00:00 Australia is set to implement stricter visa regulations for foreign students this week
00:07 as the latest official figures reveal yet another surge in migration numbers, intensifying
00:12 pressure on the already strained rental market.
00:14 Starting Saturday, tougher English language requirements will be enforced for student
00:18 and graduate visas, accompanied by increased government authority to suspend education
00:22 providers found repeatedly violating regulations in recruiting international students.
00:28 Home Affairs Minister Claire O'Neill emphasised that these measures aim to curtail migration
00:32 levels while fulfilling commitments outlined in the migration strategy to address the shortcomings
00:36 inherited by the current administration.
00:38 Additionally, a new genuine student test will be introduced to deter individuals primarily
00:44 seeking employment opportunities in Australia under the guise of student visas.
00:48 Furthermore, no further stay conditions will be more widely applied to visitor visas.
00:54 These initiatives follow a series of actions taken last year to eliminate COVID-era concessions
00:59 introduced by the previous government, including unrestricted working hours for international
01:03 students.
01:04 The tightening of rules for students is anticipated to halve Australia's migrant intake over
01:08 a two-year period.
01:09 Amidst the pandemic-induced border restrictions, Australia augmented its annual migration figures
01:15 in 2022 to assist businesses in addressing staff shortages.
01:19 However, this surge in foreign workers and students has intensified pressure on the rental
01:23 market.
01:24 Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals a 60% increase in net migration,
01:29 reaching a record 548,800 individuals in the year, ending September 30, 2023.
01:36 This influx, largely driven by students from India, China and the Philippines, has expanded
01:40 the labour pool and mitigated wage inflation but has further strained an already constrained
01:45 housing market, characterised by record low rental vacancies and elevated construction
01:50 costs hindering new supply.
01:52 [Music]
