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

India is one of Australia’s largest source countries for international students.

Australia has placed India in the highest risk category for student visas, thus introducing stricter documentation requirements and imposing greater scrutiny on applications. This has been done by reclassifying India to Assessment Level 3 or AL3 category. India is one of Australia’s largest source countries for international students, reportedly accounting for around 1,40,000 of the approximately 6,50,000 enrollments in the country. India was previously in the AL2 category.

The changes reportedly came into effect on January 8, with the following official statement: “This change to Levels of Evidence will help effectively manage emerging integrity issues while continuing to facilitate genuine students seeking a quality education in Australia.” Many other South Asian countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, have also been reclassified to the highest risk level. The news comes after Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese was criticized for failing to take action against a major international rival involving fake education certificates.

What changes are in store for students?

Under the reclassification, students will reportedly be required to provide “more comprehensive financial evidence, English proficiency, and genuine provisional entry intentions, among other criteria.” Students can also expect to face stricter background checks, including increased verification of bank statements and other documents. Additionally, visa processing times are likely to increase as a result of further scrutiny. According to the Australian education ministry, India ranks second after China in terms of the number of international students enrolled in its institutes. According to 2025 data, approximately 1.9 lakh Chinese students are enrolled in the country.