Australia Plans to Slow Processing of International Student Visas

New Delhi | 23 Dec 2024

Australia has announced plans to slow down the processing of international student visas, raising concerns among prospective students and educational institutions globally. The move, set to impact applicants from high-risk regions, aims to address concerns about visa misuse and maintain the integrity of Australia’s immigration system.

The country recently declared that by 2025 it would restrict the number of international students it would accept to 2.70 lakh. The Australian government has now declared that once applications reach a target for each university, the federal government will try to lower the number of international students by ordering a go-slow on visa processing.

This decision was made a few months ago but was blocked by the Liberals and Greens during the last days of Parliament. Student visas will now be separated into two categories under the new Ministerial Direction 111 (MD111): high priority and standard priority. Up to 80% of their cap will be given to all universities for high-priority processing. Beyond that, standard priority processing will start.

This takes the place of the contentious Ministerial Direction 107 (MD107), which was implemented in December 2023 and gave students from low-risk countries and low-risk sandstone universities priority when it came to visa processing.

All experts have not well received this decision as some think that the ongoing changes may confuse international students hoping to study in Australia. They are also worried that these confusing changes will make Australia appear inhospitable to prospective immigrants. With targets set for each Australian university’s international enrollment for 2025, it makes no sense that prompt Government support in processing visas will only apply to 80 per cent of that target, says Vicki Thomson, chief executive of the Group of Eight, which represents Australia eight top research universities. 

The delayed processing of student visas reflects Australia’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of its immigration system but has sparked widespread concern. As students and institutions await clarity, many hope the government will expedite this review process to strike a balance between security and efficiency.