Indian Student Visa Rejections Rise as Universities Revise Recruitment Processes

No Ban on Indian Students from Specific States, Confirms Australian High Commission

Social media has witnessed a surge of claims alleging that the Australian government has banned students from Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar from enrolling in Australian universities due to concerns about visa fraud and document forgery. However, a detailed examination of the matter has found no evidence in the form of official statements or credible media reports to validate such claims.

Further investigation revealed that, according to media reports from 2023, certain Australian universities temporarily paused or restricted the recruitment of students from specific Indian states. This decision was reportedly prompted by a sharp increase in visa rejections, which were linked to concerns over fraudulent or non-genuine applications. The Department of Home Affairs had allegedly classified approximately one in four applications from India as “fraudulent” or “non-genuine.” Additionally, universities such as Federation University and Western Sydney University reported high dropout rates and elevated visa refusal rates from these regions, further influencing their actions.

Despite these temporary measures, there is no evidence to suggest that the Australian government imposed a blanket ban. This situation highlights the growing concerns surrounding visa integrity and the academic commitments of international students. In April 2023, the Australian High Commission clarified that the government does not restrict applicants based on region when applying to study in Australia and emphasised that universities independently make decisions on recruitment and admissions.

When the issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha in August 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs reportedly informed the house that the universities involved had reviewed their Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) assessment processes to address concerns regarding high dropout rates and non-genuine applications. By September 2023, media reports indicated that the temporary restrictions imposed by these universities had been lifted, signalling a resolution to earlier concerns.

Recent data also reveal that Indian students are facing higher visa rejection rates compared to applicants from other countries. This follows the alleged rejection of a bill by the Australian Parliament that proposed capping international student numbers at 270,000 by 2025. Visa grant rates for Indian students have reportedly dropped from nearly 90% in previous years to around 65%. Australian Government records for 2024 show that a total of 853,045 international students were enrolled in Australian institutions, with 139,038 of them being Indian nationals. These figures further discredit the claim of a ban on students from specific Indian states, emphasising that temporary restrictions introduced by individual universities in 2023 were later lifted.

Editor's Note:

Recent discussions about how Australian universities recruit students from certain Indian states highlight deeper issues that need to be addressed. Some universities reportedly introduced temporary restrictions in response to concerns like high dropout rates and fake visa applications. However, these actions have sparked important conversations about how fair and transparent the recruitment process is. While universities need to protect their standards, they must also stay committed to fairness and make sure that students are not treated differently just because of where they come from. This situation also points to the bigger challenges faced by international students, who play a valuable role in the academic and cultural life of countries like Australia.

Skobuzz proposes that it is the responsibility of both governments and universities to work together so that efforts to protect the visa process do not turn into barriers for genuine students. By building trust and communicating clearly, universities can continue to be seen as supporters of global education and diversity.