International student enrolments globally have grown substantially over the first decade of the twenty-first century. In the context of Australia, the higher education (HE) sector and specifically the accounting discipline grew during this time, together with the growth in the demand for qualified accountants. Australia was attractive to international students not only because of the prospect of obtaining an overseas accounting qualification, but also the opportunities presented for Permanent Residency given the local skill shortage in accounting. However, a set of reforms to the skilled migration policy announced early in 2010 had implications for the established nexus between accounting education and migration. This paper uses comparative hypothetical case studies to illustrate the impact on the opportunities for international students completing accounting degrees to seek Permanent Residency in Australia. The findings contribute to an understanding of the trend in international student enrolments and, more broadly, the implications for universities in terms of revenue generation from international enrolments. The paper informs accounting educators of some of the pedagogical consequences of the recruitment of international students when enrolments are influenced by government policy, especially immigration policy changes.