According to The Sydney Morning Herald, two Australian universities, Federation University in Victoria and Western Sydney University in New South Wales, have separately announced bans on accepting students from certain Indian states due to concerns over a rise in fraudulent visa applications.
Australian Universities Ban Indian Students From 6 States
The education agents were instructed not to consider students from Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Department of Home Affairs reportedly deems one in four applications from India as “fraudulent” or “non-genuine.”
Federation University stated in a letter that they have observed a significant increase in visa application refusals from some Indian regions by the Department of Home Affairs. Western Sydney University also cited a large number of Indian students who started courses in 2022 but subsequently dropped out as a reason for banning recruitment from Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat.
As per the letter, “We hoped this would prove to be a short-term issue [but] it is now clear there is a trend emerging. The regions within India that have been identified as presenting the highest attrition risk are Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat.”
Universities’ Actions Reflect Concerns About Authenticity of Applications
This decision was made before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Australia, during which a community event for the Indian diaspora was scheduled to take place in Sydney. The universities’ actions reflect concerns about the authenticity of applications and the intention of some students to prioritize employment prospects in Australia rather than pursuing their studies.
Several other Australian educational institutions, including Edith Cowan University and Victoria University, have also implemented restrictions on accepting students from specific Indian states due to similar concerns about fraudulent applications and applicants’ motives.
It is important to note that these restrictions are specific to certain regions within India and are aimed at addressing the perceived issues related to visa fraud and attrition rates among students from those areas.
The actions taken by these universities reflect their efforts to maintain the integrity of the student visa system and ensure that genuine students have the opportunity to pursue their education in Australia.
