Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has lifted India from Evidence Level 2 to Level 3 for student visas, effective 8 January. The out-of-cycle move follows a surge in document fraud cases—particularly fake degrees—uncovered during 2025 integrity audits. Under Level 3, Indian applicants must present more comprehensive financial statements, detailed academic transcripts and may face extra interviews.
The change affects the Subclass 500 Student Visa and Temporary Graduate Visa pipelines. Education agents predict processing times could double from four to eight weeks, with higher refusal rates for marginal profiles. Universities that rely on the large Indian market—Indians formed 22 percent of new international enrolments in 2025—are bracing for mid-semester shortfalls and are lobbying Canberra for transitional concessions.
![Australia Raises Risk Rating for Indian Student Visas, Tougher Financial Proof Now Required]()
Amid these uncertainties, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork maze. Through its dedicated India platform (https://www.visahq.com/india/), the service reviews financial statements, validates academic records and schedules visa appointments, giving students a better shot at first-time approval under the stricter Level-3 regime.
For Indian families, the immediate impact is steeper up-front costs: proof of A$29,710 in annual living expenses plus tuition for the first year must now be shown in bank accounts that are at least three months old. Loan sanction letters alone will no longer suffice. Dependants will need separate funds.
Longer-term, education consultants expect a shift toward competing destinations such as Canada or the UK if approval rates fall. Employers in Australia who hire graduates on the 485 visa fear talent shortages in IT and engineering just as skills-assessment bodies report rising demand.
The change affects the Subclass 500 Student Visa and Temporary Graduate Visa pipelines. Education agents predict processing times could double from four to eight weeks, with higher refusal rates for marginal profiles. Universities that rely on the large Indian market—Indians formed 22 percent of new international enrolments in 2025—are bracing for mid-semester shortfalls and are lobbying Canberra for transitional concessions.
Amid these uncertainties, VisaHQ can simplify the paperwork maze. Through its dedicated India platform (https://www.visahq.com/india/), the service reviews financial statements, validates academic records and schedules visa appointments, giving students a better shot at first-time approval under the stricter Level-3 regime.
For Indian families, the immediate impact is steeper up-front costs: proof of A$29,710 in annual living expenses plus tuition for the first year must now be shown in bank accounts that are at least three months old. Loan sanction letters alone will no longer suffice. Dependants will need separate funds.
Longer-term, education consultants expect a shift toward competing destinations such as Canada or the UK if approval rates fall. Employers in Australia who hire graduates on the 485 visa fear talent shortages in IT and engineering just as skills-assessment bodies report rising demand.
