It is apparent that both past and present Australian governments have viewed international students not as individuals with emotions, but as mere commodities because they do not have voting power in elections. Regrettably, these students are being used for the sake of our economy and political agendas.

Instead of utilizing the exorbitant fees they pay to universities to provide them with quality education, we divert these funds to subsidize university research in a bid to climb global rankings.

Ironically, courses are promoted as pathways to permanent residency, yet international students are required to prove in their visa applications that they have no intention of staying in Australia post-studies.

During regional labor shortages, students were enticed to relocate with promises of permanent residency. Yet, as these areas became crowded, their PR quotas were slashed by 80%.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, they were asked to return to their home countries.

In times of need for low-skilled workers, they were instructed to work full-time, putting their studies on second priority. Conversely, when their services were not required, they were restricted to part-time work, forcing some to take second jobs at sub-minimum wages to cope with soaring living expenses.

For those in aged care, such hypocrisy exists—they are allowed to work full-time because their services are still required.

Now, the government is indirectly encouraging them to change careers, abandoning dreams of becoming business leaders to become aged-care workers, all in the hope of a potential PR pathway through business sponsorship by the aged-care centres.

The current 50% visa success rate for prospective international students in developing countries is preventing them from studying in Australia to achieve their dreams and causing financial loss in visa application fees. In my opinion, this isn't due to genuine visa ineligibility, but rather a political leveraging of a rental crisis in Australia to control population growth.

Let us treat these students as humans with feelings. Let us give them a fair go - to study what they wish, work where they desire, and stay if there is room for them in Australia. Manipulating them for our needs is not ethical; it is time to show compassion and grant them the respect they deserve.