at the end of a year where Canada and Australia struggled
A Fall 2024 ApplyBoard pulse survey conducted among international student counsellors in 40 countries offered an early indication of a rebound. In that survey, the UK emerged as the second most attractive destination after the US, ahead of Australia and Canada. Australia and Canada were in the news all year for their respective governments’ efforts to curb international student numbers.
ApplyBoard notes: “With student interest towards destinations like Canada and Australia falling, UK institutions—and specifically UK universities—have an opportunity to reverse year-over-year declines and make 2025 a year of growth.”
Speaking to The Guardian in September 2024, Professor Max Lu, vice-chancellor of the University of Surrey, said that UK universities were greatly benefitting from the welcoming tone set by education secretary Bridget Phillipson. Less than a month into her new role in the Labour government, Ms Phillipson delivered a speech in which she declared that international students were valuable contributors to the UK. Prof Su said:
“I’ve had feedback from our agents, in China, India and south and south-east Asian markets. All the agents’ feedback has been very positive, and it’s been very well received.
I got a briefing from my director of admissions saying that international postgraduate conversion rates have gone up. I can pay a tribute to our secretary of state, Bridget Phillipson, because her message was widely publicised internationally, that international students are welcome, they contribute not only economically but also culturally and to diversity and everything else.”
Some source regions are up, some are down
According to the Enroly data, the rebound is being driven by students from East Africa (84% more deposits), West Africa (+27%), and South Asia (31%). Strong growth markets include Kenya, Nigeria, and Nepal. Deposits were down by over 30%, however, from students in the Middle East and East Asia.
In January 2024, the former Sunak government terminated international students’ ability to bring dependants if students are pursuing master’s-taught courses. It is likely no coincidence that in contrast to other types of programmes, deposits for master’s-taught courses are off slightly compared with last year. Otherwise, deposits were up 15% for postgraduate research programmes (which do allow dependants), and 7% for undergraduate programmes (which have never been tied to the ability to bring dependants).
Youth population: Two-thirds of the population is under 30
Median age: 20.5
GDP: US$375 billion (2024)
Currency: Pakistan rupee (PKR)
Official languages: English and Urdu
Main language of instruction: English (especially in private schools) and Urdu (especially in public schools).
English proficiency: “Low” according to the EF Proficiency Index, and 10th of 23 countries in Asia.
Religion: Islam
Geography: Pakistan is in South Asia. It shares borders with Iran to the west, Afghanistan to the northwest and north, China to the northeast, and India to the east and southeast.
Outbound students: Over 100,000
Preferred destinations: UK, China, UAE, Australia, US, Malaysia
Top student cities: Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Peshawar
Pakistan is becoming an increasingly valuable recruiting ground for educators in leading destinations. A large segment of high-school and college-aged Pakistani students are interested in study abroad, and nearly half of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 20.
Market fundamentals
The market fundamentals are in some ways very strong. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pakistan’s youth demographic is the largest in the world. Nearly two-thirds of the population is under the age of 30.
Pakistan is third, after only China and India, in terms of the size of its college-aged population. The British Council expects growth in Pakistani outbound mobility to be among highest in the world over the next decade, along with China, India, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.
Unfortunately, Pakistan is also a country where there is massive income inequality and limited opportunities for youth. The Commonwealth’s Youth Development Index for 2023 found that in South Asia, Pakistan is one of two countries that ranks “low.” WENR has written:
“Failure to integrate the country’s legions of youngsters into the education system and the labour market could turn population growth into what the Washington Post called a ‘disaster in the making … putting catastrophic pressures on water and sanitation systems, swamping health and education services, and leaving tens of millions of people jobless’—trends that would almost inevitably lead to the further destabilisation of Pakistan’s already fragile political system.”
Pakistan’s gross tertiary enrolment (GER) ratio was only 13% in 2023, according to UNESCO. This is much lower than in India, and lower than in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well. Of 109 countries UNESCO profiled in 2021, Pakistan’s tertiary GER was 100th. Given Pakistan’s huge college-aged population, there is serious unmet demand for higher education.
There are currently 4.5 million Pakistani students in secondary education (grades 9–10), and 2.5 million in upper-secondary education (grades 11–12). More than 25 million children aged 5–16 are “out-of-school” (36% of the cohort’s total population, a proportion similar to that in Nigeria).
Far more girls than boys do not complete school for a range of factors, including poverty and traditional views about the role of women. The literacy rate is 68% for adult men and 46% for adult women.
Regional disparities and opportunities
A Pakistani student’s access to education depends greatly on their household income, gender, and region. Just over a third (36%) of the population lives in cities, where there is more wealth and literacy, and where more schools are considered “functional.” In the poorest areas, many schools lack running water, plumbing, and electricity.
In an excellent report published in 2024 focused on regional opportunities in Pakistan, the British Council considers that, at the city level:
“Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad will continue to provide the bulk of outbound students simply because of their population size. Second-tier cities, however, are proliferating. Faisalabad is large and fast-growing. Peshawar has begun to emerge as the next major city for outbound students….
Second-tier smaller cities are also seeing strong growth in demand for study abroad, especially in the Punjab (Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Multan). Their economic growth lies in their connection to the bigger metropolitan areas, with a four or five-hour drive seen as an acceptable connection time. Important and growing industries in these second-tier cities mean that families have money to pay for education. Hence, industry growth has been matched by rapidly growing education provision. Large private school networks are also spreading out from the major cities to the smaller ones. These feed students directly into higher education.”
Further, students prefer certain destinations depending on where they live in the country:
“Punjab, the largest and most populated region in Pakistan, is the largest contributor to student mobility to the UK. The UK has consistently been the top study destination, mainly through strong family connections with many fourth-generation families having well-established businesses in UK cities. Many political and business leaders of Pakistan from the region have also studied in the UK.
In Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, students mainly choose between the UK, North America and Australia. Often, the UK is not the top destination choice.
Pakistan’s south region has the smallest population and includes Karachi and a few smaller cities. Students from this region mainly choose the US as a study destination.”
Outbound mobility trends
Leading destinations are all recording significant increases in Pakistani enrolments, and demand is especially high for postgraduate studies. Successive governments of Pakistan have slashed educational budgets, and one implication has been the closure of many graduate programmes, which is driving outbound mobility at this level.
Recent data on which destinations are hosting the most Pakistani students include:
UK: 34,690 in 2022/23 (+50% y-o-y)
China: 28,000 before the pandemic
UAE: 24,865 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Australia: 23,380 in 2023 (+49%)
US: 10,165 in 2022/23 (+16%)
Germany: 8,210 in 2022/23 (+22%)
Kyrgyzstan: 6,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Malaysia: 5,000 in 2023
Canada: 4,750 in 2023 (+101%)
Turkey: 2,385 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden, Qatar: At least 4,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Malaysian institutions are currently recruiting intensively in Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia has been increasing its scholarships for Pakistani students.
Meanwhile, educators in Canada, the US, and UK understand that while Chinese and Indian demand for study abroad remains high, it can be easily disrupted by immigration policies and geopolitics. It is worth noting that:
ApplyBoard found that January to June 2024, Pakistani student demand for the UK grew by over 30% compared to the same period in 2023.
Studyportals found that Pakistan was second only to India in terms of growth in demand for study abroad between 2022 and 2024 and that its share of enrolments, among the top-five student sending markets, is trending upward.
Trend in share of total enrolments for the top five origin countries, 2019–2023. Pakistan and India are trending upward in terms of enrolments abroad. Source: Studyportals
Transnational education
Thousands of Pakistanis are currently pursuing foreign degrees online, and they may soon be able to study for these degrees in-person in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) launched a revised transnational education policy in September 2024 that opens the door for foreign branch campuses. According to Times Higher Education:
“Under the policy, foreign institutions can offer degree programmes in Pakistan if they are among the 700 top-ranked universities in the world. There are also specific requirements around local contexts, with institutions required to ‘strictly comply with and respect the constitutional provisions, local laws, and the ideology of Pakistan.’”
The British Council reports that “HESA data show that 11,715 students in Pakistan are taking UK qualifications through transnational education, with most choosing distance and online models.”
Middle-class pressures
After slowing in 2023 (following devastating floods in 2022), the Pakistani economy has recovered somewhat, and the Pakistani rupee has stabilised a bit relative to the US dollar. The agricultural sector was the main reason for growth, up 6% in 2024 compared with overall GDP growth of 2.5%. But the situation remains difficult, as you can see in the following chart from KPMG comparing economic indicators in Pakistan and India in 2024 versus 2023.
Middle-class pressures
After slowing in 2023 (following devastating floods in 2022), the Pakistani economy has recovered somewhat, and the Pakistani rupee has stabilised a bit relative to the US dollar. The agricultural sector was the main reason for growth, up 6% in 2024 compared with overall GDP growth of 2.5%. But the situation remains difficult, as you can see in the following chart from KPMG comparing economic indicators in Pakistan and India in 2024 versus 2023.
Pakistan’s economy is more fragile than India’s. Source: KPMG
A 2017 estimate by Pakistani market research firm Aftab Associates put 40% of Pakistanis in the middle class, up substantially from previous years. But this proportion may be shrinking.
The middle class is shaky and dynamic due to a lack of internal structural stability in the economy. Pakistan is incredibly dependent on loans and other packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and allies such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, and China. For the 24th time, the IMF approved a new loan in September 2024 in an “ongoing effort to strengthen macroeconomic stability, address deep structural challenges, and create conditions for a stronger, more inclusive, and resilient growth.”
In the meantime, Pakistanis are struggling due to persistently high inflation rates and currency fluctuations.
“The lower middle class has been really hit in the last few years,” Javaid Ghani, pro vice chancellor at Karachi’s Al Ghazali University, told the Wall Street Journal earlier this year. Many households “are struggling to hold on to the markers of a middle-class life as they are buffeted by higher food and energy prices.”
Pakistan’s independent newspaper, The Friday Times, featured an article in August 2024 that explained how current economic trends affect students aiming to study abroad:
“One of the primary challenges Pakistani students face in their quest to study abroad is financial affordability. Tuition fees, living expenses, and currency exchange rates often present insurmountable barriers for many Pakistani families because the value of the Pakistani Rupee has sunk to such depths that a single US dollar (August 7, 2024) costs around Rs278.5. Because of these circumstances, even the wealthiest people in Pakistan are forced to lead modest lives in developed countries. Managing spending becomes extremely challenging as the Pakistani currency’s value has diminished by more than 100%.”
When they undertake a cost analysis, Pakistani students find that overseas university tuition is surprisingly and excessively expensive. The ordinary Pakistani cannot afford the cost of international flights, rent, food, and transportation. In a developed foreign country, one can only purchase a cup of coffee with a monthly wage of Rs12,000 in Pakistan.”
As difficult as study abroad may be to afford, many families remain determined to secure a quality higher education for their children abroad, driven by a sense of hopelessness about opportunities in Pakistan. An Ipsos poll conducted in the summer of 2024 found that only 1 in 10 Pakistanis believe their country is headed in the right direction.
Muhammad Khan, a restaurant manager in the northern city of Rawalpindi who turns his fridge off in the day and works two jobs but who still cannot make ends meet, told the Wall Street Journal:
“The lower middle class, like us, is now just posing as white collar. Honestly, we are in the poor class now. Seeing the political situation, I have no hope.”
Private schools
Where there is hope, however, is in Pakistan’s thousands of private schools. These have ballooned from 3,000 in 1982 to 137,000+ in 2024. Almost half of Pakistani children attend private schools – many of them from lower-income households.
A fascinating study by researchers at Harvard explores what is behind the popularity of Pakistan’s for-profit, non-religious, fully autonomous private schools. It investigates why middle-class and poorer families are able to send their children to these schools, and finds:
“The key element in their rise is their low fees. They hire predominantly local, female, and moderately educated teachers who have limited alternative opportunities outside the village. Hiring these teachers at low cost allows the savings to be passed on to parents through low fees ….
At the time of writing, a typical private school in a village in Pakistan charged a fee of Rs. 1,000 per year (roughly $18). The countrywide data analyzed shows that fees are low for all the provinces in Pakistan, as well as within rural and urban regions within each province. The analysis shows that in rural areas, the median annual fee roughly translates to $1.50 a month, or less than—much less than a dime a day. Thus, these schools’ fees are affordable even for someone living at the dollar-a-day poverty line established as a global benchmark.”
The researchers also note that affordability does not mean lower quality:
“Despite lower levels of education and training, lower salaries in private schools do not imply lower educational quality. Because private schools are held accountable by parents, who may monitor teacher behavior and can withdraw their children if performance is poor, private schools have full incentives to hire the best available teachers who then exert high effort. Indeed, teacher absenteeism rates appear to be lower and student test scores higher in many private schools as compared to government schools.”
Government support for study abroad
The number of universities in Pakistan has been rising quickly, but quality is a major issue, as is government interference and underfunding. There are over 200 universities and 3,000 degree colleges (which are similar to community colleges) across the country.
To counter domestic higher education issues, the government supports study abroad, not least because personal remittances from Pakistanis abroad compose a significant portion of GDP (over 8% in 2022). The UN says. “The substantial share of remittances highlights the importance of the Pakistani migrant community abroad in the economic development and stability of the country.”
Key motivations for students
Pakistani students are first and foremost interested in accessing a high-quality foreign degree to enhance their career prospects. Affordability is a major concern – and so scholarships are much sought-after. Similarly, the ability to work during studies and post-study work opportunities can make the difference in decision-making about where to go. Source: https://monitor.icef.com/2024/10/market-snapshot-international-student-recruitment-in-pakistan/
The Australian Department of Home Affairs has announced the recommencement of Evidence Level updates under the Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF), with the latest changes effective from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM AEDT today. This update follows the temporary pause announced in September 2024 and is based on visa outcomes from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024.
The new updates aim to reward education providers demonstrating improved performance while ensuring integrity within Australia’s student visa program. Adjustments will support genuine education providers to prepare for semester 1 of 2025, with country-specific Evidence Levels also being revised.
Key Highlights of the Update
Improved Performance: Providers showing better Evidence Level ratings will advance in Evidence Levels.
Addressing Decline: Providers with deteriorating Evidence Level ratings will be downgraded, except those in higher education, schools, and public vocational education and training sectors, which remain paused at their current levels.
Monitoring Integrity: The Department will closely monitor outcomes and may implement further interim changes if inappropriate recruitment practices are detected.
Context and Trends
Student visa applications for the first quarter of 2024-25 have decreased by 28% compared to the same period last year, with 99,868 applications lodged compared to 112,605 in 2018-19. Encouragingly, some offshore markets are seeing improved visa application quality and lower refusal rates. However, refusal rates for older onshore applications have risen due to stricter integrity measures and the introduction of the Genuine Student test.
Ongoing Engagement and Support
The Department has committed to expanding communication with the education sector and recently announced workshops on recruiting genuine students. These workshops have seen substantial interest from education providers.
Providers are encouraged to submit high-quality, decision-ready visa applications to facilitate timely processing for the 2025 academic year.
About Evidence Levels
Evidence Levels, updated biannually in March and September, reflect adverse immigration outcomes such as visa refusals and cancellations. These updates guide the financial and English language requirements for student visa applicants. The Department stresses the shared responsibility among education providers, migration agents, and students to maintain the integrity of Australia’s international education sector.
Routine Evidence Level updates are scheduled to resume in March 2025, with ongoing monitoring ensuring the program aligns with trends in visa outcomes and recruitment practices.
The Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) recently introduced two new initiatives aimed at supporting overseas-born nursing and midwifery graduates and applicants in the skills assessment process.
Gradready: Fast-Tracking Modified Skills Assessment Launched on November 8, 2024, the Gradready initiative allows overseas-born nursing and midwifery graduates who have completed their education in Australia to apply for a Modified Skills Assessment as soon as they finish their course requirements. With Gradready, applicants can enter the ANMAC queue for assessment while they await registration from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Once AHPRA registration is granted, the assessment process with ANMAC can be quickly finalized, expediting pathways to professional practice.
Gradready Eligibility Requirements:
Applicants must have submitted an AHPRA registration application and will need to provide their application date in the Modified Assessment form.
Applicants must be residing in Australia.
Please note that while the Modified Assessment application can be submitted, it will not be finalized until ANMAC receives the official AHPRA certificate of registration.
GuideME: Expert Guidance for Applicants Another recent launch, on November 1, 2024, the GuideME initiative offers personalized support for applicants, migration agents, and employers navigating the skills assessment process. For a fee of $195 AUD, individuals can schedule a 30-minute phone consultation with an ANMAC expert, gaining valuable, tailored insights to enhance their application readiness and compliance.
For more information on both initiatives, visit the ANMAC website.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Statistics New Zealand have announced that while they will continue to maintain comparability, each country will now introduce their own tailored occupational classifications. This move marks a shift from the joint Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) established in 2006.
What’s Changing?
Australia will introduce the new Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA), 2024, with the first version being released on 6 December 2024.
New Zealand will implement its tailored list starting 20 November 2024, designed to better reflect its modern labour market.
A Unified Approach with Individual Focus Australian Statistician Dr. David Gruen and New Zealand Government Statistician Mr. Mark Sowden have emphasised the importance of maintaining Trans-Tasman and international comparability while also adapting to each country’s evolving labour markets.
What This Means:
For Australia: The new classification will be tailored to the needs of the Australian labour market, ensuring that local changes are accurately represented while still supporting Trans-Tasman data comparisons.
For New Zealand: The new list will reflect the country’s unique labour market dynamics while maintaining crucial comparability with Australia.
The agencies will develop concordances to map between classifications, ensuring data continuity and consistent time-series analysis across both countries.
The Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) will commence operation on Monday, 14 October 2024 and it will replace the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). To assist with the transition the Administrative Review taskforce have developed a factsheet which provides information about the new Tribunal and what it means for people who are seeking review of decisions, or have current matters in the AAT. Members are encouraged to distribute the factsheet to their clients and colleagues. Download the factsheet.
On 27 September 2024, the Migration Institute of Australia (MIA) made an announcement regarding legislative updates. These updates included important information about State nomination updates.as following:
ACT Skilled migration nomination invitation round
ACT held a skilled migration nomination invitation round on 19 September 2024.
During this round, a total of 68 nominations were issued for the Subclass 190 visa, and 62 nominations were issued for the Subclass 491 visa. Below is a detailed breakdown of the invitations provided:
Canberra residents Matrix nominating Small Business Owners Matrix submissions for Small Business Owners were not considered in this invitation round. Matrix nominating 457 / 482 visa holders 190 nominations: 12 invitations 491 nominations: 1 invitation
An update from The Tasmanian skilled migration webpage on 26 September 2024 included important details about the requirements and processes for Sc 190 and Sc 491 skilled migration nominations, applications, and Registrations of Interest (ROI) as follow:
Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa: Nominations – 360 of 2100 places used Nomination applications lodged but not decided – 211 Invitations to apply for nomination issued but not yet accepted – 100 Registrations of interest on hand – 402
Skilled Work Regional (subclass 491) visa: Nominations – 104 of 760 places used Nomination applications lodged but not decided – 81 Invitations to apply for nomination issued but not yet accepted – 45 Registrations of interest on hand – 386
Australia Unveils New International Student Profiles for 2025
Australian higher education providers have released updated international student profiles for 2025, outlining key attributes and academic backgrounds of prospective students. These profiles aim to help institutions attract a diverse global student body and strengthen Australia’s position as a top education destination.
For further details, a full proposal is available as a downloadable PDF.
The Australian Government has announced that a National Planning Level will apply to the international education and training sector from 2025.
On 27 August 2024, the Australian Government announced that a National Planning Level (NPL) will put limits on the growth of international student programs each year. For 2025, new student commencement numbers for Australia’s universities will be set at around 2023 levels.
Why has an NPL been put in place?
Australia remains a top study destination globally and there have been large increases in the number of students choosing to study in Australia in recent years.
A new NPL will help Australia’s education and training providers to manage this growth. It will also help to ensure that providers can continue to deliver high-quality programs, offer comprehensive student support services and best prepare their students for future employment in their chosen career.
What are the numbers?
National Planning Level limits will apply from 1 January 2025, with a total of 270,000 new international student commencements for the 2025 calendar year. This does not include enrolments or offers. It is the actual number of international students starting a course. If a student starts a second course at the same provider, also in calendar year 2025, it will not be counted under that year’s planning limit.
From 1 January 2025, new commencements will be divided between Higher Education and VET:
Public universities will have a total of around 145,000 commencements.
Private universities and NUHEPs will have around 30,000.
VET providers will have around 95,000.
This means that most public universities in Australia will be able to enrol more new international students in 2025 than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Some universities will even welcome more new students in 2025 than in 2024.
Who is not affected?
Current international students will not be affected by these changes.
Other student cohorts that will not be affected by the NPL also include:
International students enrolled at an Australian provider or partner provider campus around the world, studying an Australian transnational education (TNE) or twinning program
School students
Higher degree by research students
‘Standalone’ ELICOS students
Non-award, including Study Abroad and Exchange students
Australian Government sponsored (and partner sponsored) scholars
Australia values and welcomes international students
International students from all over the world are welcomed and valued in Australia. International students bring new ideas and skills to our society, diverse perspectives to our classrooms and communities, and sought-after talent to Australia’s workforce.
There are many benefits to studying in a smaller student city in Australia. One advantage can be a cheaper cost of living compared to larger cities.
There are incredible benefits to studying in smaller student cities in Australia (also known as regional cities or centres). But it’s not just the relaxed lifestyle, unique environments and friendly communities in smaller cities that attract many international students each year. There are also some financial advantages.
If you’re thinking of studying in Australia, here’s a guide to help you understand how much your everyday life might cost if you choose a smaller city.
What are the smaller cities of Australia?
n general terms, smaller cities and major towns are those located outside of Australia’s major cities (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane).
The map below shows all the places across Australia where you can study:
The Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs have created categories for the cities of Australia. This serves as a guide for the different incentives that are offered for studying in smaller cities and regional centres. For example, one of these incentives is additional post study work rights.
Cost of living
Some smaller student cities will have a similar cost of living to the major cities. But most do have more affordable rental accommodation, transport and entertainment options.
The cost of groceries won’t change too much from city to city across Australia, especially if you shop at one of the major supermarkets that operates nationally. However, you can usually find local markets with cheaper fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products.
How to research the cost of living in smaller cities
It’s very important to understand how much it costs to live in Australia so that you can plan to have enough money while you study.
1. Get an estimate of your salary
Start by working out how much money you could earn by working while you study, in line with your student visa conditions. Here are some ways to get an estimate of your potential earnings:
Go to a job search site such as SEEK.com and look at part-time and casual jobs that you could do when studying. Some ads will offer a salary guide.
You can only work up to 48 hours in a fortnight during study terms and semesters (unlimited during study breaks).
That’s why it’s important to come to Australia with some savings.
2. Use the Cost of Living Calculator
You can get an estimate of the cost of living in the major regional cities (Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Darwin and Hobart) using our Cost of living calculator. The major cities (Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney) are also included in this tool so you can compare costs with some of the smaller student cities.
Check out the websites for major grocery stores in Australia such as Coles, Aldi and Woolworths to get an idea of how much your weekly groceries would cost.
5. Compare accommodation costs
When choosing where to study, accommodation is one of the most important considerations. The good news is that smaller student cities often have a wider variety of housing options and less competition for rental accommodation.
Start your education journey to Australia today. Use our Course Search tool to look at courses in the smaller cities. You can also use our university list as a guide.
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