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Highlights: Express Entry holds first draw for Education Professionals

• Express Entry conducts its first education-category draw.
• The 344th Express Entry draw issued 1000 ITAs for Education Professionals.

• The candidates who had a CRS score of 479 and above can apply for Canada PR.
• The draw was held on May 1, 2025.
• The education category was the newest category added to the Express Entry.
   

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#344 Express Entry draw for education category issues 1000 ITAs

On May 1, 2025, Express Entry conducted its first-ever education category-based draw. The draw issued 1000 ITAs or Invitation to Apply to Education Professionals with a CRS cut-off score of 479.
 

To be eligible for the ITA, the candidates must have registered their Express Entry profiles by August 10, 2024.
 

Also read…

When is the next Canada Express Entry Draw?
 

Details of the latest Express Entry draw for the education category are given below.

Date	Type	ITAs issued	Cut-off CRS score
May 1	Education	1,000	479
April 28	Provincial Nominee Program	421	727
April 14	Provincial Nominee Program	825	764
March 21	French language proficiency	7,500	379
March 17	Provincial Nominee Program	536	736
March 6	French language proficiency	4,500	410
March 3	Provincial Nominee Program	725	667
February 19	French language proficiency	6,500	428
February 17	Provincial Nominee Program	646	750
February 5	Canadian Experience Class	4,000	521
February 4	Provincial Nominee Program	455	802
January 23	Canadian Experience Class	4,000	527
January 8	Canadian Experience Class	1,350	542
January 7	Provincial Nominee Program	471	793

 

The education category was added to Express Entry in February 2025. The Canadian immigration department listed it as an economic priority, making it the first candidate selection in the new category.
 

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Are you planning to study in Australia? Your Australian visa costs are about to rise significantly. The Australian Labor Party has announced plans to increase student visa application fees from AUD$1,600 to AUD$2,000 if re-elected, making it remain the world's most expensive student visa by a wide margin.

This proposed change comes after the Australian student visa fee already jumped 125% in July 2024, when it increased from AUD$710 to the current AUD$1,600. If implemented, this would represent a staggering 181.7% cumulative increase over just twelve months. During this same period, competing destinations like Canada and the United States have maintained much lower fees of CDN$150 and US$185 respectively.

The fee hike is expected to generate an additional AUD$760 million for the government over the next four years. However, this decision raises concerns about Australia's attractiveness as a study destination. Previously, a similar increase resulted in a 50% drop in applications for English language courses. This is particularly concerning given that Australia recently welcomed almost 200,000 international students in February 2025 alone, with over one million international students currently enrolled nationwide.
 

Labor announces student visa fee hike

Australia's governing Labor Party has officially announced plans to increase student visa fees by 25% if victorious in the upcoming federal election. This new measure targets the education sector, which has been a key driver of immigration to Australia in recent years.
 

Fee to rise from AUD$1,600 to AUD$2,000 if re-elected [Promised]

In a significant policy announcement, the Australian Labor Party confirmed they will raise the application fee for an Australian study visa from AUD$1,600 to AUD$2,000 if they win Saturday's federal election. This increase follows an earlier dramatic hike implemented just last year.

The planned increase will further cement Australia's position as the country with the most expensive student visas globally. This latest announcement marks the second substantial fee increase by the Labor government within a single year. In July 2024, the government more than doubled the fee from AUD$710 to the current AUD$1,600 - representing a 125% increase at that time.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher defended the measure during a news conference, stating: "We think that's a sensible measure that really prizes, I think, the value of studying here in Australia". This perspective suggests the government views the high visa fees as reflecting the premium nature of Australian education rather than as a deterrent.
 

Treasurer and Finance Minister reveal AUD$760M revenue goal

According to a statement issued jointly by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, this visa fee hike will generate approximately AUD$760 million in additional revenue over the next four years. This revenue projection forms part of Labor's broader policy costings released ahead of the weekend election.

The announcement mirrors similar proposals from the opposition Coalition, suggesting cross-party agreement on increasing international student fees as a revenue measure. Both major political parties appear aligned on making international education a target for increased government income.

Furthermore, this policy builds on the government's broader strategy of managing immigration through the education sector. The education industry has been identified as a major source of immigration to Australia, with the government seemingly intent on moderating these numbers through financial measures rather than direct caps on student numbers.

Additionally, the timing of the announcement - less than a week before the federal election - indicates the Labor Party believes the measure will be politically popular with voters concerned about immigration levels and housing pressures in major cities.
 

Stakeholders warn of sector-wide consequences

Education industry stakeholders have sounded urgent warnings about the severe impacts already being felt across Australia's international education sector following last year's visa fee increase, with predictions of worse outcomes should the proposed hike proceed.
 

ELICOS sector reports 50% drop in enrolments after last hike

The English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) sector has been hit especially hard by previous fee increases. Following the 125% visa fee hike implemented in July 2024, ELICOS providers reported an immediate 50% decline in student visa applications for English language programs.

Ian Pratt, managing director of Lexis English, described the impact as "immediate and crushing". Consequently, total ELICOS enrolments dropped by 10.5% to 144,453, while commencements fell by 20.5% to 97,496 in 2024 - the lowest level since 2013 outside of pandemic years.

The disproportionate impact on English language programs stems from their typically shorter duration. With average enrollments lasting less than 20 weeks, the current AUD$1,600 fee already represents a substantial percentage of total course costs. Industry experts warn that even at current levels, Australia presents poor value compared to competing markets.

"The ELICOS sector has always been the 'canary in the coal mine'," explained Ian Aird, CEO of English Australia. "There's a much shorter consideration-sales-enrolment process, we're at the start of the journey for students on pathways, so we always feel these shocks first".
 

IEAA and ITECA criticize lack of strategic planning

Meanwhile, peak industry bodies have criticized the government's approach as lacking coherent strategy. The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA) stated that Australian businesses have endured "a series of ham-fisted approaches to reform" over the past three years, "each with different aims, and delivered without genuine consultation".

ITECA's position is that the visa fee increase appears "purely revenue driven" without consideration for broader consequences. The organization characterized the proposed AUD$2,000 visa charge as a "visa approval lottery" that will make "Australia a far less attractive destination for students".

Similarly, International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) CEO Phil Honeywood has called for targeted relief, specifically "a 50% discount for less than 12 months study programs including English language and learning abroad".

Industry representatives emphasize that the impacts extend beyond educational institutions. The previous increase has reportedly "cost 1,000s of Australian's their jobs" with businesses closing, and stakeholders warn that "another increase will see the job losses worsen".
 

How the fee hike could ripple through the economy

The ripple effects of Australian visa fee increases extend far beyond education institutions, threatening to undermine key sectors of the national economy. With international students contributing approximately 40% of all tourism earnings, the impacts will be widely felt across multiple industries.
 

Hospitality and tourism sectors brace for student decline

The hospitality and tourism industries are preparing for significant financial losses as international student numbers decline. Tourism operators have already reported diminishing bookings for tours, accommodations, and experiences typically purchased by visiting students and their families.

Beyond direct tourism spending, international students play a crucial role in Australia's visitor economy:

• They attract family visits throughout their study period
• Many work part-time in hospitality, filling critical staff shortages
• Their cultural connections bring diverse tourism opportunities to Australian businesses

Indeed, one industry report warned that "students will just take their money and their tourism dollars to another country" as visa costs become prohibitive. This shift threatens to exacerbate existing challenges in a tourism sector still recovering from pandemic-era restrictions.

Job losses and business closures feared by education providers

The economic fallout has already begun, with the previous visa fee increase directly linked to widespread job losses. According to English Australia, "the last visa fee increase has already cost 1,000s of Australians their jobs", with impacts concentrated initially in language schools but now spreading to adjacent industries.

Moreover, numerous businesses have already closed their doors, with industry representatives warning that "another increase will see the job losses worsen". The closure pattern is expected to accelerate if the new AUD$2,000 fee is implemented, as fewer students choose Australia for their education.

Essentially, Australia risks undermining what English Australia describes as a "golden goose" that generates billions in export earnings across multiple sectors. Business leaders predict "plummeting export earnings, significant job losses, and brain drain" as educators seek opportunities offshore while domestic tourism and hospitality sectors struggle with reduced international student customers.
 

What alternatives and exemptions are being discussed?

With escalating australian visa costs threatening multiple sectors, industry groups are advocating for targeted exemptions to protect vulnerable educational programs from collapse.
 

Calls for reduced fees for short-term and English programs

Educational organizations have proposed specific alternatives to mitigate damage across the sector. Among the prominent proposals:

• English Australia urges an urgent reduction in student visa fees for courses lasting less than one year, recommending a fee below AUD$800
• The International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) has formally called for a 50% discount on visa fees for study programs shorter than 12 months, including English language courses and learning abroad programs
• Industry representatives advocate strongly for complete exemptions for English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) programs, arguing these short-term courses cannot absorb the disproportionate visa costs

These alternatives aim to address the reality that current australian student visa fees are substantially higher than competitor nations. Unlike Australia's AUD$1,600 fee (soon potentially AUD$2,000), similar visas cost approximately US$185 in the United States and just CDN$150 (AUD$108) in Canada.

Labor open to post-election discussions on targeted relief

Despite proposing the fee increase, Labor has signaled willingness to consider modifications. The IEAA reports receiving "a commitment from Labor that they will be open to discussion about visa fee reductions" following the election. This potential flexibility specifically addresses IEAA's proposal regarding short-term study programs.

Currently, limited exemptions already exist. Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens are eligible for reduced visa costs since March 22, 2025, with partial refunds available for those who applied between July 2024 and March 2025. Additionally, students affected by COVID-19 may qualify for application fee waivers under specific circumstances.

Nevertheless, these discussions occur against a backdrop of competing proposals. The conservative opposition has pledged even steeper increases - setting minimum fees at AUD$2,500, with australia's prestigious Group of Eight universities commanding AUD$5,000 per application, potentially making Labor's proposal appear moderate by comparison.
 

Australia faces a delicate balance between revenue and reputation

Australia's proposed student visa fee increases undoubtedly place the country at a critical crossroads. Throughout this analysis, we've seen how the planned hike from AUD$1,600 to AUD$2,000 represents a staggering 181.7% cumulative increase over just twelve months when combined with last year's increase. Consequently, this positions Australia even further ahead as the world's most expensive student destination by visa cost alone.

The evidence overwhelmingly suggests serious consequences already unfolding across multiple sectors. ELICOS providers, specifically, have experienced a crushing 50% drop in applications following the previous increase. Meanwhile, tourism, hospitality, and related industries brace for significant economic fallout as international student numbers potentially decline.

Though Labor defends the increase as reflecting Australia's premium education value, many industry stakeholders remain unconvinced. Rather, they view this approach as primarily revenue-driven without strategic consideration of long-term impacts. The promised AUD$760 million in additional government revenue might certainly address short-term budget concerns; however, it potentially undermines a significantly larger education export sector.

Calls for targeted exemptions, particularly for short-term study programs, represent a reasonable compromise that acknowledges market realities. Labor's openness to post-election discussions provides a glimmer of hope for affected sectors. Nevertheless, the fundamental question remains whether Australia can maintain its educational attractiveness while charging visa fees dramatically higher than competitor nations like Canada and the United States.

Australia must carefully weigh immediate financial gains against potential long-term damage to its international education reputation. After all, once students choose alternative destinations, winning them back becomes exponentially more difficult than retaining them would have been initially.

Highlights: US Restores Legal Status for several international students   

• The US government is restoring the legal status of several international students in the country.
• The Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records of international students across the US were reinstated.
• Reports suggest that over 50% of the terminated SEVIS records of international students were reactivated.
• International students were informed of the restoration of their SEVIS records by their Designated School Officers (DSOs).

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US Reverses SEVIS Terminations  

According to the latest immigration news updates, the US government has restored the SEVIS records of international students. A SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) is a database that the DHS uses to manage and track the data of international students (F-1 visa, M-1 visa) and J-1 visa holders in the US. Following the sudden SEVIS terminations, the US government has reinstated the SEVIS records for several international students.

 

Most international students, including Indians, were reported about the restoration by their Designated School Officers (DSOs). Some immigration attorneys in the US also claim that the Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) is devising a framework for the SEVIS terminations that is yet to be finalized, announced, and implemented; until then, the SEVIS records of students will continue to be restored.

 

 

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Highlights: U.S. reaches additional H-2B Cap for Second Half of FY 2025

• H-2B visas are issued to foreign workers in temporary non-agricultural jobs.
• USCIS has reached the cap for additional H-2B visas for the fiscal year 2025.
• The U.S. had set a target of 19,000 H-2B visas.
• The visas will help address workforce shortages in non-agricultural sectors.
• The supplemental visas will be issued in multiple allocations.
   

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USCIS reaches cap for additional H-2B visas for FY 2025

The USCIS, or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, has reached the cap for an additional 19,000 H-2B visas for the second half of FY 2025. This visa is issued to international workers.
 

The visa was issued to foreign workers who would start their work between April 1 and May 14, 2025. The final date for submitting petitions requesting additional H-2B visas under the FY 2025 for returning worker allocation was April 18, 2025.
 

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Temporary Increase in H-2B Visas for FY 2025

On December 2, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor jointly published a temporary rule increasing the cap on H-2B visas by up to 64,716 additional visas for FY 2025. These visas are available only to U.S.-based businesses that require foreign workers to address the workforce shortages in the field.
 

To support U.S. businesses requiring workers to start work on different dates, the supplemental visas will be issued in multiple allocations, such as two for the second half of FY 2025.
 

Also read…

New U.S. Rule - All Immigrants Must Carry ID: H-1B, F-1, B1/B2, Green Card Included
 

Who can apply for the additional H-2B visa?

Out of the 64,716 supplemental visas, returning workers will be issued 44,716 visas. These workers received an H-2B visa or were authorized the H-2B status in the last three fiscal years. The other 20,000 visas are for Guatemala, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Ecuador, Colombia, and Costa Rica nationals. To qualify for the additional H-2B visas, the applications must be filed in the U.S. by September 15, 2025.
 

This increase is for a limited time and does not affect the H-2B program in the upcoming fiscal years.
 

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Highlights: Candidates in the Express Entry pool witness a major drop in CRS scores

• The removal of additional points for arranged employment, announced on March 25, 2025, led to major changes in the CRS scores.
• Candidates in the Express Entry pool saw a drop in CRS scores by 50-200 points.
• The most drastic change in scores was seen within the CRS range of 501-600, with a decrease of 5,740 profiles.
• There was an increase of 25,972 Express Entry candidate profiles recorded from December 2024 to April 2025.
   

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Major Changes to the Express Entry candidate pool post removal of bonus points

The removal of the bonus Express Entry points for arranged employment on March 25, 2025, significantly changed the composition of the CRS score composition. Candidates in the Express Entry pool saw their CRS scores decrease by 50 or 200 points, affecting their chances of receiving an ITA for Canada PR.
 

Some of the major changes to the CRS score range are as follows:

CRS score range	Decrease in profiles
501-600	5,740
491-500	1618
481-490	984

 

The CRS score ranges mentioned in the above table have cumulatively witnessed a reduction of 8,342 profiles from March 16 to April 14, 2025. After additional points were removed, the profiles were reallocated to lower CRS score ranges within the Express Entry candidate pool.
 

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Changes to the CRS score ranges and Express Entry profiles

Despite the Express Entry changes, the overall candidate profiles rose by 7,373. The table below has a complete breakdown of the CRS score ranges and the changes in the Express Entry profiles within that range:

CRS score range	Change in Express Entry profiles
601-1200	+123
501-600	-5,740
451-500	+1,487
491-500	-1,618
481-490	-984
471-480	+182
461-470	+2,157
451-460	+1,750
401-450	+5,814
441-450	+1,817
431-440	+1,722
421-430	+1,465
411-420	+1,101
401-410	-291
351-400	+1,677
301-350	+1,496
0-300	+2,516
Total	+7,373

 

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Current Composition of CRS Scores in the Express Entry Pool

The table below has details of the existing composition of the Express Entry candidate pool, dated April 14, 2025:

CRS score range	Number of candidates
601-1200	816
501-600	19,782
451-500	71,542
491-500	12,093
481-490	12,359
471-480	16,215
461-470	16,189
451-460	14,686
401-450	67,301
441-450	14,131
431-440	14,740
421-430	13,084
411-420	13,020
401-410	12,326
351-400	53,479
301-350	22,799
0-300	8,563
Total	2,44,282

 

The Express Entry pool witnessed an increase of candidate profiles by 25,792 between 2024 and 2025. The exclusion of Express Entry points for arranged employment indicates that the CRS score ranges below have the same number of profiles as of December 2024.
 

• 501-600
• 490-500
• 481-490
   

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