KUALA LUMPUR: Australia's recent decision to increase the minimum savings requirement for students to obtain visas to A$29,710 has sparked concerns among people.
Siva, a 52-year-old father who wishes to send his child to study in Australia, said that although he acknowledged that the new requirement would help Australia regulate the flow of foreigners entering the country, it would make studying in the country less accessible for students who are not from wealthy families.
"This could limit opportunities for deserving students, who can't reach the minimum savings amount.
"It will cause a financial burden on students and may deter some from studying in Australia, as well as impact the overall competitiveness of Australia's education sector," he said when contacted by the "New Straits Times".
Siva said he had planned to send his daughter to Australia to continue her Master's degree programme since she is in her sophomore year.
"I want the best for my daughter and I hope she can experience a new environment and meet new people during her studies there.
"Money is nothing compared with what I want for her. I don't want her to think about the financial part yet. What is important is for her to continue studying," he said.
Meanwhile, Syarifah Nur Alisya, a Malaysian student from the University of New South Wales, who is set to complete her studies this year, said the increase had impacted international students in the country.
"Due to the increased cost of living in Australia, many international students, including herself, resorted to taking part-time jobs.
"When I arrived in Sydney in 2022, my weekly rent was A$800, but now it has increased to A$900.
"The public transport fee has increased by 3.7 per cent.
"Although I understand the reason behind the increase (in minimum savings requirement), it has resulted in most international students taking part-time jobs," she told the "New Straits Times".
She said the new regulation imposed would also burden scholarship providers and self-funding students in Australia.
Earlier, it was reported that Malaysian students who plan to study in Australia must show proof of savings of at least A$29,710 (about RM100,000) to obtain the visa.
It marks the second increase imposed by the Australian government regarding its policy on foreign student visas in the past seven months.