Australia issued 2,600 student visas for Hongkongers pursuing higher education in 2024-25, according to data from country’s Department of Home Affairs
Australia issued only 2,600 student visas for Hongkongers pursuing higher education in the 2024-25 financial year, the lowest number in two decades and following a spike in approvals when the country rolled out a bespoke “study-to-emigrate” pathway in 2022-23.
An overseas education consultant specialising in Australia said the decline was due to Hong Kong offering a growing number of tertiary education spots in the city.
The trend was uncovered in the latest figures from Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, with the 2,600 student visas granted to Hongkongers – the lowest number since records became available in 2005-06.
The figure also represented a 4 per cent decrease from the 2,717 such visas issued last year and a 36 per cent drop from the 4,087 recorded in 2009-10, which was a peak year.
