Over the last four years, Australia has revised its immigration policies to tackle labor shortages driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and to manage the subsequent immigration increase. These adjustments have notably impacted the student population in Australia.
During the 2022-23 period, Australia approved nearly 500,000 student visas for primary applicants, marking a 40 percent rise compared to the 2018-19 figures and almost double the number from ten years ago. However, with the implementation of stricter policies, the number of student visas issued dropped to 332,000 for the 2023-24 period and is anticipated to continue declining as additional restrictions come into effect.
Students hailing from the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste have faced similar challenges. Historically, scholarships from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Department of Defence have played a key role in attracting Pacific students to Australia, supporting the growth of the Pacific student community prior to the pandemic.
During the COVID-19 crisis, relaxed restrictions on work hours provided strong financial incentives for Pacific students in the vocational education and training (VET) sector. This provision was withdrawn in July 2023, resulting in a gradual decrease in visa numbers, particularly as new financial restrictions were introduced.
Despite the overall decline, data reveals that Fiji has notably benefitted among Pacific nations, seizing opportunities during the pandemic. The number of visas awarded to Fijian primary applicants surged over five times from 2018-19 to 2022-23 and remained relatively stable in 2023-24. A majority of this increase occurred in the VET sector, while the number of students admitted to higher education more than doubled.
In comparison, Papua New Guinea and other Pacific nations, along with Timor-Leste, saw much smaller increases during the immigration wave. The proportion of student visas allotted to Papua New Guinea dropped from an average of 0.36 percent between 2010 and 2019 to just 0.23 percent in 2022-23. Similarly, the share for other Pacific nations and Timor-Leste fell from 0.25 percent to 0.18 percent.
This increased volume proved to be temporary. By the 2023-24 period, student visas granted to Papua New Guinea had fallen below the levels of 2018-19 and were significantly lower than in 2014-15. Other Pacific nations and Timor-Leste continue to heavily depend on support from the Australian Government. When excluding visas backed by DFAT and Defence, the number of student visas in 2023-24 was lower than in 2018-19, making it financially challenging for many from these regions to study in Australia.
This economic burden is why, aside from Fiji, other Pacific countries have struggled to leverage Australia’s beneficial student policies during the pandemic and are now contending with increasing pressures from stricter immigration policies. While Australian government scholarships traditionally offer reliable educational opportunities for Pacific students, the new Pacific Engagement Visa’s pathway to permanent residency, which grants access to Australian student loans and domestic tuition rates, remains limited and conditional.
Consequently, an increasing number of individuals from the Pacific are turning to alternative study destinations, primarily motivated by economic factors. Educational exchanges are vital for strengthening ties between nations and communities and serve as an effective means of enhancing soft power.
Australia must carefully consider how modifications to its student policies impact neighboring countries and take proactive steps to alleviate further disadvantages faced by those who are already underrepresented and seeking more opportunities.