Australia has announced a cap on the number of new international students at 270,000 for the calendar year 2025, with the introduction of a National Planning Level (NPL). This decision is pending the passage of legislation currently before Parliament.

According to Education Minister Jason Clare, the NPL will allocate approximately 145,000 spots for higher education, maintaining the intake at 2023 levels. This approach aims to support universities still recovering from the pandemic, particularly those facing uneven patterns of student returns. In the vocational education and training (VET) sector, around 95,000 new students will be enrolled, with institutions heavily reliant on international students receiving lower allocations to encourage diversification.

Starting in 2026, the government will urge universities to expand student housing to benefit both domestic and international students as part of their growth strategies. Non-university higher education providers and other universities will have around 30,000 new international student commencements in 2025.

Data from the Australian Education Department shows that 561,000 international students commenced studies in 2023, with figures of 388,000 in 2022 and 519,000 in 2019. The planned intake for 2025 will be the lowest in five years.

The Australian government has also noted that the number of international students at universities is now 10% higher than pre-COVID levels, while private vocational and training providers have seen a 50% increase.

In addition, the government announced in December 2023 that higher IELTS band scores and a new English test would be required starting in 2025. The Visa processing fee was also increased from July 1, marking the steepest hike in five years.