Australia has increased student visa charges, a move set to affect thousands of Kenyan students planning to study in the country or already studying there.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The new charges, which took effect on July 1, as confirmed by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, cut across almost all visa categories, with most rising by roughly 25 per cent.

This is a sharp jump from the usual 3 per cent adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index that Australia typically applies each year.

The Student Visa, officially known as Subclass 500, has gone up from Ksh260,000 (USD2,000) to Ksh323,000 (USD2,500), piling more pressure on international student applicants.

📌 What You Need to Know

Additionally, the Temporary Graduate Visa, Subclass 485, popular among students hoping to work after graduation, rose from Ksh594,000 (USD4,600) to Ksh743,000 (USD5,750).

Australian authorities also introduced a new (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) ELICOS visa rate set at Ksh265,000 (USD2,050), targeting students enrolling in English-language intensive courses.

This is also due to the fact that the English language is widely spoken in Australia; the ELICOS visa charge might come in handy in job preparedness for overseas students in Australia.

Notably, this marks the second time the fee has gone up in just four months, catching many applicants off guard.

The timing could not be more significant for Kenyans, given that around 10,000 Kenyan students are currently pursuing education in Australia.

Recent tracking data from the Australian Department of Education ranks Kenya as the top African country for international student enrolments in the country.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke