Australia’s recent changes to its visa policies have significantly impacted Filipino students, with student visas plummeting by 67 percent from October 2023 to August 2024.

According to data from consultancy firm Studymove and the Australian government, this sharp decline was the largest among key markets.

Between 2022 and the third quarter of 2023, nearly half a million international students were granted Australian visas, with the vocational education and training (VET) sector being a popular pathway for Filipino students, who regularly account for over 70 percent of all VET student visas granted to the Philippines.

However, visas issued to Filipino students have fallen steeply over the past year until August of this year, with English language courses and higher education visas decreasing by 50 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

Beyond the Philippines, other nations including Colombia, India, and Vietnam have also experienced significant declines in student visa approvals.

According to the managing director of Studymove, Keri Ramirez, these drops can be attributed to the student visa caps imposed, describing them as “disruptive” to education markets.

“With any introduction of changes, markets react differently, but the significant range between markets shows how disruptive these policies have been and how challenging it has been for education providers to react to this new set of policies,” Ramirez said.

Despite the challenges, 22-year-old Czerah, who aspires to pursue her master’s degree in Australia, views the situation positively, seeing it as an opportunity for students to gain experience and strengthen their credentials. With lower approval rates and rising visa costs, she sees this time as a chance to save up as well.

“I think it also shows how much they value migration, so it’s understandable that they monitor it closely,” she added.