In recent years, Australia has been overhauling its policies to regulate the flow of foreign students, raising the hackles of Indian youth dreaming of studying and subsequently working Down Under. Naturally, after the high-profile, three-day official visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questions are being asked as to what has been achieved in this regard. In his special briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had little to offer beyond vague diplomatic generalities and assurances, such as Australian appreciation for Indian students and their keenness to further "people-to-people exchanges."
India is aware of the Australian moves and the anxieties they have triggered among Indian students. The steps include capping total enrolments across institutions, redistributing them across universities, and repeatedly hiking visa fees to make it more difficult for international students to study in Australia. The government has been particularly targeting students from India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, who reportedly face higher visa rejection rates.
Like the US, Canada, and Europe, Australia has been a popular destination for Indian students seeking greener pastures. Soon, things came to such a sorry pass that Australia cracked the whip, stopping just short of imposing a ban. So much so that Vikram Misri had to squash rumours and quell speculation that Indian students would be banned. The truth is, in January this year, Australia reclassified India and moved it one notch up to the highest risk category, namely Assessment Level 3 (AL3), which attracts stricter documentary requirements and greater scrutiny.
Thousands of Indian students have thronged Australian educational institutions, quickly becoming a large, visible group among immigrants. Some Indian students brought a bad name to the community by indulging in visa fraud and other unethical or illegal practices. The authorities began to flag integrity concerns, rejecting visa applications indiscriminately and sometimes even arbitrarily. What started as a fragmented, short-term measure soon became a discernible, widespread trend of blacklisting certain types of "non-genuine" Indian applicants, many of whom hailed from states like Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh. The ulterior motive of these non-genuine students was not to pursue higher education but to use it as a ruse to gain work visas. Thus, many would game the system by dropping out midway or shifting from expensive academic courses to cheaper alternatives provided by vocational institutions.
To counter this, Australia brought in the Genuine Student (GS) requirement, a new system replacing the earlier Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) framework. Applicants must now demonstrate and convince authorities that their primary reason for applying for a student visa is to study in Australia. For now, it is nothing more. However, if they acquire skills that the country needs, then, and only then, will they be considered for permanent residency. An Australian degree, therefore, will no longer automatically pave the path to a work visa.
The million-strong Indian diaspora was once seen as a vital contributor to the Australian economy, but its growing economic and demographic footprint is becoming a cause of concern for locals. Of late, the activities of a section of the diaspora — not to mention their recent enthusiastic participation in the "Melbourne Meets Modi" rally — have been triggering anti-immigration sentiment, ironically, among their Australian far-right and nationalist counterparts.