New Department of Home Affairs data reveals a potential 15% reduction in Australian student visa approvals for 2023/24 if the current refusal rate holds. Nearly 1 in 5 Australian study visa applications were refused in the first half of the fiscal year, marking a higher rate than in the past three years. This may result in just over 90,000 fewer students entering the country for the 2023/24 academic year.

Immigration officials attribute the decline to new policy settings aimed at deterring non-genuine students. Despite these challenges, the international education sector is on track to contribute more export revenue to the Australian economy by the end of 2023, surpassing the record value of AUS$41 billion in 2019.