Web Desk: Australia has tightened scrutiny of student visa applications from India by placing the country in the ‘highest risk category’, significantly increasing checks on Indian students.
According to India’s Times of India, the new classification came into effect on January 8, 2026, under which India has been moved from Evidence Level 2 to Evidence Level 3 in Australia’s Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF).
Australian media reports said the decision was taken outside the regular review schedule, indicating serious concerns among authorities.
Following the new classification, Australian visa authorities will more strictly assess financial capacity, academic background and English language test results of Indian students.
Reports said Indian students seeking Australian student visas may now be required to submit additional documents, while bank statements could be verified in real time. Visa officers have also been authorized to directly contact educational institutions to verify degrees and academic records.
Phil Honeywood, Chief Executive of the International Education Association of Australia, described the issue of fake degrees as serious. He said many students were turning to Australia after failing to gain admission in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada due to forged academic credentials.
Indian media further reported that police have so far seized fake educational certificates worth more than Rs1 billion from degree-forgery networks.
Experts believe that rising cases of education fraud and fake degrees have severely damaged India’s international credibility in the education sector.