The Australian Department of Home Affairs has shifted India to Evidence Level 3—the highest-risk tier in its Simplified Student Visa Framework—effective 8 January 2026, according to an internal bulletin circulated on 13 January. Colleges must now collect significantly more financial and English-language documentation from Indian applicants, reversing pandemic-era relaxations that had streamlined enrolment.
Under Level 3, prospective students must show up-front funds to cover 12 months of tuition, living costs and return airfare—approximately A$29,000—and may be asked for IELTS 7.0 or equivalent even where lower scores previously sufficed. Processing times are expected to extend by two to four weeks as case officers conduct extra genuineness interviews.
![Australia Reclassifies India as Highest-Risk Student-Visa Market, Tougher Evidence Rules Kick In]()
For applicants who want help navigating these tougher requirements, VisaHQ’s New Delhi team can assemble the mandatory financial statements, schedule English-language testing and pre-check forms before they reach Australian case officers; its online dashboard also lets universities and corporate sponsors track progress in real time. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/india/.
Indian education consultants fear rejection rates could jump above 25 percent, jeopardising July 2026 semester intakes and the pipeline of graduates who feed Australia’s labour-short tech and healthcare sectors via post-study work visas. Universities reliant on Indian fees are drafting contingency budgets, while corporate sponsors sending staff for MBA or R&D programmes are advised to initiate filings at least six months ahead.
The downgrade follows a 42 percent spike in visa non-compliance by Indian nationals in 2025—mainly unauthorised work hours and course hopping—and comes amid broader political pressure to rein in net overseas migration. Stakeholders will watch whether Canada or the UK adopt similar risk-re-ratings as competition for high-value students intensifies.
Under Level 3, prospective students must show up-front funds to cover 12 months of tuition, living costs and return airfare—approximately A$29,000—and may be asked for IELTS 7.0 or equivalent even where lower scores previously sufficed. Processing times are expected to extend by two to four weeks as case officers conduct extra genuineness interviews.
For applicants who want help navigating these tougher requirements, VisaHQ’s New Delhi team can assemble the mandatory financial statements, schedule English-language testing and pre-check forms before they reach Australian case officers; its online dashboard also lets universities and corporate sponsors track progress in real time. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/india/.
Indian education consultants fear rejection rates could jump above 25 percent, jeopardising July 2026 semester intakes and the pipeline of graduates who feed Australia’s labour-short tech and healthcare sectors via post-study work visas. Universities reliant on Indian fees are drafting contingency budgets, while corporate sponsors sending staff for MBA or R&D programmes are advised to initiate filings at least six months ahead.
The downgrade follows a 42 percent spike in visa non-compliance by Indian nationals in 2025—mainly unauthorised work hours and course hopping—and comes amid broader political pressure to rein in net overseas migration. Stakeholders will watch whether Canada or the UK adopt similar risk-re-ratings as competition for high-value students intensifies.
