JAKARTA - Australia earned almost A$10 million from overseas higher education applicants refused student visas in March, according to a Times Higher Education estimate published on May 4, based on Department of Home Affairs visa data and Australia’s A$2,000 student visa application charge. 

The Department of Home Affairs dataset was updated on April 30 and lists student visa lodged, granted and grant-rate files on March 31. It covers subclass 500 and older student visa subclasses 570 to 576, with breakdowns by sector, applicant location, lodgement channel and citizenship country.

The London-based THE reported that nearly 4,800 offshore higher education applicants were refused visas in March. It also estimated that Australia collected almost A$65 million from student visa applications processed that month.

The fee rose again on July 1 last year when the Visa Application Charge for primary Student visa subclass 500 and Student Guardian visa subclass 590 applicants increased from A$1,600 to A$2,000. Pacific Island and Timor-Leste student visa applicants are exempt from the increase. Home Affairs says visa application charges are not usually refunded when an application is refused or withdrawn.

The 2025 increase followed a 2024 rise from A$710 to A$1,600. In that 2024 announcement, Education Minister Jason Clare said international education was “an incredibly important national asset” and the government said the higher fee would help fund education and migration reforms. Then-Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil also added that the changes would “help restore integrity to our international education system.”

Australia’s Department of Education said 551,717 international students studied in the country in January 2026, down nine percent from January 2025. China, India, Nepal, Vietnam and Bangladesh accounted for 58 percent of the total. 

Australia is also managing student entry through a 2026 National Planning Level of 295,000 new overseas student commencements, 25,000 higher than the 2025 level. The Department of Education says provider allocations and offshore visa-processing priorities remain part of the managed-growth system.

Visa screening has tightened since March 23, 2024, when the Genuine Student requirement replaced the former Genuine Temporary Entrant test. Home Affairs says applicants must show they are genuine students and understand that studying is the primary reason for entering or staying in Australia.

The University of Sydney has Australia’s largest 2026 public-university allocation for new overseas student commencements with 11,900 places, ahead of Monash University at 11,300 and the University of Melbourne at 10,500, according to the Department of Education’s 2026 allocation factsheet.