Australia has proposed to reduce international student quotas for 15 out of its 38 public universities, which includes prestigious institutions such as the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne.
An amendment to the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act has sparked this debate, whose bill is scheduled for discussion in the Australian Senate today, November 18.
If the bill is passed, it will come into effect on 1st January 2025.
This proposed legislation is not the first instance of preventive measures taken against anticipated international enrolment restrictions.
In September, the Australian Catholic University announced that it would halt international admissions for 2025 after reaching its cap. Similarly, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has decided to temporarily pause international student admissions for 2025, placing applicants on a “waiting list.” Available spots will be released gradually for programmes with remaining capacity.
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UNSW’s decision, recently published on its website, is perceived as a proactive response to the Australian Government’s plan to limit international enrolments starting in 2025, following proposed amendments to the ESOS Act, which regulates education for overseas students on student visas in Australia.
Under the new policy, UNSW is limited to enrolling 9,500 new international students, representing a 14% reduction from 2023 and a significant decrease from this year’s estimated intake of over 17,000 students.
A university spokesperson informed The PIE News that, to prevent surpassing its enrollment cap, UNSW is introducing “a waitlist for 2025 international admissions with merit-based offers to be released progressively for programs where there is still availability.”
The spokesperson for the University of New South Wales (UNSW) highlighted that demand for the university has been “unprecedented” in recent years, attributed to the quality of its programmes and its growing reputation. The spokesperson noted that without pre-emptive measures, the university “could risk exceeding the proposed cap.”
UNSW, currently ranked third in Australia, was recently placed 19th globally in the 2025 QS World University Rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds.
Australia continues to be a top destination for international students globally, and a top 10 study-abroad destination among Nigerian students according to various reports. According to the Department of Education, as of July, nearly 944,000 international students in various countries were in Australia, marking a growth of over 14% compared to the same period last year.
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