Sydney. Foreign students, including Indians, will now have to spend more to study in Australia. Australia more than doubled the international student visa fee from Monday. The Australian government has taken this step due to the increased pressure on the housing market due to the recent record increase in the number of foreign students.

Australia has increased the international student visa fee from 710 Australian dollars (about Rs 39,527) to 1,600 Australian dollars (about Rs 89,059) from July 1. Along with this, visitor visa holders and temporary graduate visa holders have been banned from applying for student visa.

These changes will help in creating a better migration system

Australia's Home Minister Clare O'Neill said that these changes will help in maintaining the integrity of the international education system and creating a better migration system. According to official data released in March, net immigration increased by 60 percent to 5,48,800 by September 30, 2023. This increase has made applying for a student visa to Australia more expensive than the US and Canada.

The fee is $185 in the US and $150 in Canada. The Australian government said these changes will help close a loophole in visa rules that allows foreign students to repeatedly extend their stay in Australia.

Annual immigration at record high

The number of students on second or subsequent student visas increased by 30 per cent to over 1,50,000 in 2022-23. The government said the latest move was necessitated as annual immigration reached record levels after the ban on student visas imposed during the Covid period was lifted in 2022.