OFFICIAL
Key Brief Number: IG-02
Home Affairs Portfolio
Department of Home Affairs
Budget Estimates Hearing – May 2023
KEY BRIEF
Topic: International Students
Responsible Deputy: Stephanie Foster PSM, Associate Secretary, Immigration
Key Messages – Program Year 2022-23 to date (31 March 2023) highlights
• This program year to the end of March 2023 continues to be a record year for the student
visa program, with close to pre-pandemic level of interest for studying in Australia.
o 417,213
global student visa lodgements were the highest ever in the history of the
program compared to the same period over previous years (since 2001-02 when
reports became available).
o 428,496
student visas granted globally is the highest ever in the history of the
program compared to the same period over previous years (since 2001-02 when
reports became available).
o Several nationalities, who were amongst the existing top 10 source countries,
experienced a three digit percentage increase in visa grants (
Table 1 refers).
• Numbers of students in Australia have now returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 582,758
onshore as at 31 March 2023.
• From 1 July 2023, unrestricted work rights for student visa holders will cease, and be
replaced with a 48 hour per fortnight limit. This represents a 20 per cent increase on the
working hour cap before the pandemic.
Key Points
• 417,213 student visa applications were lodged between 1 July 2022 to 31 March 2023
made up largely by the three largest sectors being:
o 53 per cent (219,906) were for study in the Higher Education (HE) sector;
o 28 per cent (114,893) in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector; and
o 12 per cent (51,464) in the Independent English Language Intensive Courses for
Overseas Students (ELICOS) sector (
Table 2 refers).
• From 1 July 2022 to 31 March 2023, 511,149 student visa applications were finalised
globally. This is a 54.7 per cent increase when compared to the same period (pre-
pandemic) in 2019-20 (330,284 finalisations).
• As at 31 March 2023, there has been a 64 per cent decrease in the number of student visa
applications on hand when compared to 30 June 2022 (144,567 applications on hand
compared to 51,643 on 31 March 2023).
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Clearing Officer: Karin Maier, A/g FAS Immigration Programs Division
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Key Brief Number: IG-02
• In March 2023, the overall median processing time for Student visa applications across all
sectors was 15 days, compared to 40 days in July 2022 (62.5 per cent reduction).
Median processing times were:
o 41.9 per cent lower (at 18 days in March 2023 compared to 31 days in July 2022) for
the offshore student visa caseload; and
o 91.5 per cent lower (at 11 days in March 2023 compared to 130 days (4 months) in
July 2022) for the onshore student visa caseload.
• The age of the on hand student visa caseload has also dropped. At 31 March 2023,
65.6 per cent (33,857) of the student visa applications on hand were less than one month
old; and 86 per cent (44,418) were less than two months old.
• As at 31 March 2023, China (111,494), India (96,455) and Nepal (56,423) were the top
three source countries for student visa holders in Australia – accounting for 45 per cent of
the 582,758 student visa holders in Australia.
• Of the number of temporary visa holders onshore (2.4 million), students accounted for
23.9 per cent of them as at 31 March 2023.
• There has been an increase in non-genuine applicants and fraud in student visa
applications, with a corresponding decrease in the offshore student visa grant rate
compared to the same period (pre-pandemic) in 2019-20. The offshore grant rate in 2022-
23 to 31 March 2023 was:
o 51.1 per cent in the Vocation Education and Training sector (compared with 63.9 per
cent over the same period in 2019-20).
o 84.5 percent in the Higher Education sector (compared with 89.4 per cent over the
same period in 2019-20).
Key Statistics
Table 1: Student visa activity (lodged and granted) compared
(2019-20 to 31/03/2020 and 2022-23 to 31/03/2023) top 10 nationalities
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Clearing Officer: Karin Maier, A/g FAS Immigration Programs Division
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Key Brief Number: IG-02
Table 2: Student visa activity by sector: Lodgements, Grants and Grant rates :
Student visa activity by sector Financial year (months 1 July to 31 March)
Activity type
Sector
Lodged
Granted
Grant Rate
2019-20
2022-23
2019-20
2022-23
2019-20
2022-23
Foreign Affairs/Defence
3,537
3,281
3,462
3,443
99.3%
96.9%
Higher Education
180,673
219,906
153,991
224,756
92.5%
88.6%
Independent ELICOS
33,983
51,464
30,960
55,431
91.7%
92.0%
Non-Award Sector
12,111
9,212
12,398
9,938
99.6%
99.3%
Postgraduate Research
10,273
11,236
8,760
13,270
97.6%
97.8%
Schools
7,213
7,221
6,653
7,003
92.3%
93.5%
Vocational Education/Training
102,201
114,893
76,943
114,655
83.0%
77.5%
TOTAL
349,991
417,213
293,167
428,496
90.2%
86.3%
Table 3: On hand student visa applications compared
Table 4: Student visa holders in Australia by sector
Date
Sector
31/03/2023 31/03/2022 31/03/2021 31/03/2020
Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector
3,375
1,252
2,130
4,393
Higher Education Sector
331,431
181,640
192,716
330,497
Independent ELICOS Sector
41,629
5,092
4,382
22,952
Non-Award Sector
9,075
977
163
4,834
Postgraduate Research Sector
26,397
22,534
21,193
27,069
Schools Sector
11,291
7,586
10,758
17,949
Vocational Education and Training Sector
159,549
117,752
146,432
160,219
Student (Not Further Specified)
*
11
11
11
11
Grand Total
582,758
336,844
377,785
567,924
*Repealed Student (subclass 560) visa
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Clearing Officer: Karin Maier, A/g FAS Immigration Programs Division
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Handling instructions
2019-20 remains the pre-pandemic comparison period for consistency with estimates
documents prepared for 2022-23.
COVID-19 travel restrictions were implemented progressively from 1 February 2020 with a
total restriction (unless exempt) in effect from 20 March 2020.
Consultation
• The Chief Statistician has cleared the statistics contained within this brief.
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Clearing Officer: Karin Maier, A/g FAS Immigration Programs Division
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