Australia Lifts Foreign Student Cap to 295,000, Prioritizes S-E Asia

Australia will raise its foreign student cap by 9 per cent to 295,000 in 2026 and prioritize applicants from South-east Asia, the government said on Aug 4.

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SYDNEY -

Limits on places were announced in 2024 as a way to rein in record migration that had contributed to a surge in housing prices, with 270,000 places made available for 2025.

An additional 25,000 places were being granted in 2026 as the policy was successfully bringing down "out of control" international student numbers, the government said.

"This is about making sure international education grows in a way that supports students, universities and the national interest," Education Minister Jason Clare said in a statement.

Australia granted nearly 600,000 student visas in the 2023 financial year, as international students returned to the country in record numbers following Covid-19.

Australia's largest cohorts of students come from China and India.