SYDNEY: Australia will raise its cap on foreign students by 9 percent to 295,000 next year and prioritize applicants from Southeast Asia, the government said on Monday. Limits on places were announced last year as a way to rein in record migration that had contributed to a surge in housing prices, with 270,000 places made available for 2025. An additional 25,000 places were being granted in 2026 as the policy was successfully bringing down “out of control” international student numbers, the government said.

SYDNEY: Australia will raise its cap on foreign students by 9 percent to 295,000 next year and prioritize applicants from Southeast Asia, the government said on Monday. Limits on…

The increase in Australia’s foreign student cap is part of a bid to enhance Canberra’s soft power and reduce its economic dependence on China.