The agency launches a quarterly survey to track what on-shore international students are thinking

“The  tracker will provide practical insights to assist agencies in improving their international student services,” Austrade advises.

The first survey running now, asks internationals here what they think about Australia and what’s bothering them – the question about “employment issues” might strike some students as understating how dire their circumstances are. Nor will the raffle prize for participants – four $50 grocery gift cards strike some as sufficient acknowledgement.

There is also a question about what they want to do, bail and go home or stick it out which should be useful in a general sense for planners wondering what numbers will look like next semester.

And there is another about how they want the Australian Government to keep them up to date – CMM suspects internationals who remember the prime minister telling those who need help to go home might tick the “I don’t want to be kept up to date from the Australian Government” box.