Visa changes force Australian Universities to withdraw offers to international students

The migration strategy announced by Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, in December included prioritising student visa applications based on institutions’ risk levels, with higher-risk providers being subject to slower processing times

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The Times Higher Education has reported that Wollongong and La Trobe universities have cancelled certificates of enrolment previously granted to international students, as the issuance of study visas in the country has reached record lows, especially for Indian and Bangladeshi students, according to a report from visaguide.world.

The migration strategy announced by Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, in December included prioritising student visa applications based on institutions’ risk levels, with higher-risk providers being subject to slower processing times.

• A spokeswoman from La Trobe said that her university was working with less than 0.4 percent of its overseas applicants to review and revise their applications

• According to the Australian Department of Education, India is the second source country for international students, with 158,724 enrolments being recorded between January and October of 2023

This sent around 18 universities across the country into a panic, as they are rated high risk, with this situation remaining for another two months until the risk ratings are expected to be updated, as the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI) points out.

Authorities rejected 21 percent of the visa applications from international students in the second half of last year, with refusal rates reaching 37 percent for applications from Pakistan, 39 percent from India, and 52 percent from Nepal.

According to a previous Financial Review article published in August, India accounts for the highest rejection rate for overseas applicants, standing at 93.8 percent. However, Indian nationals who applied for the same visa while already staying in Australia have an approval rate of 97 per cent, indicating a trend of universities declining newcomers to the country.

An email published in the Koala International Education News shows Wollongong University informing a student that they were ‘unlikely to meet the new criteria to obtain a positive visa outcome’, offering them two options: either withdraw their offer and receive a refund or defer their offer.

A spokeswoman from La Trobe said that her university was working with less than 0.4 percent of its overseas applicants to review and revise their applications. According to the Australian Department of Education, India is the second source country for international students, with 158,724 enrolments being recorded between January and October of 2023.

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