“Not Just Homesick”

A Struggle Far from Home

Yuchen Li arrived in Sydney a years ago hopeful about studying finance at the University of Sydney. Instead, he finds himself struggling with severe anxiety, relentless academic pressure and crushing loneliness. The 24‑year‑old Chinese student now sees a psychologist and has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. He spends long nights poring over textbooks and assignments in a small share‑house with three other international students, worried about mounting rent bills and limited job opportunities. “I feel like I’m living on a tightrope,” he says, describing how visa rules and financial strain amplify his stress.

Stress, Survival and Student Visas

Yuchen’s experience is far from unique. Australia has more than one million international student enrolments – its highest ever number – and education is the country’s fourth‑largest export industry. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports international education generated about $51 billion in 2023–24. Yet recent research indicates international students are bearing a growing burden of mental ill‑health. Academically high‑achieving and often far from family, they report strikingly high levels of anxiety, depression and stress. A major national survey found overseas students are significantly more anxious than domestic peers and face frequent racism, language barriers and social exclusion. Yuchen notes that being “a long way from home and support” adds to his struggle – he recalls endless nights battling homesickness and feeling isolated.

A raft of recent studies and news reports underline this precarious situation. A University of Sydney policy review was prompted by a coroner’s finding that 47 international students died by suicide in Victoria between 2009 and 2019. Its author, Professor Gaby Ramia, notes that universities have minimal mandatory obligations to support overseas students, despite codes of practice that look robust on paper. On the ground, students like Yuchen say help is hard to come by: many counselling centres have long waitlists, and cultural stigma or fear of costs often deter students from seeking support. As Ramia observes, universities “do what they need to do under the law, but very rarely… provide services that are actually needed on the ground”.

At the same time, financial stress is a common theme. International students routinely face far higher living expenses than anticipated. A recent Allianz Partners survey found over 60% of students in Australia said day‑to‑day costs were higher than expected, and almost 30% had considered abandoning their studies due to financial hardship. Melbourne‑based student counsellor Jo Cassidy reports that homesickness is a major concern, but so are bills – “we definitely see students struggling with the cost of living,” she says. In a country where median rents are at all‑time highs, many international students are pushed into overcrowded or informal housing. By the Allianz report’s account, nearly one in four students skipped meals or cut corners on food because of high grocery prices.

Visa and work restrictions compound these pressures. A resumé of policy changes over 2024 shows the government tightening student visa rules at a time when students most need reassurance. From July 2024, holders of certain visas (like visitor or temporary graduate visas) can no longer apply for a new student visa onshore. Critically for Yuchen’s generation, a temporary extension of post‑study work rights – introduced in July 2023 – was abruptly cut short, so that by mid‑2024 the extra two years of skilled work rights were no longer available. Many students also worry about recent proposals to cap student numbers (270,000 now planned, with the Coalition pledging to cut it to 240,000) and the related political debate. Experts warn such caps would slash tens of thousands of places and devastate regional campuses in particular. In this climate of uncertainty, nearly 35% of students list visas and immigration hurdles as a top stressor.

What the Numbers Say

All these factors – financial strain, visa hurdles and weak support – create a recipe for chronic anxiety. Allianz’s 2024 State of Student Healthcare Report (based on 2,000+ student surveys) found that more than one in four international students reported serious mental health struggles, and around 22% said they felt their lives lacked purpose. Anxiety, stress and difficulty concentrating were among the common issues cited. A striking finding was the hidden burden of unmet need: over 42% of students had at least one diagnosed mental health condition (with 22.5% reporting multiple conditions), yet only about a quarter had actually sought professional treatment. Many simply cope on their own or rely on friends, as stigma or cost fears deter them from counselling or therapy.

In practical terms, the picture in universities confirms these trends. At RMIT University in Melbourne, where 24% of enrolments are international, the student wellbeing hub notes that homesickness and a lack of belonging are “consistent themes” among those seeking help. Its counsellors also see students struggling to navigate everyday systems – from banking to healthcare – without guidance. It’s not only emotional stress: part‑time work can offer relief but also exploitation.

From Policy to Practice

The policy context looms large over these personal struggles. In December 2023 the federal government released a new Migration Strategy, promising to “strengthen the integrity and quality” of Australia’s international education sector and to “protect international students”. Measures include stricter admission tests and higher financial capacity requirements for visas. But critics say some reforms risk hurting the very people they aim to help. For example, in early 2024 the minimum financial evidence for a student visa was raised to nearly $30,000, a hefty sum for many families. Meanwhile political debate has turned students into scapegoats for the housing crisis. Studies find no link between rising rents and international student numbers, yet campaign rhetoric is full of warnings that cutting student numbers will free up homes. Experts say solutions must be multi‑faceted: strengthening counselling and financial aid services on campuses, providing better information about healthcare and housing, and ensuring visa regulations do not leave students in limbo.

As Prof. Ramia bluntly puts it, foreign students risk being seen “not as consumers and sources of revenue but as human beings” deserving of care.