As per the updated rules, the test score required for a Temporary Graduate visa will increase from an IELTS score of 6.0 to 6.5. For a student visa, it will increase from IELTS (or equivalent) 5.5 to 6.0.
Australia Study Visa Rule: Australia has recently made an announcement regarding the tightening of study visa regulations, which is set to come into effect on March 23, 2024. This new regulation will see the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement being replaced by the Genuine Student (GS) requirement. The move aligns with countries like Canada and the United Kingdom who have already implemented similar changes in their visa policies. The decision, which was unveiled on December 11, 2023, will impact visa applications submitted after the specified date.
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The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) statement, which has traditionally been crucial for demonstrating a student’s genuine intent to study and return to their home country, will now be superseded by the GS requirement. This shift aims to ensure that individuals applying for study visas are genuinely committed to their educational pursuits in Australia.
As per the updated rules, the test score required for a Temporary Graduate visa will increase from an IELTS score of 6.0 to 6.5. For a student visa, it will increase from IELTS (or equivalent) 5.5 to 6.0.
Temporary Graduate visa validity decreased
The validity window for the English language test will be reduced to 1 year. “The test validity window for a TGV decreases from 3 years to 1 year. TGV applicants now need to provide evidence that they have completed an English Language test within 1 year immediately before the date of the visa application,” the official notification stated for Temporary Graduate visa (TGV).
From Saturday, the visa norms will include implementing English language requirements and a “genuine student test” for international students. The government will also have the power to suspend education providers from recruiting foreign students if they repeatedly break the rules, according to Reuters.
The “genuine student test” will be a means to crack down on international students who look to come to Australia primarily to work. Authorities will also impose “no further stay” conditions on visitor visas.
“The actions this weekend will continue to drive migration levels down while delivering on our commitments in the migration strategy to fix the broken system we inherited,” Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said in a statement.
Impact on Indian students
While Indian students form a large chunk of migrant students, there are concerns as to whether the changes in visa rules will affect the hordes of Indian students.
In January-May 2023 alone, Australia welcomed 47,759 Indian students. According to government data, 1,00,009 Indian students were present in Australia in 2022. In 2019, 73,808 Indian students went to Australia on student visas, 33,629 in 2020 and 8,950 in 2021. However, experts are worried that the change in the visa rules can negatively affect the visa application acceptance rate for Indian students.
