Australia has made a major change to visa rules for Indian students, placing India in the 'highest risk' (AL3) category. This will increase the documentation requirements ...read more

The path for Indian students dreaming of going to Australia has just become more challenging. The Australian government has made a major change to student visa rules, placing India in the "highest risk" (Assessment Level 3 - AL3) category.

Australia has reclassified India into the highest risk category for student visas. This has implemented stricter documentation requirements and more rigorous scrutiny of applications. This change has moved India from category AL2 to AL3.

India is one of Australia's largest source countries for international students, enrolling approximately 140,000 students, representing approximately 650,000 of the country's total enrollment. Despite this, Australia has placed India in the highest risk category. This move follows the recent exposure of a large-scale fake degree racket and visa fraud in India.

The rules came into effect from January 8, 2026

Australia has implemented this change effective January 8, 2026. Under these rules, Indian applicants will now be required to provide more robust evidence of their financial situation and educational qualifications. Officials have clarified that bank statements and degrees will now be verified directly from institutions.

India in the 'high risk' category

In addition to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan have also been placed in the same "high-risk" category, making entry requirements for South Asian students into the Australian education market much stricter. Higher risk levels require more documentation and other criteria. However, it is still unclear whether these changes are temporary or signal long-term changes to the international student market.

According to Australia Today, International Education Minister Julian Hill said Australia has become the least preferred destination for international students among the "Big 4." The other three are the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

 PC: Jagran