Australia puts India in 'highest-risk' category for student visas: What does it mean?

Australia has placed India into its highest-risk category for student visas, thereby imposing stricter document requirements and heightened scrutiny on applications. This has been done by reclassifying India to the Assessment Level 3 or AL3 category. India is one of the Australia's largest source countries for international students, reportedly accounting for nearly 1,40,000 of the nation's approximately 6,50,000 enrolments. India was earlier placed in the AL2 category.

The changes reportedly came into effect on 8 January, with an official statement saying: "This change in Evidence Levels will assist with the effective management of emerging integrity issues, while continuing to facilitate genuine students seeking a quality education in Australia." Several other South Asian countries -- including Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan -- have also been reclassified to the highest-risk tier. The news comes after Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese faced criticism for failing to act against a major international racket involving fake educational certificates.

What changes for students?

As per the reclassification, students will reportedly be required to furnish "more extensive proof of finances, English proficiency and genuine temporary entrant intentions, among other criteria." Students can also expect to face more rigorous background checks, including heightened verification of bank statements and other documents. Besides, the visa processing time is likely to increase as a result of the greater scrutiny. According to the Australian education ministry, India is only second to China in terms of the number of international students enrolled in its institutes. As per data from 2025, around 1.9 lakh Chinese students are enrolled in the country.