International student numbers are dropping.

Australia's international education sector has seen the number of new international students hit a decade low due to stringent visa conditions and stricter checks. 

The figures for March show that only 46,570 students arrived in the country, marking the lowest total for the month since 2014, barring the pandemic years of 2021 and 2022.

At the same time, the number of students departing Australia has surged to a five-year high, with 39,860 leaving last month, a substantial increase from 21,800 a year prior. 

The decline follows a series of reforms initiated by Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil since July last year, targeting education agents, institutions, and visa rules to eradicate rogue and criminal elements from the $40 billion export sector. 

These reforms include the abolition of the COVID-19 visa, which had allowed students to work full-time, and a prohibition on commissions for education agents assisting students to switch courses.

The reforms have led to increased scrutiny of visa applications, resulting in higher rejection rates, especially from countries like India, Nepal, and Pakistan. 

Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia, has criticised the approach, stating; “The blunt instrument of government policy is starting to work”, though he deems it an “unsatisfactory way” to manage student numbers. 

“Clearly, the various levers the government has chosen are having a negative impact on a beleaguered sector. We can only hope the push for quality students over quantity is working,” he said. 

There is ongoing debate over the implications of the March figures, with some suggesting that the reduced number of international students might be an anomaly, influenced by the 176,000 students who entered the country in February, possibly in anticipation of tighter regulations.

The government is expected to increase student visa fees in the upcoming May budget as another step to curb the influx of applications. 

Additionally, a hard cap on total student numbers is reportedly under consideration.