The Australian university sector had almost one million international students in 2024. This population faces significant mental health challenges that affect their wellbeing and academic success, but these issues have received minimal empirical attention. Past research reports that international students experience acculturative stress due to language barriers, lack of social support, and discrimination, which contribute to poor mental health. Current evidence lacks insight into the progression of acculturative stress over time. To address this gap, this study conducted a longitudinal investigation of the mental health profiles of 140 Chinese international tertiary students in Australia and 84 Chinese tertiary students in China (M