The Australian student visa system is facing a significant backlog, with nearly 50,000 student visas awaiting review. This crisis follows a substantial increase in overseas applicants, prompting warnings from officials that the necessary resources to manage this influx are lacking. As of June 30, 2025, the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) reported that it is struggling to process 46,590 student visa decisions.
During a recent Senate estimates hearing, it was revealed that student visa cases now account for 38 percent of the ART’s total case load. Alarmingly, more than 13,000 cases have been pending for one to two years. Michael Hawkins, Chief Executive and Principal Registrar of the ART, described the situation as indicative of an “explosion” in case numbers in recent years. When asked whether staff were prioritizing these student visa cases, Hawkins candidly stated, “Well, there’s not a lot of triaging going on because we simply don’t have the resources to attack the study visa cohort.”
The ART is under pressure to address these challenges. Hawkins indicated that urgently needed new staff would primarily be allocated to student and protection visas. While visa applicants are managed by the Department of Home Affairs, some cases are referred to the ART for review. Data presented during the hearing showed that 44 percent of the 3,886 finalisations between July and October 2025 resulted in a changed decision.
The overall case volume has surged to approximately 124,000 cases, reflecting a 10 percent increase in just three months. Of these, 69,903 cases pertain to migration jurisdiction, which rose by over 10,000 since the end of June, while 40,413 cases are related to protection jurisdiction. The ART has set a target to complete 71,045 cases by the end of the year.
As of October 31, 2025, the ART employed 281.2 full-time equivalent roles, with an additional 27 roles commencing on October 27 and another 37 expected to join by June 2026. Despite these additions, the tribunal remains short by 97.9 full-time equivalent roles against a budget of 430.
In her remarks, Katherine Jones PSM, Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department, noted there has been a “huge amount of activity” regarding appointments to the ART. She reassured that efforts are underway to support future staffing needs. The ongoing crisis underscores the challenges faced by Australia’s immigration system, especially in light of growing international student demand.
