The Australian government has recently adjusted its international student visa policy through administrative means to alleviate immigration pressure and balance the allocation of educational resources, but this move has sparked widespread controversy in the education and legal communities. On December 19, 2024, Australian Minister of Education Claire officially issued Ministerial Order 111 (MD111), replacing the controversial MD107 policy and indirectly controlling the number of international students through a visa approval priority mechanism. According to the MD111 policy, the immigration department will implement graded processing of visa applications based on the completion of international student enrollment quotas by various educational institutions in 2025. When the enrollment of colleges reaches the quota threshold of 80%, subsequent applications will shift from "high priority" to "standard priority", and the approval speed will significantly slow down. This move aims to guide students towards regional and small to medium-sized institutions, avoiding excessive concentration of high-quality educational resources in top universities such as the "Eight Major Leagues".
The previous MD107 policy resulted in a sharp decline in international students from regional universities due to prioritizing visa applications from "low-risk" institutions (such as the Eight Major Leagues) and students from specific countries. Although the new policy eliminates the direct classification of institutional risk levels, it indirectly restricts the enrollment scale of popular universities through quota thresholds. For example, prestigious universities such as the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales expect a 15% decrease in international student numbers by 2025 compared to 2023.
Education Minister Claire stated that MD111 aims to achieve a "fairer and more efficient" visa approval system, balancing urban and rural education resources. Finance Minister Gallagher admitted that the government had originally planned to set a limit on the number of international students through legislation, but was unable to pass it due to opposition obstruction, so it turned to administrative measures such as "curved salvation".
However, the legitimacy of the policy has been questioned by multiple parties. Former Deputy Director of the Australian Immigration Department, Rizvi, pointed out that the government's deliberate delay in visa approval to control the number of people is "suspected of illegal", as the law clearly requires timely processing of all offshore applications. Educational institutions are concerned that the implementation details of quotas are vague, and the remaining 20% of visa processing cycles are not yet clear, which may exacerbate uncertainty for international students.
The impact of the new policy on the study abroad market has gradually become apparent. In the fiscal year 2023-2024, the number of visas issued to Australian higher education students decreased by approximately 60000 compared to the same period last year. According to the analysis of intermediary agencies, students applying to popular universities need to submit materials 3-4 months in advance, and visa approval for selecting regional universities or specific majors (such as TAFE and research-oriented courses) will be faster. In addition, potential adjustments to the working hours and immigration paths of international students, especially those planning to stay in Australia for development after graduation, have also attracted attention.
The Australian Universities Federation supports the abolition of MD107, but warns that frequent policy adjustments will damage the reputation of international education. We need a stable framework, not a sacrifice for short-term political games, "said Lu Xiyi, CEO of the institution.
Although the government emphasizes that MD111 is not a 'hard cap', the practice of regulating enrollment through approval speed is seen by public opinion as an 'implicit restriction'. As the 2025 enrollment season approaches, international students and educational institutions are closely monitoring policy implementation details, including quota dynamic update mechanisms, dispute resolution channels, and more. The analysis points out that whether Australia can find a balance between controlling immigration pressure and maintaining competitiveness in the education industry will be the key to testing the success or failure of the new policy.
(Editer：admin)
