Australia’s student caps will ease up in 2026, but times will still be tough for international education

After two years of trying to reduce international student numbers, the Albanese government will soften its approach in 2026.

The changes, announced on Monday, are small. The main feature is a modest increase in the government’s target maximum number of new international students. This will see the target go from 270,000 in 2025 to 295,000 in 2026.

But with multiple other migration policies to block or deter international students, the actual number of new international students in 2026 could still fall short of 295,000.