November YTD records a 42.3% decrease in ELICOS commencements
November 2020 YTD has delivered a 42.3% decrease in student visa holder commencements compared with November 2019 YTD. YTD figures at November 2020 show 65,035 ELICOS commencements whereas YTD numbers in November 2019 were at 112,792. The decrease continued to grow in 2020 with November marking the largest decline yet for ELICOS commencements.
November 2020’s commencements were significantly down on November 2019’s commencements (4,050 versus 11,230), reflecting the enormous impact of Covid-19. Besides Colombia (-20.8%) and South Korea (-39.0%), every country from Australia’s top-10 source countries has now declined by more than 40%. Two of Australia’s largest source markets, China and Japan, have declined by more than 50%.
ELICOS-only offshore visa lodgements down 73.% for November 2020 YTD
The dramatic fall in offshore applications totals 22,308 for independent ELICOS visa applications lodged between January 2020 and November 2020. NSW has suffered by far the largest fall with 11,929 or 67% fewer applications. Lodgements to QLD providers have also fallen severely, down 8,055 applications or 64%. VIC providers and WA colleges have also experienced severe declines with VIC down 55% (-3,427) and WA down 47% (-762) compared.
DESE release research snapshot on student commencements
The Department of Education, Skills and Employment’s snapshot looks at student commencements between July and November 2020. The Snapshot shows that ‘new’ ELICOS commencements (i.e. no previous student visa) declined 81% in the period July-November 2020 compared to the previous year (from 36,433 to 7,056), a sharper decline than either Higher Education or VET experienced. This data highlights the perilous situation facing the ELICOS sector.
ELICOS market analysis: November 2020
DET Summary Report
DET Detailed Report
