According to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald, in response to an increase in deceptive visa applications, two additional Australian universities, namely Federation University in Victoria and Western Sydney University in New South Wales, have implemented restrictions on the enrollment of Indian students from certain states. These states include Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.Last week, both universities independently communicated with education agents, instructing them to cease the recruitment of students from the aforementioned states. The report highlighted that the Department of Home Affairs in the country now considers one out of every four applications to be either “fraudulent” or “non-genuine.”image source: twitterBan announced prior to PM Modis visitThe ban on student recruitment from specific Indian states was announced before Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Australia, which included a community event for the Indian diaspora in Sydney. During the visit, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and PM Modi agreed to enhance student mobility and collaboration between the two countries. They signed a migration and mobility agreement aimed at fostering exchanges in education, research, and business. This agreement is expected to strengthen bilateral ties, promote cultural exchange, and facilitate the sharing of knowledge.In a letter dated May 19, Federation University acknowledged a notable increase in visa application refusals from certain regions in India by the Department of Home Affairs. The university initially hoped this would be a temporary issue, but it has become evident that a consistent trend is emerging. Consequently, the university decided to impose a ban on student recruitment from those regions.Similarly, Western Sydney University also informed education agents that they would no longer be able to recruit students from Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat. The decision was made based on a considerable number of Indian students who had enrolled in courses in 2022 but subsequently dropped out.Ban would be in place for at least two monthsWestern Sydney University informed education agents through a message sent on May 8 that a significant number of Indian students who began their studies in the 2022 intake did not continue their enrollment, resulting in a considerably high attrition rate. The regions of Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat within India were identified as having the highest risk of attrition.In light of the urgency of the situation, the university made the decision to immediately halt student recruitment from these regions. The ban is expected to remain in place for at least two months. Additionally, the university outlined plans to implement further measures to address the issue of non-genuine students enrolling from these regions. These measures include modifying application screening processes, imposing stricter admissions conditions, and raising commencement fees.Australian universities earlier banned Indian students In response to a significant rise in fraudulent applications with a focus on seeking employment rather than education, several Australian universities, such as Victoria University, Edith Cowan University, Torrens University, and Southern Cross University, implemented bans or restrictions on students from specific Indian states last month.Two other universities, Wollongong and Flinders, modified their entry processes in March for international students from countries categorised as “high risk.” However, they clarified that they were not imposing restrictions on enrolments from particular Indian states.The primary concern was that a considerable number of applicants seemed to have alternative motives centred around employment opportunities in Australia rather than genuine educational pursuits.Edith Cowan University in Perth took the lead in February by implementing a comprehensive prohibition on accepting applicants from the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. Following this, in March, Victoria University further tightened its restrictions on student applications, extending the ban to include eight Indian states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
