The Latin American cultural presence in Australia goes beyond Zumba classes and fancy tacos. It’s no wonder we hear more Spanish and Portuguese in the streets: the proportion of Latin American students in Australia has been steadily growing in the last seven years.
The number of student visas issued to Latin American citizens rose 34% between 2006-07 and 2012-13. Chileans, Brazilians, Venezuelans, Peruvians, Ecuadorians, Mexicans and Colombians hold 8.1% of all student visas granted in 2012-13, up from 6% seven years ago, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection reports. Although Asian students still comprise the vast majority of student visa holders (19.9% from China alone), the proportion of Latin Americans has been growing every year.
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