The Australian Department of Education has issued new notices through the 'Prisms' system, tightening visa policies with effect from January 8, 2026.
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Australia has tightened visa screening for students applying from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, with these countries placed in the 'highest risk' category for student visas, Australian media reported.
The Australian Department of Education has issued a new notice through the 'PRIZMS' system, tightening its visa policy, effective from January 8, 2026.
Australia has said that it has taken this step after questions began to be raised about the authenticity of documents and to reduce the risks seen in the visa process.
With this change, students wishing to go to Australia from countries including Nepal and India will have to submit a more stringent process and more documents.
Australia has changed the 'assessment level' classification of countries based on their risk, placing South Asian countries on the high-risk list.
According to the Australian media outlet The Australia Today, Countries that were previously considered low-risk Level 1 and medium-risk Level 2 have now been tightened to Level 3.
According to the new classification, Nepal, India and Bhutan have been reduced from Level 2 to Level 3 (high risk), while Bangladesh has been dropped directly from Level 1 to Level 3. Sri Lanka has moved from Level 1 to Level 2, while Pakistan remains at Level 3.
The classification, which was only made on September 30, has caused great confusion in the international education sector after being changed again within four months.
How will it affect students?
The risk assessment level affects not only the documents required for a student visa but also the ease of making study plans. When placed at a high risk level, bank details, English language proficiency and documents proving the true purpose of study can be asked for more strictly. This can slow down the process, increase costs and increase the likelihood of some students being discouraged.
According to The Australia Today, evidence has been found in recent months of the use of fake educational certificates and financial documents from South Asian countries.
Australia's International Education Minister Julian Hill has commented that Australia is now the 'lesser bad option' among the 'Big Four' destinations such as the US, UK and Canada. This is why document checks and risk filtering have been tightened to protect the importance of visas.
However, some in the education sector say that while stricter measures are needed to curb fraudulent applications, the sudden and frequent changes in risk levels have created confusion. In particular, the sudden and frequent changes in risk levels, such as those in India and Bangladesh, are being placed at high risk (AL3) all at once, indicating policy ambiguity.
Honeywood said the changes have caused problems for institutions and agents as they prepare for the first recruitment season in 2026. He said he had had extensive discussions with Minister Hill on the matter and that the frequent changes in risk levels and the lack of clarity about which countries are being sought are the main concerns.
