Between university classes, part-time work and building his fitness Instagram page, Andy Bui is quietly constructing something beyond his degree — a backup plan.
Hung Phan (far left) with university classmates during his time as an international student in Australia. He says the international student experience felt more predictable a decade ago Photo: Supplied by Hung Phan
For this international student, what began as a passion project has also become a way of preparing for uncertainty.
“Instead of planning five years ahead, I’m mostly focused on the next 12 months,” Andy, a student at RMIT, says. “I try not to get too attached to a specific vision because things outside my control could change everything.”
For many international students in Australia, the dream of studying overseas once carried a relatively straightforward narrative: earn a degree, gain local experience and perhaps build a future. Today, that path feels far less certain.
Australia’s international education sector remains one of the country’s largest economic contributors, generating $53.6 billion in export income in 2024–25. In January 2026, more than 551,000 international students were enrolled across the country. Yet for many of those students, the environment surrounding study, migration and long-term planning has become increasingly complex.
Student visa application fees have risen to $2,000, while tighter migration settings, stricter visa assessments and changes to post-study work pathways have reshaped expectations about what studying in Australia might lead to.
For Andy, the pressure is not always obvious, but it is constant.
“There’s this constant background stress that’s hard to switch off,” he says. “You’re trying to focus on study and work, but underneath it all is this question ‘do I actually have a future here’?”
When the pathway was clearer
That uncertainty feels markedly different from the experience Hung Phan remembers when he first arrived in Australia around 2015.
“At that time, Australia felt like a place where hard work could genuinely lead somewhere,” Hung says. “The expectation wasn’t that anything was guaranteed, but there was a stronger sense of predictability.”
Hung says international students in his cohort certainly thought about visas and long-term plans, but not with the same intensity as today.
“People often chose degrees based on their interests or career aspirations first, rather than purely on what might improve migration outcomes,” he says. “Today, I hear students talking about course choices almost entirely through the lens of visa competitiveness.”
The policy environment has shifted significantly over the past decade. Australia introduced its Simplified Student Visa Framework in 2016 to streamline student visa arrangements, but more recent reforms have tightened the system. The Genuine Student requirement now places greater emphasis on applicants demonstrating authentic study intentions, while changes to Temporary Graduate visas have narrowed some post-study pathways.
For Alicia Le, who works with international students navigating education and migration pathways, the difference is clear.
“Students nowadays are becoming more strategic,” she says. “They’re not only looking at courses that fit their interests, but researching job demand, migration pathways, career outcomes and regional study options before deciding what and where to study.”
She says Australia’s migration priorities have shifted towards skills-based outcomes rather than broader long-term migration expectations.
“The government is focusing more on highly skilled workers and quality over quantity,” she says. “International students need to understand that studying in Australia does not automatically lead to permanent residency.”
Planning the backup plan
That reality shapes the everyday conversations Andy has with other international students.
“All the time, people talk about whether to stay or go home, whether Canada or the UK might be easier, which regional areas have better PR (permanent residency) pathways,” he says. “It comes up constantly, even in casual catch-ups.”
Social media has intensified the sense of instability, turning policy announcements into immediate personal concerns.
“We always have a backup plan…sometimes a backup for the backup,” Andy says. “Everything feels conditional.”
For students balancing tuition fees, rent and visa costs, uncertainty is not just emotional, it is financial.
Andy says migration uncertainty has changed how he thinks about both his career and personal ambitions.
“I’ve been more strategic,” he says. “Making sure my degree aligns with in-demand occupations, being careful with money, and building something on the side that isn’t tied to any visa.”
Australia remains an attractive destination, with globally recognised universities, multicultural cities and strong employment opportunities. But what appears to have shifted is the sense of certainty surrounding what comes after graduation.
“When I first arrived, the Australian dream meant stability a good job, a safe life, maybe PR one day,” Andy says. “The dream is still there, but I’ve realised it takes a lot more resilience than I thought.”
