Several Australian universities are revoking offers of enrolment to international students, primarily from India and Nepal, as the government's crackdown on visas threatens their reputation as high-quality education providers.
Institutions such as the University of Wollongong (UoW), Edith Cowan, and La Trobe have contacted students approved for study in 2024, urging them to withdraw their application or defer their offer.
While La Trobe University did not respond to queries from The Free Press Journal (FPJ), a UoW spokesperson emphasised joint efforts between Australia’s Department of Home Affairs (DoHA) and universities to ensure the authenticity of student applications.
In response to the FPJ’s queries, the UoW spokesperson responded stating, “Recent DoHA visa outcome monitoring has detected a higher risk of non-authentic applications. As a result, UoW is making changes to its admission and genuine temporary entrant screening processes."
Visa applications from tier two and three institutions are subjected to longer approval times and intensified scrutiny, with rejection rates soaring to 82.5% in 2023. Universities facing increased rejections risk losing their tier-one rating.
In response, universities have informed affected students of the withdrawal of their certificate of enrollment. For example, the UoW presented students with the option to withdraw their offer or defer it due to recent substantial changes in the government's migration strategy.
The FPJ also spoke to a few experts to get their stance on it.
Nishidhar Reddy Borra, the president of the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India, criticised universities for treating students unfairly.
“A university can any time cancel the CoE if they find that the student has any fraud [in their] submission or misleading claims, or if there was a lapse in their admission or genuine student test vetting system. But asking the students to withdraw without any reason is not the way," Borra said.
Meanwhile, Mayank Maheshwari, the co-founder and COO of University Living, believes recent policy changes aim to prioritise skilled students contributing positively to the Australian workforce and economy.
"While these changes may initially impact the flow of students from India, they are intended to ensure that those pursuing higher education in Australia are genuinely committed to their academic and career goals. Indian students need to stay informed about these policy changes, consider their implications when applying, and choose destinations that support their existing skill set and future aspirations," Maheshwari added.
