Australia tightens student visa rules starting today
Summary
Australia has tightened international student visa rules from October 2, barring most students already in the country from applying for new visas onshore. The changes are expected to affect Nepali students as the government seeks to cut net migration and approval rates for Nepali applicants have fallen to about 36 percent.
Key Points
- Australia has introduced stricter student visa regulations effective from October 2.
- Most international students in Australia can no longer apply for new student visas from within the country unless they are moving to a higher-level course or meet limited exceptions.
- Students with more than 12 months left in their current course must apply from outside Australia, and those under visa cancellation review must remain outside Australia until a final decision.
- The policy follows earlier restrictions on family members and comes as Australia aims to reduce net migration from 300,000 to 225,000, with Nepali student visa approvals falling to around 36 percent.
