Australia has updated its student visa Assessment Levels for several Indian subcontinent, according to a new notification issued via the PRISMS system by the Department of Education. The changes, effective 8 January 2026, reflect emerging concerns about document integrity and aim to better manage risks while still supporting the flow of genuine international students seeking quality education in Australia.
In a statement accompanying the update, the department said adjustments to country Evidence Levels were designed to “assist with the effective management of emerging integrity issues, while continuing to facilitate genuine students seeking a quality education in Australia.”
Assessment Levels are used by the Department of Home Affairs and Education to gauge risk in student visa applications from different countries. Higher levels typically mean more stringent documentary requirements and closer scrutiny of applications. The levels range from AL1 (lowest risk) to AL3 (higher risk).
An analysis shared unofficially suggests the following changes:
- India: from AL2 → AL3
- Nepal: from AL2 → AL3
- Sri Lanka: from AL1 → AL2
- Bangladesh: from AL1 → AL3
- Bhutan: from AL2 → AL3
- Pakistan: remains in AL3
The last formal update to these assessment levels occurred on 30 September 2025, meaning this latest adjustment comes less than four months later — a speed that has unsettled parts of the international education sector.
Sector concerns as intake season begins
Phil Honeywood, Chief Executive Officer of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), has raised concerns about the timing and frequency of assessment level changes. He said that ambiguity around shifting risk categories is affecting education providers at a critical point in the academic calendar, as the first intake of 2026 gets underway.
“In the last 24 hours, I have had a long discussion with Minister Hill about the sector’s concerns, primarily with two aspects of the assessment level changes,” Mr Honeywood said.
“First and foremost, the frequency of change is causing confusion among providers here and agents offshore. Secondly, at the very time we are trying to ensure a good start to the year intake, we appear again as though we are not quite sure which countries we seek to recruit from.”
Mr Honeywood said that educational institutions need stability and clear policy signals to properly plan recruitment efforts, liaise with agents and support prospective students trying to understand evolving visa requirements.
Government stance and rationale
Authorities have seen evidence of a rise in suspected fraudulent documentation — both financial and academic — from certain source countries during recent visits to South Asia.
The Minister for International Education, Julian Hill, reportedly described Australia as having become “the least worst country of choice amongst the Big 4” destinations for international students — referring to global competitors such as the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. This, he conveyed, had prompted a stronger emphasis on documentary evidence and risk filtering to protect visa integrity.
While some in the sector acknowledge the importance of maintaining rigour against fraud, the sudden jump in assessment levels — particularly the broad move of multiple large source countries such as India and Bangladesh to AL3 — has prompted questions about how risk is being measured and communicated.
Impact on students, providers and recruitment
Assessment Levels influence not only the documentary burden but also how easily prospective students can plan to study in Australia. Higher levels typically require more extensive proof of finances, English proficiency and genuine temporary entrant intentions, among other criteria. These changes can slow processing times, increase applicant costs and discourage applicants if perceived as overly burdensome.
International education stakeholder groups have stressed that clarity and predictability are essential, especially for countries that contribute significant student numbers and economic activity. India, in particular, is one of Australia’s largest source markets for international students.
Experts say the latest changes may lead to closer scrutiny of applications from South Asia, but also stress that genuine students still have pathways to study in Australia.
It is expected that the Department of Education and Home Affairs will publish detailed guidance for providers and agents explaining the basis for the updates and how documentation requirements will be implemented in practice.
The sector will be watching closely for official documents that could explain whether the Assessment Level changes are temporary or if they signal a longer-term shift in how Australia manages risk across major international student source markets.
As the 2026 academic year begins, providers and recruiters are calling for clear, proactive communication to ensure students are not unfairly disadvantaged by policy adjustments that can have wide-ranging effects across the education landscape.
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