Visa Fraud: Two More Universities Ban Indians

Two more Australian universities have decided to ban students from India with rising concerns over a surge in fraudulent visa applications. The recruitment will be stopped almost immediately.

The Federation University in Victoria and Western Sydney University in New South Wales wrote to education agents last week that they will no longer be recruiting students from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ironically, the decision comes following Prime Minister Modi’s speech about “Australian and Indian students living and studying in each other’s countries and bringing those experiences home.” Also, the two countries have signed the migration and mobility partnership arrangement just today to promote the exchange of students, graduates, researchers, and business people.

It has been observed that a lot of students flying into Australia were using it to work there and discontinue their courses, and this is being seen as a constant. Following this, the universities have taken a stern decision. Initially, it was thought that the ban would be for a short period, but it looks like it’s going to be an emerging trend.

Only last month, Victoria University, Edith Cowan University, Torrens University, and Southern Cross University had placed restrictions on Indian students from certain states. Meanwhile, Australia is set to enroll the highest number of students this year, surpassing 75,000 in 2019. On the other hand, the rejection rate is 24.3, higher since 2012.