12/01/2026
Australia has placed Bangladesh in the highest risk category for student visa issuance, citing concerns over “integrity issues” and fraud.
According to News.com.au, Bangladesh—along with India, Nepal, and Bhutan—has been upgraded from Evidence Level 2 to Evidence Level 3 under Australia’s Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF). Together, these four South Asian countries accounted for nearly one-third of all international student enrolments in Australia last year.
A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Home Affairs confirmed that the Evidence Levels for several South Asian countries were revised on January 8, 2026.
“This change will support the effective management of emerging integrity issues, while ensuring continued opportunities for genuine students to pursue quality education in Australia,” the spokesperson said.
Under the SSVF, Evidence Levels for countries and education providers are determined using several indicators, including visa refusal rates due to fraud, visa cancellation rates, the number of student visa holders becoming unlawful non-citizens, and the incidence of subsequent asylum applications.
An Evidence Level 3 classification requires both applicants and education providers to submit more detailed documentation, particularly relating to financial capacity and academic history.
Dr. Abul Rizvi, former Deputy Secretary of the Australian Department of Immigration, described the decision as “highly unusual.” He served in the department between 1991 and 2007.
“Essentially, the higher the evidence level, the more the visa officer must rely on verification rather than institutional assurances,” he said. “Higher risk means more documentation and significantly more manual checking. Officers may contact universities to confirm transcripts and banks to verify financial statements.”
Dr. Rizvi noted that Evidence Levels are typically updated mid-year using data from the previous year. China, for example, was moved from Level 1 to Level 2 around July–August 2025, placing it at the same level as India and Nepal at that time.
“However, it appears the department later conducted a special analysis of cases processed through simplified procedures that raised concerns,” he said. “They likely found evidence of increased fraud.”
He added that the discovery of a large-scale fake degree operation in India in early December 2025—during which more than 100,000 counterfeit certificates were seized—may have contributed to the heightened scrutiny.
According to Dr. Rizvi, the additional checks will focus mainly on financial capacity and academic records, with relatively limited impact on English-language testing. He expects visa processing times to become “very slow.”
Despite this, Australia has retained its national target of 295,000 international student places for 2026.
Dr. Rizvi believes refusal rates for applicants from the four affected countries will rise, creating a shortfall that Australia will need to fill from other markets.
“With tighter regulations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, applications from China may increase,” he said. “However, Vietnam and Indonesia are likely to become key sources of students, as both are currently classified as Evidence Level 1.”
Phil Honeywood, Chief Executive of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), said Australia is increasingly attracting students who are unable to study in the US, UK, or Canada.
“It has become clear that many of those applicants are now turning to Australia, and in many cases, we have seen higher levels of fraud in financial and academic documentation,” he said.
He added that placing countries in the highest risk category automatically results in stricter screening of applicants.
“Because institutions have enrolment caps, this system ultimately increases the likelihood that we admit higher-quality students,” Honeywood said.
The main purpose of the passage is to
A. criticize Australia’s education system for discriminating against South Asian countries
B. explain why Australia changed its student visa risk classification and its possible impacts
C. promote Australia as a safer destination for international students
D. compare Australia’s visa policies with those of the US, UK, and Canada
Answer: B
According to the passage, which countries were moved from Evidence Level 2 to Evidence Level 3?
A. China, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh
B. Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Bhutan
C. India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka
D. Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia
Answer: B
What does an Evidence Level 3 rating require from visa applicants and institutions?
A. Fewer documents and faster processing
B. Greater reliance on institutional guarantees
C. More extensive documentation and verification
D. Only English language test results
Answer: C
Which factor is not mentioned as a criterion for determining Evidence Levels?
A. Visa refusal rates due to fraud
B. Visa cancellation rates
C. Academic ranking of institutions
D. Rates of unlawful non-citizens and asylum applications
Answer: C
Dr. Abul Rizvi describes the change as “highly unusual” mainly because
A. Australia rarely changes its immigration policies
B. the countries affected are major student sources
C. Evidence Levels are usually updated mid-year using previous data
D. China was not included in the upgrade
Answer: C
The reference to India seizing over 100,000 fake certificates serves to
A. criticize India’s education system
B. illustrate why Australia suspects rising fraud
C. show the effectiveness of law enforcement
D. explain why China was previously upgraded
Answer: B
According to Dr. Rizvi, which area will face the most additional verification?
A. English language testing
B. Health examinations
C. Financial capacity and academic records
D. Travel history
Answer: C
The author suggests that the immediate effect of this change will be
A. faster visa approvals
B. reduced student intake in Australia
C. slower visa processing and higher refusal rates
D. lower tuition fees for international students
Answer: C
Which countries are expected to become more important student sources because they are at Evidence Level 1?
A. China and India
B. Nepal and Bhutan
C. Vietnam and Indonesia
D. Bangladesh and China
Answer: C
Phil Honeywood’s comments mainly emphasize that the new system will
A. discourage international students from applying to Australia
B. increase competition among educational institutions
C. improve student quality through stricter screening
D. reduce Australia’s global education reputation
Answer: C
The tone of the passage can best be described as
A. emotional and persuasive
B. neutral and analytical
C. sarcastic and critical
D. optimistic and celebratory
Answer: B
The passage implies that Australia’s decision was influenced by
A. political pressure from neighboring countries
B. a desire to reduce international education altogether
C. rising global competition for students
D. evidence of increasing fraud in visa applications
Answer: D
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