Government warns 115,000 Australians overseas not to cancel flights as Middle East airspace shuts
Australia doubles Temporary Graduate visa fee, sparking backlash from international students
ABC explainer: How the Iran–Israel war is disrupting flights for Australian travellers
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Middle-East conflict grounds Gulf hub flights; DFAT issues ‘do not travel’ alerts
Conflict-related air-space closures in the Gulf have cancelled or diverted flights on Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, stranding Australian travellers and forcing emergency re-routing through Asia. DFAT has simultaneously escalated Smartraveller advice to “Do Not Travel” for multiple Middle-East countries. Companies face higher travel costs, longer routings and potential cargo bottlenecks.
India added to Australia’s ‘highest-risk’ list for student visas, triggering tougher checks
Australia has re-classified India (along with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh) as a ‘highest-risk’ source country for student visas. Applicants must now meet higher financial thresholds and pass stricter Genuine Student tests, raising costs and uncertainty for the market that accounts for 17 per cent of enrolments.