Australia Tightens Student Visa Rules: India, Nepal, Bhutan Moved to AL3

• Australia has revised student visa Assessment Levels, moving India, Nepal, and Bhutan from AL2 to AL3, effective January 8.
• The changes, communicated via the PRISMS platform, aim to manage "emerging integrity issues" while allowing genuine students to study in Australia.
• AL3 status means Indian students will face stricter documentation checks and longer processing times for their visa applications.
• Education providers and recruitment agents express concern over the timing and frequency of these policy changes, especially as the main intake season begins.
• The tightening is due to a rise in suspected fraudulent academic and financial documents from parts of South Asia, as flagged by Australian authorities.

Why It Matters: Australia has increased scrutiny on student visas from India and other South Asian countries due to integrity concerns.