Australia Student Visa: Attention Indian students preparing to study abroad. Australia’s student visa policy has changed. Now the rules of Study in Australia for Indian Students have also changed. From IELTS score to the cost of studying in Australia has increased. GTE has been replaced by GS (Genuine Students).
Study in Australia Indian Students: If you want to go to Australia and study, then just wait. Because now it is not as easy as it used to be. Australia has changed the rules for student visa. The rules for student visa have already been made stricter. The existing ‘Genuine Temporary Entrant’ (GTE) policy will now be implemented in place of ‘Genuine Student’ (GS) policy. After this, you will not only have to work harder, but will also have to spend more to study in Australia. These changes are coming into effect from March 23, 2024.
This change is being made after Canada and UK. An announcement regarding this was made on December 11, 2023. Now the new rule will be applicable to visa applications submitted after March 23, 2024.
Student Visa Australia: What does the new rule say?
- English Test Scores: The IELTS score required for a Temporary Graduate Visa has been increased from 6.0 to 6.5. At the same time, for regular student visa this score has increased from 5.5 to 6.0. Also, the validity period of the English language test has been reduced to one year.
- Genuine Student Test: All international students are now required to take a new “Genuine Student Test” when applying for a visa. This test will assess their intentions to study in Australia.
- Increased scrutiny: High-risk applications will be subject to closer scrutiny.
- Higher Savings Balance: The required savings amount to be eligible for a student visa has been increased to approximately $24,500 (approximately Rs 20 lakh).
Visa Australia: Impact on Indian students
According to reports, there were 100,009 Indian students studying in Australia in 2022. This number is much higher than previous years. Experts are concerned that these new visa rules may have an impact on the visa acceptance rate of Indian students.
The Australian Government has stated in the official notification that the “Genuine Student (GS)” requirement will assess the student’s genuine intention to study in Australia using various parameters such as course progress, immigration history and visa compliance. The purpose of this change is to ensure that students actually intend to continue their studies in Australia.