On Sunday morning, the leader of the Liberal Party announced his party will raise the student visa application fee by between 56% and 212% and cut international student numbers by 80,000.
English Australia strongly opposes these moves and the economic and social damage they would cause Australia.
These moves would cost tens of thousands of Australians their jobs. They would decimate a vital sector of the Australian economy that underpins tourism, hospitality, retail, aged-care, child-care and not to mention subsidising degrees and training for Australians.
These moves would cause severe and lasting damage to the English language teaching sector in Australia.
In 2024, the Labor government increased the student visa fee by 125%. This made it the most expensive student visa in the world. As a result, applications for student visas for study in the English language sector have fallen by 50%.
The proposal to further increase this fee by another 56% to $2,500 would be fatal for the English language teaching sector. As the average enrolment is less than 20 weeks, this application charge would be utterly disproportionate.
In response to these proposed change, English Australia has released the attached statement to the media.
We believe that, at a time when global tariffs are damaging the prospects of Australia’s primary industry export sector, the Australian economy needs more than ever to support international education, a sector not threatened by trade tariffs.
English Australia urges all those vying for election in the up-coming federal election to collaborate with the sector in developing reasoned policies that support a sustainable, high-quality international education sector.
