(Transcript from World News Australia)
As Peggy Giakoumelos reports, it's the highest number of applications in more than four years.
(Click on audio tab above to hear full item)
The latest figures, for the September quarter of 2013, show a 7 per cent increase in the total number of overseas student visa lodgements.
China remains Australia's largest source of applications, followed by India and Vietnam.
The Immigration Department says minor increases were also noted for Brazil, Nepal and Pakistan.
Dr Erik Lithander is Pro Vice-Chancellor for International and Outreach at the Australian National University.
He says there are a number of reasons behind the increase.
"Some of them are more obvious than others. I'd say that the three main factors and the ones that people in the sector seem to be talking the most about are the gradual weakening of the Australian dollar, greater clarity over the visa regime at least for the universities and the fact that fears over student safety that were affecting demand from some of our source countries, most notably India seem to have been allayed somewhat."
Changes recommended by the Knight Review into the Student Visa Program, were introduced for students who applied to study in Australia after November 2011.
The changes made it easier for international student graduates to receive up to two years of work rights following the completion of their studies.
They also provided a standardised assesment process for applicants, regardless of where they were from.
Thomson Ch'ng is the National President of the Council of International Students Australia.
He says the Knight Review changes have had a positive impact.
"One of the key recommendations was to see how the visa application process can be streamlined to make it easier, especially to countries which the Department of Immigration has classified as at risk categories. Countries like China and India, so different countries fell under different assessment levels under the Department of Immigration rules."
The International Educational Association of Australia represents institutions that provide courses for overseas students.
Its National Executive Director Phil Honeywood says while the demand from China and India remains strong, this isn't the case for many other countries.
"Australian education providers have been marketing new overseas student source countries. However the latest figures, while they contain a lot of good news for increased numbers from China, from Vietnam and from India, in fact show something of a levelling off in markets that we have been developing, such as Colombia, Brazil the Philippines and (South) Korea has also gone backwards. I think there's more work to be done in analysing why it is that Latin American numbers have levelled off, and (South) Korea has always been a rollercoaster market for Australia, so there's a lot of issues from that market. But at the end of the day we need to really diversify our markets as much as possible, so that we're not seemed to focussing on one country in particular such as China and the Chinese students themselves don't like being in a classroom full of Chinese students. "
Ainslie Moore is international policy director with Universities Australia.
She says while the increase in visa applications from overseas students is encouraging, it's too early too tell what the long-term impact will be.
"These are early signs so visa grants, visa applications are the first in a series of indicators for student numbers. So while this is a good indication for the September quarter, we'll watch and see what enrolment numbers are actually like come, early March and then we will know the real state of play."
Phil Honeywood from the International Educational Association, says the industry remains an important one for Australia and needs more support from state and federal governments.
"It brings in approximately $15 billion in revenue, in accommodation, in living costs, entertainment, mum and dad coming out to graduation ceremonies and coming out as tourists when their child is studying in Australia. But in addition to that we often overlook the soft diplomacy benefits that derive from international education. But there needs to be much better co-ordination of government effort at federal state and local level to really ensure that we're promoting international education like some countries have been able to do, such as United Kingdom with the British Council and as Canada has been doing of late. So there needs to be more focused attention on both the financial but particularly other benefits that derive for our multicultural society from promoting a robust international education industry. "
The Department of Immigration says in the September quarter there were almost 350,000 international student visa holders in Australia.
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