Among the top sources for international students across the globe, the competition has been high between students from India and China, with China leading in some of the top study abroad destinations. However, Indian students have switched the tides and become the largest international student cohort in Victoria, Australia.
The Age, an Australian media outlet, reported that India contributed a quarter of the 96,700 international student visa holders in Victoria, which was subsequently followed by China with 19% and Nepal with 7%.
The Age reported that Chinese students comprised 25% of the entire international student population in Victoria as of March 2020, where Indian followed close by with 24%. After being closed off to the outside world for nearly two years, Victorias international student population rose from 68,400 in December 2021 to 96,300 in March 2022.
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International education stakeholders have bid over different reasons leading to the decline of the Chinese students in the state, with some attributing geopolitical tensions, strict travel restrictions in the home country itself and many more.
According to data from the Department of Home Affairs, nearly 57% of the Chinese student visa holders are currently stuck outside Australian borders, meanwhile, only 9% of the Indian student visa holders were reported to be outside the borders, reported The Age.
The growth in international student numbers was not just a coincidence. The federal government introduced a number of attractions to bring in international students, which included waiving off the AUD 630 Australian student visa application fee as well as temporarily removing the 40-hour per fortnight work hour limit, at least until next month.
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Nevertheless, official international student enrolment figures will roll out after the higher education census due March 31. Despite this, La Trobe highlighted that over 1,000 new students started studying this semester, which was well above [their] expectations while doubling the previous years figures. Meanwhile, Melbourne University saw a spike of 2,000 international students to 23,000 as compared to the figures as seen in 2021 end.
Source: The Age
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