Speaking at the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Summit in Sydney last week, Clare acknowledged that recent visa fee increases had been unpopular among universities, but said the revenue was helping fund measures recommended by the Australian Universities Accord, according to the transcript of his speech published by the Ministers’ Media Center.
He highlighted the government’s decision to increase the visa fee for international students, saying the change was sometimes overlooked in discussions about the decline in overseas student applications.
While acknowledging that the policy had been "not very popular," he said the higher charge had "some impact on reducing the number of applications." He also recognized that the new fee, which he described as "a lot of money," and had drawn criticism from some people.
Australia in July raised visa fees for international students, with the application fee for higher education reaching A$2,500 (US$1,723), making it the highest among the "Big Four" study destinations, including the U.S., the U.K. and Canada.
The cost was raised for both student and post-study work visas, with the increase neither announced in advance nor accompanied by a public explanation.
