29 May 2014
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International student data as at 31 March 2014 show significant increases in student numbers from Nepal and India, with many coming through streamlined visa arrangements for higher education study. On 31 March 2014, there were 366 914 student visa holders in Australia. There were 223,102 higher education students (an increase of 13.7% from 196,188 in March 2013) and 69,405 VET students (down 0.8% from 69,405 in March 2013).
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In the March 2014 quarter, there were 93 396 student visa application lodgements, which was an increase of 9.8% when compared with the same period of the previous year (85 084).
Total student visa grants (83 380) increased by 11.1% in the March 2014 quarter compared with the same period in 2012-13. This was led by an increase of 27% in offshore grants (50 965) during the March 2014 quarter, which was the highest March quarter for offshore grants in the last five years. Onshore grants decreased during this period to 32 415, a decrease of 7.1% compared to the same period in the previous year.
Of the total student visas granted in the 2013-14 program year to 31 March 2014, 21% were to Chinese nationals followed by 11.1% to Indian nationals.
Offshore grants in the 2013-14 program year to 31 March 2014 increased by 27.3% (131 464 grants) compared with the same period in 2012-13 (103 234 grants). This was a result of an increase in offshore visa grants for nationals of China (25.4%), India (121.3%), Vietnam (35.9%), Brazil (45.6%), Nepal (175.3%) and Thailand (55.9%).
Total grant rates for student visas remained high in the March 2014 quarter (94.2%) when compared with the same period in the previous year (94.4%). During this reporting period, offshore grant rates increased slightly to 92.5% from 92.4% . Onshore grant rates increased to 96.8% from 96.7% in the same comparison period.
Offshore visa grant rates for VET and Higher Education visas increased in this quarter to 76.8% and 93.6%respectively compared with 76.5% and 93.5% in the same quarter in 2013-14. In the March 2014 quarter, there was a considerable increase in the offshore grant rate for Indian nationals (93.5%) compared with the March 2013 quarter (87.1%). Offshore visa grant rates for Chinese nationals remained high at 95.3%.
See
Student Visa Program Report – March Quarter 2014
