Parliament Question: Reclassification of Indian students in Australia

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4416 ANSWERED ON - 02/04/2026 RECLASSIFICATION OF INDIAN STUDENTS IN AUSTRALIA 4416. DR. SYED NASEER HUSSAIN Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:- (a) whether Government is aware that the Australian Government has reclassified India into the “highest-risk” category for student visa applications under its Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) with effect from 8th January 2026, subjecting Indian applicants to closer scrutiny and more extensive documentation requirements; and (b) how this development would impact the mobility of Indian students, bilateral educational ties and India’s international higher education aspirations? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) & (b) Yes, from 8 January 2026, Australian authorities have revised the evidence requirement level for Indian applicants from EL2 to EL3, effectively reverting arrangements to those in place prior to September 2025. In view of the growing and mutually beneficial educational partnership between India and Australia which includes several Australian Universities opening campuses in India, the Government of India remains engaged in a constructive dialogue with the Australian Government. The Government is committed to facilitating to the fullest extent possible Indian students going to Australia for higher education and research in pursuit of those objectives. *****