Australia: Impact of more restrictive visa settings reflected in latest student sentiment survey

An annual survey of international students in Australia finds that while overall student sentiments remain positive, concerns around cost of living and visa rule changes are having an impact on students' perspectives of this top study destination.

The fifth edition of the International Student Survey was released recently by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). It was conducted over a three-week period in November and December 2024 and gathered responses from nearly 2,300 current students.

The overall finding is that student sentiment remains positive, with respondents rating their feeling towards Australia, on average, as a 7 out of 10. This represents a marginal decline from 2023, but essentially that key indicator is holding steady.

The survey drilled down to explore what factors are showing the most movement, in terms of either positive or negative sentiment. The factors that showed the most improved sentiment from the previous year were "safe and secure living and learning" (where 51% of respondents said that their perceptions had improved), and "welcoming to international students," with 48% reporting improvement.

In contrast, nearly half (45%) said that their perceptions had worsened with respect to "potential for future residency/immigration" and 33% said the same of the prospects for "graduate career opportunities." Austrade notes that both were "potentially heavily influenced by changes to post study work rights policies between the 2023 and 2024 surveys, including new younger age limits for stay and work periods."

Those high-level findings are reinforced elsewhere in the survey. Among respondents who reported that their feelings toward Australia had worsened, the two most common factors were cost of living (cited by 73% whose perception had weakened) and changes to visa conditions (70%).

But student satisfaction was also buoyed by students who reported more positive feelings towards Australia because they felt more comfortable in the country over time (58%), had made new friends and connections (53%), and were having a good study experience (50%).

The annual survey asks students to rate their areas of greatest concern when studying in Australia. In 2024, there was a slight easing of concern in some key areas, including financial pressures. "Accommodation issues" remained a top concern in 2024, but notably fewer students cited it compared to 2023. One in five respondents (20%) said they found it "extremely difficult" to find appropriate housing, and 31% said it was "quite difficult." This compares to the 24% and 34%, respectively, who reported the same in 2023 – which amounts to a 7% drop in the number of students reporting real difficulty in finding housing.

Austrade adds that a relative easing of concerns around financial and housing issues "may reflect a slowly improving economic situation in Australia, which flows through to the experience of international students."

Nearly six in ten (58%) reported taking some kind of action to manage financial pressures, ranging from reducing purchases of textbooks or other study materials to avoiding entertainment expenses to accessing charitable assistance. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the continuing concern around costs of living, more than half (54%) said they would work more hours if they were allowed to do so.

For additional background, please see:

• "Australia and Canada: Rising to the challenge of new immigration policies"
• "Australia revives international enrolment caps via new ministerial directive"
• "Australia: New Migration Strategy ushers in tougher requirements for international students"