 "Australian varsities put curbs on Indian students as fraud cases rise")
Australian universities have registered a spike in students resorting to wrongful means to obtain student visas, The Indian Express (IE) has reported. Indian students have also been found to be indulging in such fraudulent activities. Notably, India is second only to China when it comes to sending students to Australia.
When contacted on the subject, the Australian Department of Home Affairs told IE that applications that are found to have elements of fraud are placed in the "non-grant" category. This results in the candidate being blocked from making fresh applications for up to 10 years.
The Sunday Morning Herald, an Australian newspaper had reported that at least five Australian universities have placed restrictions on student applications from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, the IE report added.
According to Australian government data, a total of 89,700 Indian students are in Australia. On the other hand, the number of Chinese students is around 125,000.
When asked about the particulars of the restrictions placed on admissions applications, the universities highlighted the guidelines issued by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
Officials from Edith Cowan University (ECU), Victoria University, and Southern Cross University admitted that applications from Indian students were under "additional" scrutiny.
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A Southern Cross University official was quoted in the report as saying that we are accepting applications from all Indian students however, “we are aware some (admission) agents are adopting a more selective position. All applicants, regardless of origin, must meet our entry requirements”.
Victoria University, on the other hand, clarified that it is imposing "additional requirements" for applicants belonging to certain states in India. The University of Wollongong said that we have not imposed any restrictions, IE reported.