Australia: A Nation or Just an International Hotel for Foreign Students? By James Reed
In the bustling corridors of Australia's universities and vocational colleges, a quiet transformation has been underway. Once celebrated as a beacon of innovation, culture, and natural beauty, the country now finds itself increasingly defined by its role as a temporary abode for hundreds of thousands of international students. The latest data from the Department of Education paints a stark picture: a record 839,200 international student enrolments in the year to June 2025, up 1.6% from the previous year and a whopping 18% higher than pre-pandemic levels. But beneath these numbers lies a deeper question, are we still a sovereign nation shaping its future, or have we become little more than a glorified hotel, renting out beds, classrooms, and visas to the highest foreign bidder?
The irony is palpable. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in a February appearance on ABC's Q&A, vowed to tackle immigration pressures on the housing crisis by curbing student visas, decrying their "abuse." Yet, under his watch, the numbers have soared. University enrolments alone hit 450,600, while vocational education and training (VET) reached 285,000. Even as English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) dipped to 64,000, the overall tide is unmistakable. The Department of Education clarifies that these enrolments come from about 740,000 unique students, many juggling multiple courses in a single year, a testament to how deeply embedded this industry has become in Australia's economy.
This isn't just about education; it's about exploitation on a national scale. International studentsprop up universities that have grown reliant on their fees to offset declining domestic funding. But at what cost? The rental market, already strained, sees young Australians priced out as temporary tenants flood the market. Student and graduate visa holders now make up 3% of the population, nearly one in 30 people, up from 2.6% pre-pandemic and double the 2012 figure. Add in 100,000 on bridging visas, and the footprint is enormous. Housing shortages aren't abstract; they're a daily reality for locals, exacerbated by policies that prioritise foreign revenue over national welfare.
The flow of new students has moderated to around 262,000 commencements, back to pre-2019 levels, but the stock, the sheer volume already here, tells a different story. Universities celebrate record highs, but this masks a vulnerability. Recent government moves, like lifting the planning cap by 25,000 to 295,000 for 2026 and easing English tests, signal no retreat. Instead, it's an invitation for more. Critics argue this turns Australia into a transient hub, where students arrive, study (or not), and often linger on graduate or bridging visas, delaying integration or return.
When the international student supermarket dominates the nation to the point of overwhelming infrastructure, housing, and even public services, we must ask if the balance has tipped. Australia risks becoming a pit stop for ambitious foreigners chasing credentials, rather than a home for its own dreamers. The hotel metaphor fits: check-in for a degree, check-out with a visa extension, and the nation foots the bill in strained resources.
It's time for a reckoning: cap the influx, invest in locals, and reclaim our identity beyond the dorms and lecture halls. Otherwise, Australia remains a dystopian hellhole.
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2025/09/international-student-enrolments-hit-record-high/
"International student enrolments hit record high
Recall that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told ABC's Q&A in February that Labor would cut immigration and relieve pressure on the rental market by reducing the number of student visas, which he said were being "abused".
"On immigration, particularly when it comes to housing, three quick points. One is that the biggest thing that you could do, area where you could reduce the amount, is in students, because some of that, frankly, was being abused", Albanese said.
The Department of Education has released international student data showing that there were a record 839,200 enrolments in the year to June 2025.
This was up around 13,400 (1.6%) from the 825,800 enrolments in 2024 and around 130,440 (18%) higher than the same time in 2019 before the pandemic.
However, the Department of Education notes that "many international students study more than one course in a reported year. So, while there were 839,199 enrolments counted in the year-to-date June 2025, these were generated by 739,843 international students".
… university enrolments hit a record high of 450,600 in the year to June 2025. VET also hit a record high of 285,000 enrolments, although they were up only marginally on 2024.
By contrast, ELICOS enrolment fell sharply to 64,000 enrolments in 2025, down from a peak of 103,100 in 2023.
While the stock of international student enrolments hit a record high, the flow of new students has moderated back to pre-pandemic levels.
There were around 262,280 international student commencements in the year to June 2025, down from last year's peak of 302,570 and broadly in line with 2019 (266,860).
University commencements hit a record high of 120,340 in the year to June, offset by a circa 20,000 decline in VET commencements and a circa 23,000 fall in ELICOS commencements.
Separate visa data for the June quarter from the Department of Home Affairs shows that the number of people in Australia on either a student or graduate visa was only marginally below all-time highs and 166,000 above pre-pandemic levels:
Student and graduate visa holders comprised 3% of Australia's population—almost one in 30 people—in the June quarter of 2025. This was up from 2.6% at the pre-pandemic peak and double the 1.5% share in 2012.
There are also around 100,000 prospective or former students on temporary bridging visas, which aren't counted above.
The Albanese government recently lifted the planning level for international students by 25,000 to 295,000 for 2026, as well as relaxed some English-language tests.
These policy changes suggest that the overall number of international students in Australia will increase."
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