Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
9th Feb 2012

Chinese enrolments down but Australia works to reverse the tide

2009—only three years ago—marked the peak of Australia’s heydey as a study abroad destination country; at that time, 491,565 international students were enrolled in courses in Australia. Since then, enrolments have fallen off dramatically and Canada is increasingly contending with Australia as the third-most popular study destination for an increasing number of countries. New numbers show the bleeding has yet to be staunched: enrolment numbers from China, Australia’s biggest market, have fallen for a second year by roughly 15 percent. As big a challenge as this poses, the Australian education sector is both bracing for it and taking steps to recover. Chris Madden, Griffith University pro-vice-chancellor international told the newspaper The Australian that "most institutions have budgeted for a significant downturn." Experts agree that it will take years for enrolments to bounce back, but important measures are already in process. For one, the changes suggested by Michael Knight in what is referred to as the Knight Report (2011) are beginning to be implemented. These include streamlining student visa and admission requirements, and improving post-study work rights for international students. At the same time, the government has published an International Students Strategy for Australia that aims to improve the wellbeing and protection of international students. The recently released Nuffic report, International student recruitment: policies and developments in selected countries, details some of the measures being introduced:

“… a student safety guide has been published, higher education providers are required to implement a student safety plan … a strategy is being developed to engage international students with local communities … international students will receive better information on study options … and international students have been given improved access to complaints and appeals procedures.”

The positive effects of easing student visa requirements, making it easier to work post-study, and improving the experience and safety of international students will likely take time to be felt but are important long-term strategies for the recovery of the Australian international education sector. If the Australian education sector faces challenges, the country’s tourism sector received some positive news this week: applications for working holidays in Australia are up by a significant 14.1%. The Working Holiday Maker Visa Program Report notes that much of this growth stems from outside traditional sources, countries like Hong Kong, Italy, Taiwan, Ireland, and Japan.

Most Recent

  • Language travel sector leaders call for a focus on value amid persistent discount pressure Read More
  • Canada: List of non-degree college programmes linked to post-study work rights has changed Read More
  • US administration revives proposal to limit terms of student visas Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

Language travel sector leaders call for a focus on value amid persistent discount pressure A June 2025 forum convened by ALTO (Association of Language Travel Organisations) confirmed that price discounting in language...
Read more
Canada: List of non-degree college programmes linked to post-study work rights has changed The Canadian government is continuing its policy of linking eligibility for a post-study work permit (PGWP) – at...
Read more
US administration revives proposal to limit terms of student visas The Trump administration has given notice of a proposed rule change that seeks to limit the term for...
Read more
How have changes in policy settings impacted international student recruitment at Australian universities? Over the past couple of years, Australian universities have been operating within a policy framework that makes it...
Read more
ICEF Podcast: Together for transparency – Building global standards for ethical international student recruitment Listen in as ICEF’s Craig Riggs and Martijn van de Veen recap some of the latest news and...
Read more
New analysis sounds a note of caution for UK immigration reforms Within the UK’s higher education system, there are a group of institutions known as “Post-1992 universities”. The term...
Read more
US warns of expanded travel ban that could affect key African markets “The United States is considering restricting entry to citizens of an additional 36 countries in what would be...
Read more
Breaking: US resumes student visa processing On 18 June, the US State Department sent a cable to all US diplomatic posts abroad instructing them...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links