Education consultant James Kon said Malaysians should plan ahead when it comes to applying to study in Australian universities to boost their chances of securing a spot if the ruling is enforced.
Kon, who specialises in helping Malaysian students apply for entry into foreign universities, said students should start planning their application at least one year in advance.
“We have seen in recent years that students only begin their application one or two month’s before (the semester begins),” he told FMT.
Australia’s education minister, Jason Clare, said last month that the Australian government intends to limit the intake of new international students to 270,000 next year.
The limit comes as record levels of migration to Australia has contributed to a spike in home rental prices.
Reuters reported the new proposal, which has yet to receive parliamentary approval, will cap new international student enrolments at 145,000 for universities and 95,000 for practical and skills-based courses.
Kon said the proposed cap would have little impact on Malaysian students as the Australian government only intends to trim enrolment of new foreign students to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels.
Another consultant, Teddy Low, said the proposed cap would require students to submit their university applications without delay for their applications to be considered in time.
“Those who delay may need to defer their studies or consider applying to less popular universities,” he said.
Data provided by the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur showed that 717,587 students were studying in Australia in the January-May 2024 period, an 18% increase from the same period last year.
Students from China made up 21% of the total share, while India came second at 16%. Both countries recorded the highest growth rates of 16% and 21%, respectively.
Kon added this new enrolment cap would not jeopardise local students enrolled in Australian universities’ overseas branches in Malaysia and who plan to transfer to Australia in their second year.
However, Kon said he could not ascertain how the proposal would affect local universities with twinning programmes with Australian universities that allow students to complete a portion of the degree at the overseas partner university.