New full-year statistics released on 19 February by the Department of Home Affairs—and analysed by peak body English Australia—reveal the steepest collapse in English-language (ELICOS) enrolments in two decades. The culprit, providers say, is the world-highest, non-refundable AU$2,000 Student Visa application charge introduced in July 2025.
According to ICEF Monitor’s breakdown of the data, overall student-visa applications fell 14 percent year-on-year, but ELICOS was hammered by a 39 percent slide, far outpacing the 35 percent drop in VET and the 2 percent decline at universities. In the second half of 2025, fewer English-only visas were granted than at any time since records began in 2006.
For applicants wrestling with these shifting rules, VisaHQ offers a practical lifeline: its Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) provides real-time updates on fees and documentation, plus guided submission tools that can reduce errors and improve approval prospects—saving students both time and the risk of forfeiting that AU$2,000 charge.
![AU$2,000 study-visa fee slams ELICOS enrolments, 2025 data show]()
Private language colleges—already dealing with a 25 percent refusal rate—say the fee now equates to 30-40 percent of the total cost of a short English course, pushing price-sensitive students to Canada, Ireland and Malta. English Australia estimates 5,000-9,000 full-time jobs have been lost since the fee hikes began in 2024.
The findings intensify pressure on the Albanese Government, which is reviewing international education settings ahead of the May Budget. Sector leaders want either a differentiated fee (tied to course length) or a partial refund for refused applicants. Without relief, they warn, many independent ELICOS providers will exit the market by 2027—shrinking Australia’s core pipeline of future university and skilled-migration candidates.
Multinational employers that rely on short-term in-country English training should prepare for capacity constraints and higher course prices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Internal assignment budgets may need to factor in offshore language preparation or hybrid (online + in-country) alternatives until visa policy becomes clearer.
According to ICEF Monitor’s breakdown of the data, overall student-visa applications fell 14 percent year-on-year, but ELICOS was hammered by a 39 percent slide, far outpacing the 35 percent drop in VET and the 2 percent decline at universities. In the second half of 2025, fewer English-only visas were granted than at any time since records began in 2006.
For applicants wrestling with these shifting rules, VisaHQ offers a practical lifeline: its Australia portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) provides real-time updates on fees and documentation, plus guided submission tools that can reduce errors and improve approval prospects—saving students both time and the risk of forfeiting that AU$2,000 charge.
Private language colleges—already dealing with a 25 percent refusal rate—say the fee now equates to 30-40 percent of the total cost of a short English course, pushing price-sensitive students to Canada, Ireland and Malta. English Australia estimates 5,000-9,000 full-time jobs have been lost since the fee hikes began in 2024.
The findings intensify pressure on the Albanese Government, which is reviewing international education settings ahead of the May Budget. Sector leaders want either a differentiated fee (tied to course length) or a partial refund for refused applicants. Without relief, they warn, many independent ELICOS providers will exit the market by 2027—shrinking Australia’s core pipeline of future university and skilled-migration candidates.
Multinational employers that rely on short-term in-country English training should prepare for capacity constraints and higher course prices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Internal assignment budgets may need to factor in offshore language preparation or hybrid (online + in-country) alternatives until visa policy becomes clearer.
