Melbourne: There is bad news for Indian students who want to study abroad. Five Australian universities have banned the admission of Indian students. This step has been taken in the wake of complaints that there has been a relatively large increase in the number of fake students from South Asia.
At least five Australian universities have barred students from some Indian states amid a surge in fraudulent applications from South Asia seeking to work or study in the country, a media report said.
Australia is on track for its highest ever annual Indian student intake, with 75,000 students enrolled in 2019, the highest ever. The current increase has raised concerns among MPs and the education sector about the integrity of Australia’s immigration system and the long-term impact on the country’s lucrative international education market, a newspaper reported on Tuesday.
“The number of students has been much higher than anyone expected,” said John Chew of global education firm Navitas.
With many applicants deemed by universities to not meet Australian visa requirements and to be ‘temporary entrants’ for education only, universities are imposing restrictions as part of pre-emptive efforts to ensure their ‘risk rating’ is not downgraded. The report said.
Universities that have barred entry to students from some Indian states are concerned that the Ministry of Home Affairs will quickly reduce their ability to issue student visas as the number of applicants to actually work (not study) in Australia increases.