Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
8th Feb 2022

Tens of thousands of international students return to Australia

Short on time? Here are the highlights:
  • More than 56,000 international students have returned as of 30 January
  • Another 50,000 student visa applications have been filed
  • There is a new website designed for agents referring students to Australia

International students are flocking back to Australia: more than 56,000 have arrived since November 2021 – and 7,000 of those arrived between 23 January and 30 January 2022 alone. In addition, pent-up demand among foreign students to study in Australia appears to be very strong: since late 2021, 50,000 student visa applications have been filed.

These robust numbers are in part due to the government’s announcement last month that international students would have their visa application fees refunded if they arrived between 19 January 2022 and 22 March 2022.

“Visa grants to international students are flowing as a result of the Minister directing the Department to allocate additional resources to processing the visas of International Students,” adds a recent statement from the Department of Home Affairs.

Speaking with ABC News, Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson called the numbers “promising” but noted that there are still thousands more students waiting to be able to study in the country:

“Before COVID, there were about 400,000 international students, since COVID it's been about 300,000. So we've got some numbers to make up.”

In a related development, the government has just announced that Australia’s borders will open up to all fully vaccinated travellers as of 21 February 2022.

Sector needs rebuilding

The hope is for a rapid recovery for the international educator sector, which in 2019 contributed over AUS$40 billion to the wider economy – twice as much as in 2015. The industry, from universities to schools to ELICOS providers, has been severely impacted by Australia’s border closure through 2020 and 2021, which lasted much longer than was the case in most other leading destinations around the world. The Australia Institute has reported that by September 2021, one-fifth of university workers (approximately 40,000 people) – had lost their jobs in the pandemic.

Looking for a long-term approach

Even as the government is rolling out incentives to hasten the return of international students, experts warn that an extended “welcome mat” will be needed in the long term. Writing in The Conversation, Nancy Arthur, Dean of Research, UniSA Business, University of South Australia
said,

“As international students return to Australia, the welcome mat needs to stay out longer. It matters how we support them, not only upon arrival, but throughout their academic programmes and as they prepare for their future employment ….The longer-term view requires strategy for supporting them as students, employees and future associates, within and beyond Australia’s borders.”

New agent website

Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) is running a campaign to attract more international students; its new “Welcome” video appears below. In addition, Study Australia has a new Partner Hub website to provide additional resources and updates for agents.

For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • Türkiye: After a decade of dramatic growth, a goal to host 500,000 international students by 2028 Read More
  • Impact study shows pursuit of new experience is a key driver for international exchange Read More
  • What is holding back brand strategy in higher education marketing? 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

Türkiye: After a decade of dramatic growth, a goal to host 500,000 international students by 2028 In the past couple of years, we have frequently referred to “alternative” destinations that are becoming more popular...
Read more
UK to implement reduced Graduate Route from January 2027 The UK Home Office has confirmed the implementation of one of the key items in its May 2025...
Read more
UK transnational education enrolments poised to surpass onshore students this decade The latest available numbers from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) tell us that there were 732,285 international...
Read more
Trump administration’s proposed deal with select US colleges includes a cap on international undergraduate enrolment Update for 21 October 2025: The administration’s 20 October deadline for responding to the proposed compact has now...
Read more
Australia introduces new integrity measures through proposed amendments to the ESOS Act Australian Minister of Education Jason Clare tabled the Education Legislation Amendment (Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 in...
Read more
Australia: With ELICOS under pressure, peak bodies push for reduction in “extortionate” visa fees The latest data from the Department of Education reveals that enrolments in Australia’s ELICOS sector (English Language Intensive...
Read more
South Korea hits its 300,000 student target two years ahead of schedule In 2023, the South Korean government announced a plan to attract 300,000 international students by 2027: 220,000 in...
Read more
Canada: Study permit numbers are in steep decline in 2025 In 2024, the first year under Canada’s current cap on new international student enrolments, the total number of...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links