Australia has introduced stricter visa rules for international students effective from October 2, which will also affect Nepali students planning to study there.
Changes in Student Visa Policies
Under the new rules, students currently in Australia cannot apply for a new visa from within the country unless they are moving to a higher level of study. Students whose current course has more than twelve months left are also restricted from applying for a new visa while staying in Australia. However, those who have less than twelve months remaining in their course may be allowed to apply internally under specific conditions.
Students affected by these changes might need to apply from outside Australia, which is also known as offshore application. This rule does not apply to Ph.D. students, school-level students, those with diplomatic permission, or students whose educational institutions have been closed or shut down.
Updates on Visa Appeals and Migration Caps
The government has also tightened the rules regarding staying in Australia while waiting for a decision on a visa appeal. Now, students are required to stay outside of Australia until their appeal decision comes out. Previously, Australia had already introduced rules to prevent international students and those on post-study work visas from bringing their families. Furthermore, the government has adopted a policy to limit the number of annual immigrants from approximately 3 lakh to 2 lakh 25 thousand.
AI Disclaimer: This article was originally published on https://bajarkochirfar.com. It has been translated with the help of AI. For the best understanding and accurate facts, we recommend reading the original Nepali version.
