Survey: 63% of Int’l Students Choose Australia for Career Opportunities Despite Post-Study Work Visa Cuts

Although the Australian government has decided to cut the post-study work visas for international students by two years, many still choose to study in the country specifically because of employment opportunities after graduation.

A new study has found that 63 percent of international students have chosen to study in Australia because they believe the country offers better career prospects after earning degrees.

The survey of 1,058 international students, including current, former, and prospective students, was conducted by YouGov, an international data company, and published by Ascent One, an overseas education consultancy, Erudera.com reports.

Students responding to the survey are from the top five source countries of international students in Australia:

• Columbia
• China
• India
• Philippines

Over half of students from Columbia, India, and the Philippines said there are better employment opportunities in Australia than in their home countries. On the other hand, only 34 percent of students from China believe the same.

According to the findings, 47 percent of students decided to study in Australia because of its good reputation for studying. Meanwhile, 29 percent said they chose Australia because they planned to live there permanently.

About 41 percent of potential international students said they did not know any changes made by the Australian government in the migration policy released in December 2023. On the other hand, 27 percent said they would not continue studying in Australia due to these changes.

Commenting on the results, Ascent One CEO Naresh Gulati said that over three-quarters of students found out about changes affecting international students themselves, and only 15 percent through agents. This, according to him, shows a big communication gap between the government, education institutions, agents, and students, which should be fixed.

“While the majority of students still recommend Australia as a place to study, our reputation as a world-class destination for study is shaky at best and needs urgent attention,” Gulati said.

As part of its migration strategy, Australia has tightened rules for international students to address high levels of migration, including reducing international student numbers.

The new regulation has led to 27 percent of prospective students in the survey saying they will look elsewhere to study. Similarly, about 14 percent of current students said they may discontinue studies in Australia due to these policies.

Previously, Australia extended the post-study work rights for international students enrolling in selected programs, allowing them to stay and work in the country for four years. This has been cut by two years.

Most recent data revealed that the number of international students in Australia was 713,144 in February 2024, a record high.

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