Australian universities are considering staff cuts as tighter international student visa rules reduce enrolments and tuition revenue, with applicants from Nigeria, Kenya, India and several Asian countries facing rising rejection rates.
- Some universities, including Murdoch, Charles Sturt, and Adelaide, are considering staff cuts or voluntary redundancies to address budget shortfalls.
- Adelaide University projects a AU$90 million shortfall in tuition revenue, while Murdoch and Charles Sturt face significant declines in student numbers.
- University officials warn that new immigration rules are reducing funding for education and research, with one expert calling the environment the most restrictive in over 20 years.
- Australian universities are facing financial pressure due to falling international student enrolments caused by stricter visa rules.
The financial pressure has prompted Murdoch University, Charles Sturt University and Adelaide University to review staffing costs, with one institution warning that 100 full-time positions could be affected.
According to Times Higher Education, which reported the developments on October 26, 2026, changes to Australia’s student visa system have contributed to declining foreign enrolments, leaving institutions that rely heavily on international tuition fees facing budget shortfalls.
The restrictions form part of the Australian government’s efforts to strengthen immigration controls, prevent visa misuse and improve oversight of international education providers.
However, university officials have warned that the measures are also affecting genuine applicants and reducing funding available for teaching, research and other operations.
Australian universities consider staff cuts amid revenue losses
Murdoch University in Perth is reviewing its operations following a decline in international student enrolments, with vice-chancellor Andrew Deeks warning employees that organisational changes may be necessary to address the financial impact.
“These changes have significantly decreased our international student numbers both this year but also on an ongoing basis, and consequently we need to reduce our expenditure in next year’s budget and going forward,” Deeks said.
He added that Western Australia had been disproportionately affected by the revised visa rules, with refusal rates for university applicants reaching up to 17 percentage points above the national average in recent months.
International students accounted for 57% of Murdoch’s total enrolments in 2024, although two-fifths attended its overseas campuses in Dubai and Singapore.
The university has also experienced weaker domestic demand, with first-semester enrolments declining 22% between 2022 and 2026.
Charles Sturt University faces similar pressure, with management considering cuts affecting approximately 100 full-time positions after international student numbers fell 35% year-on-year, according to The Guardian.
Meanwhile, Adelaide University is projecting an A$90 million shortfall in international tuition revenue as foreign enrolments decline to approximately 16,700, compared with 20,800 across its two predecessor institutions during the corresponding period in 2025.
To address the financial gap, the institution is considering a voluntary early retirement programme and possible voluntary redundancies, although no final decisions have been announced.
Nigeria, Kenya and Asian countries face rising visa rejections
The financial challenges facing Australian universities coincide with declining visa approvals across several major international student markets, particularly in Africa and South Asia.
According to Australian Department of Home Affairs figures cited by Times Higher Education, rejection rates for university applicants from Nigeria and Kenya approached 80% in September 2026, compared with less than 10% during the same period in 2025.
South Asian applicants have also experienced substantial declines in visa approvals, with India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan among the most affected countries.
In September, approvals for Indian higher education applicants fell to 190 from 1,422 a year earlier, while Nepal recorded 87 approvals compared with 1,074 in September 2025.
Bangladesh experienced a similar decline, with just 14 visas approved against 730 the previous year, while Bhutan’s approvals dropped from 82 to nine.
These developments have affected institutions such as Murdoch University, which recruits students from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
China, Australia’s largest international student source market, has followed a different pattern, with visa approval rates remaining above 90% despite a 24% year-on-year decline in higher education applications during September.
Phil Honeywood, chief executive of the International Education Association of Australia, criticised the tightening of visa requirements, describing the current policy environment as the most restrictive he had encountered in more than two decades.
