Bangladeshi students on Australia’s high-risk visa list

Australia has tightened its student visa process for Bangladeshis. Citing “emerging integrity issues” and concerns over fraud or irregularities, the country has moved Bangladesh from the lowest-risk category to the highest-risk list. India, Nepal, and Bhutan have also been placed in the same top-risk category, labelled ‘Evidence Level-3’. This decision will directly affect Bangladeshi students seeking to study in Australia.

The Australian government said that recent trends in student visa applications from these four countries have raised questions about the credibility of the visa system, prompting additional verification measures.

According to a report by News.com.au, on Thursday (8 January 2026) the Australian federal government officially included Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan in the highest-risk category for student visas. Former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration, Abul Rizvi, described the move as “highly unusual” and an off-schedule decision. He noted that last year nearly one-third of international student admissions came from these four countries. Rizvi served in the immigration department from 1991 to 2007.

Bangladesh is one of Australia’s key sources of international students. Under the new rules, Bangladeshi applicants will face much stricter scrutiny of their financial capacity and academic background. The visa application process will involve more documentation and longer verification periods, making it harder and more time-consuming for many students to obtain visas.

Abul Rizvi confirmed that a spokesperson from Australia’s Department of Home Affairs had explained the changes, saying: “On 8 January 2026, the evidence levels for several South Asian countries were revised. This will effectively address emerging integrity issues while ensuring that genuine students can still access quality education in Australia.”

The Home Affairs spokesperson added: “The Australian government wants all international students to have a positive experience while in Australia and to receive high-quality education. Measures like these in Australia’s international education and student visa system are essential so that students can invest with confidence, knowing they will receive the best education.”

Before this decision, in December, Australia’s assistant minister for international education, Julian Hill, visited India and met directly with home affairs officials. The evidence level adjustments were announced following these consultations.

Under Australia’s Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF), students and educational institutions from different countries are assigned an evidence level based on several indicators. These include the rate of visa refusals due to fraud or other reasons, visa cancellations, the proportion of student visa holders who become unlawful non-citizens, and the rate of subsequent asylum applications.

Being placed in Evidence Level 3—the highest risk category—requires visa applicants and institutions to submit extensive documentation regarding financial capacity and academic history.

Abul Rizvi explained that the higher the evidence level, the more directly visa officers verify documents rather than relying solely on the institution’s assurances. He said: “At higher risk levels, additional documentation is required, and the underlying information is scrutinised more thoroughly. Transcripts may be verified directly with the institution, and financial records could even be cross-checked with banks.”

Typically, evidence levels are updated around the middle of each year after analysing the previous year’s data. Abul Rizvi said that in July–August last year, China’s evidence level was lowered from Level 1 to Level 2, which brought China, India, and Nepal to the same level—something that was somewhat unusual. He added that subsequent detailed analyses were conducted, and in some streamlined case samples, they observed an increase in the incidence of fraud.

According to Rizvi, a major fake degree scandal in India at the beginning of December, in which over 100,000 counterfeit certificates were seized, may have contributed to the new stricter rules. However, he noted that most students coming to Australia do not intentionally submit fraudulent degrees, as there is a high risk of detection. He said this additional scrutiny will primarily affect verification of financial capacity and academic background, while English language tests will be comparatively less impacted.

Abul Rizvi, who served in the Department of Immigration from 1991 to 2007, said the new measures will significantly increase visa processing times. However, he noted that the government’s national plan for 2026, which sets a target of 295,000 international students, remains unchanged. This target is 25,000 higher than the 2025 figure and was announced last October.

Rizvi added that the stricter rules are likely to raise visa rejection rates, which may require the government to attract students from other countries to fill the shortfall. He said it could become more difficult to bring in additional students from China, although there may still be some opportunities from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom due to their own restrictions. He suggested that the number of students from Vietnam and Indonesia could increase, as both countries remain in Evidence Level 1.

Universities Australia has stated that it is monitoring the situation and working with government departments and its member universities to understand the impact of the changes. A spokesperson for the organisation said the rise in fraudulent applications is concerning, and they support strengthening integrity measures to protect genuine students and the reputation of Australia’s world-class education system.

Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), said that unfortunately many young people currently do not have the opportunity to study in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. He noted that students who are unsuccessful in those countries are increasingly applying to Australia, and in many cases the number of fraudulent financial and academic documents has risen. According to him, including these countries in the highest-risk category will make the verification process for genuine students more effective.

Phil Honeywood added that each educational institution currently has enrolment limits, which is particularly challenging for private providers. He noted that the new system could ultimately allow more high-quality students to gain admission.

Separately, in July, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) cancelled over 25,000 certificates issued by registered training organisations (RTOs) across sectors such as aged care, childcare, and construction due to irregularities and fraud.

According to the Australian Department of Education, between January and October 2025, there were 833,041 international students studying in the country. China led the list with 192,225 students, followed by India with 140,871, Nepal with 68,456, and Vietnam with 36,415 students.

Phil Honeywood also said that each educational institution currently has enrolment limits, which is particularly challenging for private providers. He added that the new system could ultimately make it possible to admit more high-quality students.

Under the new rules, applicants must demonstrate sufficient funds to cover their own and their family’s travel expenses, 12 months of living costs, tuition fees, and education expenses for any dependents. Alongside Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal have also been placed in Level-3, though Bangladesh is seen as the most significantly downgraded among the four.

Phil Honeywood said that during his South Asia visit, assistant minister for International Education Julian Hill had expressed concern over rising fraud in visa applications. In response, financial and academic verification processes have been made more stringent.

Last year, enrolment of international students in Australian universities increased, with applications from Bangladesh showing a particularly sharp rise. In 2025, around 8,000 Bangladeshi students applied, compared with roughly 2,000 to 2,500 in previous years.