Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has quietly lifted India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan into the highest-risk Evidence Level 3 group under the Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF), effective 8 January 2026. The out-of-cycle re-rating means that applicants from those four South-Asian countries must now submit far more extensive documentary proof of funds, English-language ability and genuine study intent. Banks statements will be verified manually, education providers may receive verification calls, and case officers have greater discretion to request interviews or additional evidence.
Officials say the move was triggered by “emerging integrity risks” after a spike in fraudulent financial documents and falsified academic transcripts. India alone supplies almost 140,000 of Australia’s 650,000 international students, while the four newly up-rated countries accounted for nearly one-third of 2025 commencements. Industry sources told the Times of India that a growing share of applicants turned to Australia after the US, UK and Canada tightened post-study work rights, creating a surge that overwhelmed Australian integrity checks.
Prospective applicants grappling with these stricter requirements may benefit from professional guidance. VisaHQ’s Australia team (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) can streamline the process by pre-reviewing financial evidence, coordinating document verification and advising on Genuine Temporary Entrant statements, helping students and employers avoid common pitfalls before submitting a visa application.
![Australia Puts India and Three Neighbours in Highest-Risk Tier for Student Visas]()
Under Evidence Level 3 settings, median processing times are expected to stretch from the current three weeks to up to eight weeks. Education agents warn universities to budget for higher visa refusal rates and to stagger intake dates so late-arriving students can still enrol. Employers who use the Post-Study Graduate visas as a pipeline for talent may also face longer lead times before graduates are work-ready.
For corporate mobility managers, the upgrade translates into less predictability when relocating dependants of executive transferees from the affected countries. Organisations are advised to front-load applications with audited financial statements, strengthen genuine temporary entrant (GTE) statements and build extra buffer time into project start dates. Universities are already scheduling additional pre-departure briefings to manage expectations and discourage “course hopping”.
Although the government insists the crackdown is aimed at fraud rings rather than genuine students, peak body Universities Australia is lobbying for a dedicated ‘trusted provider’ pilot that would allow low-risk institutions to fast-track bona fide candidates even from Evidence Level 3 nations. For now, however, students and employers will have to navigate a tougher, slower process until integrity concerns subside.
Officials say the move was triggered by “emerging integrity risks” after a spike in fraudulent financial documents and falsified academic transcripts. India alone supplies almost 140,000 of Australia’s 650,000 international students, while the four newly up-rated countries accounted for nearly one-third of 2025 commencements. Industry sources told the Times of India that a growing share of applicants turned to Australia after the US, UK and Canada tightened post-study work rights, creating a surge that overwhelmed Australian integrity checks.
Prospective applicants grappling with these stricter requirements may benefit from professional guidance. VisaHQ’s Australia team (https://www.visahq.com/australia/) can streamline the process by pre-reviewing financial evidence, coordinating document verification and advising on Genuine Temporary Entrant statements, helping students and employers avoid common pitfalls before submitting a visa application.
Under Evidence Level 3 settings, median processing times are expected to stretch from the current three weeks to up to eight weeks. Education agents warn universities to budget for higher visa refusal rates and to stagger intake dates so late-arriving students can still enrol. Employers who use the Post-Study Graduate visas as a pipeline for talent may also face longer lead times before graduates are work-ready.
For corporate mobility managers, the upgrade translates into less predictability when relocating dependants of executive transferees from the affected countries. Organisations are advised to front-load applications with audited financial statements, strengthen genuine temporary entrant (GTE) statements and build extra buffer time into project start dates. Universities are already scheduling additional pre-departure briefings to manage expectations and discourage “course hopping”.
Although the government insists the crackdown is aimed at fraud rings rather than genuine students, peak body Universities Australia is lobbying for a dedicated ‘trusted provider’ pilot that would allow low-risk institutions to fast-track bona fide candidates even from Evidence Level 3 nations. For now, however, students and employers will have to navigate a tougher, slower process until integrity concerns subside.
