A Turning Point for Indian Students
Australia is no longer just waving students in—it’s carefully vetting who enters. With major changes effective January and July 2025, applying for a student visa will soon involve stricter steps, more documents, and larger fees.
If you’re dreaming of studying Down Under, here’s what’s changing—and how it might affect you.
1. Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) Becomes Mandatory
Starting January 1, 2025, a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is essential for a valid student visa application. The old system allowed just a Letter of Offer—but that’s no longer enough terratern.com+11visaverge.com+11studyabroad.careers360.com+11.
To secure your CoE, you must:
- Finalise your university admission,
- Pay at least the first tuition instalment,
- Provide it with your visa application.
This step confirms your seriousness and cuts out casual applicants.
2. Higher Fees, Fewer Slots
Visa costs are rising—and sharply. Fee increases have already taken effect—from ~AUD 710 to ~AUD 1,600—and another jump toward ~AUD 2,000 is expected in the 2025–26 year visaverge.com+1imminews.com.au+1business-standard.com.
On top of this, Australia will limit international student intake to 270,000 per year, down from its pandemic surge reuters.com+1en.wikipedia.org+1. That means greater competition for CoEs, seats, and those limited spots—especially in popular cities or universities.
3. Strict New Document and Eligibility Rules
Australia is tightening its application process on several fronts:
• Stronger Genuine-Student checks
The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) test is now a harder “Genuine Student” requirement. You must convincingly explain your study plans, academic history, and why you want to return home afterward rediff.com+11deltaedugroup.com+11visaandimmigrations.com+11linkedin.com+14collegedunia.com+14studyabroad.careers360.com+14.
• More funds required
Applicants must prove access to at least AUD 29,710 (up from ~AUD 24,500) plus details for accommodation, fees, and daily living studyabroad.careers360.com+1studyabroad.careers360.com+1.
• Higher English scores
For most courses, the IELTS minimum has risen—for example, general student visas now require at least a 6.0 overall instead of 5.5 .
4. Fraud Crackdown—Some You States Affected
Some Australian institutions have paused applications from six Indian states—Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and Jammu & Kashmir—citing visa abuse concerns visaandimmigrations.com+7rediff.com+7economictimes.indiatimes.com+7.
More broadly, vocational courses are facing high rejection rates—for Indian applicants, around 69% in March 2025 visaandimmigrations.com. This is part of a wider “ghost college” crackdown on institutions that enroll students only for visas, not genuine education en.wikipedia.org.
What It Means for You
If you’re planning this journey, be proactive:
- Lock in your CoE early—complete admission and fee payment well before January.
- Check state/university policies—avoid those with paused intake for your region.
- Upgrade your English score—target IELTS 6.0 or higher.
- Demonstrate genuine intent—write convincingly about your study and career goals.
- Budget higher—visa fees, tuition, insurance, and living costs are all going up.
Final Thoughts
Australia is becoming more cautious—but not closed. These changes are designed to boost quality, stop misuse, and ensure students are serious about learning.
For Indian students, it means more preparation—but also a clearer, more credible academic path. Start early, get your paperwork tight, and you stand a good chance of being part of the 2025 wave of real, committed scholars.
