In a concerning trend, applications from Indian nationals seeking to study in Australia are facing rejection at a rate more than 50 percent higher than those from China, according to The Age. This has raised allegations that the government is sending mixed messages, particularly after ministerial visits to India aimed at promoting tertiary education.
According to exclusive data obtained by The Age from the Home Affairs department, just over 10 percent of offshore applications from Indian nationals to international colleges have been accepted this financial year.
The stringent visa approval process is part of an effort to combat visa fraud within the sector. Notably, Indians constitute Australia’s second-largest international student cohort, yet only 58.9 percent of Indian student visas for universities were approved.
Nepalese students applying from overseas are also feeling the impact, with a mere 47 percent approval rate for universities and a concerning 9.1 percent for the vocational education and training (VET) sector since July, The Age reports.
In stark contrast, Chinese students, the largest international student group in Australia, experienced significantly higher approval rates. Offshore applications from Chinese students were approved 97.7 percent of the time for universities and 42.1 percent for the VET sector during the same period.
This crackdown is a response to the issue of ‘ghost colleges’ exposed by an investigation by The Age earlier this year. These colleges, despite enrolling thousands of students, were found to have largely empty campuses. Australia’s top universities have supported the government’s efforts to tighten international education parameters to ensure that only genuine students are welcomed.
While this move has garnered support from some quarters, Troy Williams, CEO of the International Tertiary Education Council of Australia, representing private, international colleges, expressed concerns. He warned that the government’s approach could be perceived as chaotic and lacking coordination.
The report quotes Sudarshan Sritharan, secretary of the Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria, who urged caution, emphasising the need for the government to carefully consider the message being conveyed through high rates of rejection.
Responding to these concerns, a spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs asserted that the visa program is non-discriminatory, emphasising the key requirement for successful applicants to be genuine students. The spokesperson cited a noticeable increase in student visa fraud post-pandemic.
The backdrop of this situation includes a visit by Education Minister Jason Clare and Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor to India in November of last year, as reported exclusively by The Age, aimed at strengthening the relationship between the two countries.
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