Indians seeking Australia’s student visas to face ‘highest security risk’ scrutiny: Report

Australia has moved India into its ‘highest-risk’ category for student visa applicants, tightening scrutiny and lengthening processing times as part of an out-of-cycle re-rating under its Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF).

According to a Times of India report, citing Australian media, effective January 8, 2026, India has been shifted from Evidence Level 2 to Evidence Level 3, alongside Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, citing what authorities described as “emerging integrity risks.”

Under the new classification, student visa applications from these four South Asian countries will face more rigorous checks.

Australian media reported that the re-rating was implemented outside the usual review cycle, reflecting growing concerns within the administration.

“This change will assist with the effective management of emerging integrity issues, while continuing to facilitate genuine students seeking a quality education in Australia,” the report quoted the Australian administration as saying.

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It added that the government wants international students to have a positive study experience and confidence that they are investing in a high-quality education, while ensuring the Student Visa Program has the “right settings” to protect the integrity of the system.

Impact on Indian students

For Indian students, the re-rating means closer scrutiny of visa applications.

Authorities may request additional documentation, conduct more rigorous background checks and manually verify bank statements.

Applicants could also be asked to provide extra evidence of English language proficiency, while visa officers will have the authority to directly contact educational institutions and referees.

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Processing times are also expected to increase significantly, stretching from the current average of around three weeks to as long as eight weeks.

Why India was moved to the highest-risk category

While the administration did not specify a single reason for India’s reclassification, the move follows recent reports of fake degree rackets in India that attracted international attention.

India is Australia’s second-largest source of international students, accounting for nearly 140,000 of the country’s 650,000 overseas enrolments.

Together, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan make up almost one-third of total international student enrolments in 2025.

Experts say the tightening also reflects broader global trends.

With the US, UK and Canada increasingly restricting foreign student intakes, Australia has become the primary remaining destination among the “big four” study destinations.

“It recently became obvious that student applicants who couldn’t get into those other three countries are increasingly applying to come to Australia, and in many cases we’ve seen an increase in fraudulent financial and academic documents,” ToI quoted Phil Honeywood, chief executive of the International Education Association of Australia, as saying.

“By placing a number of these countries into the highest risk rating level, it automatically enhances the filtering of student visa applicants to ensure bona fide study motivation,” he added.

With inputs from agencies