Australia’s new immigration-and skills-related laws for overseas education raise worries about diminished student prospects and heightened political power.

Australia’s international education policy has to be critically reevaluated. Recent major policy changes reflect the sector’s evolution to line with the nation’s economic, political, and social goals.

A number of strategy frameworks, such as the International Education and Skills strategy Framework, the Migration Strategy, and the Australian Universities Accord, define important improvements. Notwithstanding these advancements, a few crucial concerns have gone unnoticed, resulting in unexpected outcomes that demand more research.

A Reductionist Approach

International students’ hopes for permanent residency have been stoked by the multiple regulatory reforms that have connected international education to migration since 2007. For example, the foreign Education and Skills Strategic Framework specifically makes use of foreign education to meet Australia’s skills needs and further political objectives.

Paradoxically, this alignment with skills demands takes place at a time when uncertainty and increased restrictions are plaguing overseas graduates and students trying to enter the workforce and find skilled jobs while on temporary visas. Changes in legislation have a negative impact on schools and students, interfering with their future goals, career chances, and academic pursuits. Complex and drawn-out visa processes has made matters more difficult for them.

Recent policy texts have placed a strong focus on productivity, efficiency, and human capital, which highlights economic problems. These regulations demonstrate a reductionist perspective that ignores the many qualities and contributions of international graduates outside market logic, reinforcing the importance of international education in the selection of those deemed (un)welcome. This method also ignores the skill requirements in these people’s home nations and their career interests.

Political Concerns

In Australia, the conversation over foreign education has moved away from its historical emphasis on economics and towards prioritising political reasons. The sustainability of the international education sector and the welfare of international students have been jeopardized by the difficulties this shift has caused between policymakers and the industry.

The substantial contributions that international students have made to Australian education, culture, and society are overshadowed by the political and commercial forces influencing policy decisions. The Indo-Pacific area is the focal point of the Migration Strategy, which highlights the strategic objectives driving these initiatives. This strategy is reflected in the Australian University Accord’s efforts to leverage market diversity and alumni networks.

Aiming to lower net foreign migration, recent policy reforms include hiking application fees for visas and reducing the number of international students. This link to political tactics makes everything more complicated, particularly in light of impending elections.

Silenced Harms

These policies’ detrimental effects are not adequately addressed in some cases. When foreign students are held responsible for housing issues, it can exacerbate anti-immigration feelings and cast them in a negative light as housing and employment scammers. This storyline hides the reality that foreign students experience similar crises, leaving them open to xenophobia, prejudice, and exploitation.

Furthermore, laws designed to shorten the period of graduate visas in order to stop extended temporary stays neglect systemic issues including corporate biases and prejudices against temporary visa holders. Lowering the upper age at which Temporary Visas can be obtained similarly ignores the important professional and sociocultural contributions made by older, highly qualified students.

All things considered, a more critical and in-depth conversation is needed about the recent regulatory changes in Australia’s foreign education sector, as well as the intended and unexpected effects of these changes. This is especially true for international students, graduates, and education providers.