Amid reports that there has been an increase in rejection rates to Australia from Indian students, the Australian envoy said that that is not the case and the rates are pretty much the same as they were last year. He said that the country, obviously, looks forward to meritorious students who fit the right course.

Australia’s High Commissioner to India Philip Green OAM, responding to a query about the rise in rejection rates for students, said, “There has not been a surge in rejection of students. I have looked at these statistics myself and they are very similar to this year to what they were last year. Unlike some other countries, Australia has not put a cap on the number of foreign students coming to our country.”

“Yes, we want to make sure that students coming forward from reputable institutions will have a good experience in Australia. We make apologies for the fact that we want good students and we want to make sure that they are paired with the right courses. This is utterly wrong to say that there has been a surge in rejections; we look forward to as many or perhaps even more Indian students coming to Australia in the next year,” said the envoy to news agency ANI.

The statement comes amid reports that there has been a rise in rejection rates for student visas. One such media report, quoting the home affairs department, stated that despite the record number of international students, there has been a surge in rejections, with over 50,000 rejections in the three months leading to February, which also coincides with the decline in visa approval rates, and a decrease in visa applications for the first time in over two years.

Meanwhile, according to a report in the Sydney morning Herald, earlier this year, the increase in rejection of student visas has led to a 20 per cent decrease in student visa approvals. It stated that one in five international students faced rejection in the last two quarters of 2023. It specified that India, Nepal and Pakistan, Australia’s second, third and ninth source markets, were particularly impacted.

Yet another report, quoting experts, stated that the migrant intake is expected to decrease to 3,75,000 in the last financial year, and further decrease to 2,50,000 this year, driven by stringent guidelines and rejection rates.