Why High Visa Fees Don’t Guarantee Quality
The recent hike in student visa fees to AUD$2,000 landed like a sledgehammer on Australia’s international education sector. While the government frames it as a measure to deter non-genuine applicants and attract the “best and brightest,” the reality on the ground tells a different story, especially for private education providers.
Any private college owner will tell you this truth: tougher visa rules and rising costs don’t weed out the system abusers. Instead, they shrink the applicant pool to just two groups:
- Students with significant financial backing and multiple global study options, and
- Students under financial stress, often grasping at any opportunity as a last resort.
Caught in the middle is the genuine, motivated student from a modest background, the ones who is unlikely to risk thousands of dollars and endure months of uncertainty in what now feels like a visa lottery.
ELICOS has long been a cornerstone of Australia’s education offering. It’s not just a pathway, it’s often a prerequisite to further study. If the goal is to limit student numbers to 250,000, it stands to reason that many should begin their journey through ELICOS. Even students with formal English test results often lack the specific skills needed to thrive in Australia’s academic, professional, and cultural contexts. That’s exactly what ELICOS delivers.
Of course, Australia must maintain a strong and fair selection process; however, in a broader, well-functioning free market, it is not reactive policies but the market itself that should determine which courses and pathways hold value, even under imposed caps.
After all, English remains the dominant global language, and it’s no surprise that students wish to study in Australia or other English-speaking countries. One day, perhaps another language may take the lead, but until then, Australia holds a distinct advantage. It would be wise to use it strategically.
#InternationalEducation #ELICOS #StudyInAustralia #EducationPolicy #StudentVisas