This news is worrying for Indian students dreaming of studying in Australia. In a major change in the student visa rules, the Australian government has now put India in the category of “highest risk” i.e. Assessment Level-3 (AL3). After this decision, the path of studying in Australia has become more difficult than before for Indian students.
Till now India was in the Assessment Level-2 (AL2) category, where the visa process was considered relatively easy. But under the new decision, India has been directly put in AL3. This clearly means that now the visa applications of Indian students will be scrutinized more strictly. The number of documents will increase and every information will be examined in depth.
This step of the Australian government has been taken after the recent cases of fake degree and visa fraud. Many cases of people going abroad through fake colleges, fake certificates and wrong documents have come to light on a large scale in India. Based on these reasons, Australia has put India in the list of “high risk” countries.
It is worth noting that India is one of the largest source countries of international students for Australia. Every year about 1 lakh 40 thousand Indian students take admission in Australia. The total number of international students is about 6 lakh 50 thousand, in which the participation of Indian students is quite large. Despite this, placing India in the high risk category raises many questions.
Rules applicable from this day
The new rules have been implemented from January 8, 2026. Under these rules, now Indian students will have to present documents related to their studies and money in a stronger manner than before. Just giving the bank statement will not be enough, but you will also have to prove where the money has come from and your ability to bear the entire expense of studies.
Along with this, strict scrutiny of educational documents will also be done. Verification of degrees, marksheets and other certificates will now be done directly from the respective institutions. That is, if any discrepancy is found in any document, the visa application can be rejected directly. Due to this, even honest students may have to face a long process and long wait.
These countries are also in high risk category
Apart from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan have also been kept in the category of “high risk” countries. It is clear from this that for students coming from South Asian countries, studying in Australia will no longer be as easy as before. Students from these countries will have to provide more documents and the visa process may take more time.
However, it is not yet clear whether this change is for some time or will remain in effect for a long time. Education experts believe that if the strictness continues for a long time, it may also affect Australia’s education sector. Because a large number of international students form an important part of the income of the universities and colleges there.
According to a report by Australia Today, International Education Minister Julian Hill has admitted that Australia is no longer the same choice among international students. He said that Australia is now becoming the least liked country among the “Big 4” countries. These four countries include America, Britain, Canada and Australia.
Also read: Those who score -40 marks in NEET PG will also become doctors, know which candidates will get this benefit.
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