The fate of the federal government’s plan to cap international student enrolments from next year remains uncertain, with the Coalition yet to confirm its support for the controversial proposal.
With only two parliamentary sitting weeks left before the year-end deadline, universities across Australia are caught in a state of flux.
Group of Eight Chief executive Vicki Thomson said in a statement earlier, “the Senate Committee is clearly split – despite compelling evidence from across the spectrum that capping international students will be a disaster on all fronts, the Government seems determined to push on and ignore the expert advice.
“Nothing the Committee has recommended by way of amendments will change the fact that a blunt cap on international students will destroy Australia’s $50 billion international education sector and have long lasting impacts on the economy. The case against caps continues to build.”
Prof. Michael S. Wesley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Melbourne, has urged the government to carefully reconsider its proposed cap on international student enrolments.
“Don’t rush into it. If we rush into it there will be immeasurable harm done to the sector.”
With the future of Australia’s higher education sector hanging in the balance, Wesley cautioned against a hasty implementation of the policy, warning that rushing into such significant changes could cause “immeasurable harm to the sector.”
Amid the ambiguity, some institutions, like the University of New South Wales, have paused 2025 applications and resorted to waitlists. Others, ABC reports, including the University of Melbourne, are proceeding with enrolments, urging students to secure their offers. This divide has triggered widespread disruption, leaving universities scrambling to finalise budgets for the upcoming academic year.
Vicki Thomson, chief executive of the Group of Eight (Go8), which represents Australia’s top research-intensive universities, told ABC that the lack of clarity is creating havoc. “Indicative caps provided by the government are meaningless without legislative backing,” she said.
“If we enrol students now and the cap is imposed retrospectively, the implications are dire.”
The government’s proposed legislation would allow Education Minister Jason Clare to set institution-specific caps on international student numbers, aiming to curb migration to pre-pandemic levels and crack down on subpar education providers. However, critics warn that the changes could jeopardise Australia’s $50 billion international education sector.
The legislation faces heated debate in the Senate on Monday, with independent Senator David Pocock tabling 18 amendments. If the bill isn’t passed by November’s end, a controversial regulation known as Ministerial Direction 107—widely criticised for favouring larger institutions—will remain in place.
Luke Sheehy, chief executive of Universities Australia, told ABC that the sector is at a crossroads. He added that the Ministerial Direction 107 has already caused a 60,000-visa shortfall in higher education this year.
“The longer this persists, the more damage it will inflict.”
Go8 universities, including the University of Sydney and the University of Queensland, collectively contribute over 70% of Australia’s university research and enrol 425,000 students annually.
Thomson warned that capping international students would disrupt the economic recovery post-COVID.
“This flawed policy threatens our ability to maintain world-class outcomes, undermining both our students’ futures and the broader economy.”
As universities brace for possible upheaval, sector leaders are calling for exemptions for public education providers and a delay in implementing the caps.
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