India, Aug. 5 -- Australia will raise its cap on foreign students by 9% to 295,000 in 2026, the Albanese government announced Monday, with a renewed focus on applicants from Southeast Asia.

This comes as the United States has moved in the opposite direction. Under US President Donald Trump's second-term, a sweeping overhaul of the foreign student visa program is underway, marking one of the most significant pullbacks in the country's global education footprint.

Australia has decided to increase the limit after a year of tightened migration controls and a 2024 cap of 270,000 that helped reduce what officials described as "out of control" student numbers, reported Reuters.

Australia granted nearly 600,000 student visas in the 2023 financ...