Australia has reclassified India to its highest-risk category for student visas, subjecting applicants to stricter scrutiny and enhanced documentary requirements.
Under the assessment framework, countries are ranked from Assessment Level 1, the lowest risk, to Assessment Level 3, the highest risk. India has been moved from AL2 to AL3, joining several other South Asian countries, including Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, while Pakistan remains in the highest-risk tier.
The changes came into effect on January 8, 2026.
In a statement, Australian authorities said the revised evidence levels would help manage emerging integrity issues while continuing to facilitate genuine students seeking quality education in the country. India remains one of Australia’s largest sources of international students, with nearly 140,000 enrolments out of about 650,000 total international students.
As part of the reclassification, applicants will now be required to submit more extensive proof of finances, English language proficiency, and genuine temporary entrant intentions.
Former Deputy Secretary of Australia’s Department of Immigration Abul Rizvi said higher risk levels involve deeper verification, including checks with educational institutions and banks to validate documents.
Rizvi also pointed to a recent fake degree racket uncovered in India as a possible factor behind the move. Kerala Police had earlier exposed a network that allegedly supplied fraudulent certificates to over 10 lakh individuals for use at international universities.
Australian Senator Malcolm Roberts accused the government of failing to act against the issue, claiming thousands of foreign students in Australia were found with purchased degrees.
It remains unclear whether the reclassification is temporary or indicates a long-term shift in Australia’s international student visa policy.