The Lowy Institute has unknowingly proven why the often spruiked $40 billion of education ‘exports’ – equating to more than $60,000 per international student – was a giant lie and massively exaggerated:
Early changes to relax visa requirements and the cap on working hours for students in essential industries led to criticism that these measures would be insufficient for international students to sustain their livelihoods. So the government suggested that international students could simply “return home”…
It also conflicted with the Australian government’s own marketing to prospective students from before the pandemic assuring them that Australia is safe and that “You can rely on the Australian government … to look after you every step of your journey”.
