According to reports published in the Sydney Morning Herald, several Australian universities have banned or restricted the admission of students from select Indian states. What is the reason for these restrictions and how will they affect the dreams of Indians planning to study in Australia? Mint explains:
Where are the restrictions imposed?
Two Australian universities, Federation University in Victoria and Western Sydney University in New South Wales, stopped admitting Indian students from some states in May, issuing a note to education agents facilitating admissions for students. Federation University has stopped processing applications from students from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and UP until further notice, while Western Sydney University has barred admissions from Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat in May and June. In April, at least four other universities (Victoria, Edith Cowan, Torrance and Southern Cross) blocked access from parts of India. In March two other universities (Wollongong and Flinders) revised their application processes for students from countries considered “high risk”.
What is the reason for these restrictions?
Universities have identified high attrition rate as the major reason. After securing admission to universities in 2022, many Indian students reportedly dropped out and went to cheaper vocational institutes. Such students are labeled as “fraudulent” or “non-genuine” by visa and college officials. With the increase in such cases, the rejection rate for college applicants has also increased to 20.1%, which is far higher than 12.5% in 2019. For India, it has reached 24.3%, the highest since 2012. A commission helps place students in expensive, prestigious private institutions that have relatively high visa acceptance rates. Once students reach the country, they are transferred to lower-cost programs by the agents’ offshore counterparts.
Has there been an increase in the number of Indians going to Australia to study?
After a decline during the Covid years, there was an increase in the number of students going to Australia in 2022-23. According to visa data from Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, over 52,000 Indians have been granted student visas in the first six months of the current academic year, higher than the total number for 2021-22 (42,627). If the trend continues, it may cross the previous high of 66,449 in 2018-19.
Why are Indian students dropping out?
Experts attribute this to two policies: permission to change colleges after landing in Australia and relaxation of student working hours during Covid. Students in Australia were only allowed to work 20 hours a week in the first week but this was lifted during the pandemic. Many students obviously started working full time and put off going to college altogether. Some went to cheaper colleges to save a few lakhs during their stay. This relaxation in working hours for students, however, will end on June 30. It is possible that these ‘loopholes’ have also been exploited by people seeking low-skill-work visas.
How will the ban affect potential applicants?
Although the restrictions may be short-lived, they could have a serious impact on the number of applications in Australia, according to a visa consultant. Such broad restrictions can create a sense of uncertainty among parents, thereby reducing people’s preference for Australia as an education destination. It is currently the fourth most popular country for Indian students after the US, Canada and the UK. Visa consultants say the Australian government could have made policy changes instead of imposing restrictions that would affect genuine applicants. The government could have barred students from changing colleges or imposed higher initial fees to curb the practice.
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Updated: May 30, 2023, 04:43 PM IST