International students are a vital market for WA's multi-billion dollar education sector but new figures for visa applications show a slump in the numbers of people choosing to study in the west.
Official Department of Immigration and Border Protection figures through to April 2017 show WA's student visa grants are down 32 per cent compared to 2015/16, with an 11 per cent drop to May.
According to Study Perth, a peak body promoting WA to international students, there are around 59,000 international student enrolments each year in WA, contributing significant fees and spending to the local economy.
But Perth-based migration expert Steven O'Neil from Iscah Migration said changes to visa rules by both the federal and state governments are dampening WA's ability to attract international students, and he warns the new figures should be seen as a red flag.
"The market for international students generates about ten thousand jobs and it adds over $2 billion to our economy, so it's worth keeping.
"But I'm speaking to international students who are over here now, in the middle of their studies, asking how they can go to Canada because job prospects are better there. I won't be surprised if we keep seeing the numbers falling."
Mr O'Neil said most international students he deals with choose to come to Australia and then WA because their visas allowed a working period of up to two years, which could increase their chances of gaining permanent residency or at least gaining professional work that would stand them in good stead.
He said the main driver of that for WA was the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme, which had classed Perth as a regional centre since 2011, making it easier for people from overseas to obtain a work visa, while boosting the number of overseas students choosing to come west.
However, in one of his first acts in government, Premier Mark McGowan asked Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to remove Perth from the scheme, saying he was honouring his commitment to keep jobs in the state.
Mr McGowan also flagged a review of WA's skilled migration list, which fast-tracks overseas workers into the state.
I'm putting WA jobs first. I've written to the Prime Minister requesting that Perth be removed from the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme. pic.twitter.com/8VEktrBHcN
— Mark McGowan (@MarkMcGowanMP) March 17, 2017
Mr O'Neil said these two moves have signalled to international students that WA is closed to their ambitions.
"Our inclusion in the RSMS scheme was a big win for us, it really opened the state up to the overseas students and gave us a huge incentive that allowed us to compete with other capitals at an advantage.
"That's gone now, and the numbers are falling, and they'll fall more unless we let students know we want them here.
"Over in Tasmania you can study for a year and the state will give you a hand, same in South Australia. Students are choosing to go to the east, Melbourne and Sydney, where conditions are more welcoming for them."
Responding to Mr O'Neil's criticisms, Acting Premier Roger Cook said the government will spend $2 million over five years on a strategy that will grow WA's share of the international education market.
"Until now, there has been no state strategy for international education. While disappointing, this means there is plenty of scope for improvement and growth," Mr Cook said.
"We are determined to develop lasting working relationships with stakeholders in the international education industry, in order to continue to grow the industry and create jobs.
"Education tourism is a potential growth area and we must ensure the international education and tourism sectors work together to maximise the benefit of Perth for international education providers.
To make WA more attractive to international students considering where to go, Mr Cook said the government will seek to find ways to better promote Perth and WA.
"The WA Premier recently hosted the fourth of a series of Industry Engagement Consortiums to strengthen working relationships between industry and government to create jobs.
"These consortiums, attended by international education stakeholders, will inform our decisions on how to attract more international students across higher education, VET and schooling, and how to grow our national share of international education students by promoting Perth as a preferred education destination."