Number of Indian Student Applications to Australia Hits 8-year Low

Hyderabad: The number of Indian students applying for Australian student visas has hit an eight-year low, according to data released by the Australian department of home affairs. The figures show a major decline in both visa applications and visa grants, which have fallen sharply over the last two years

Data from the department showed that Indian student visa applications halved from 1,09,676 in 2022-23 to 51,879 in 2025-26 so far. This marks a fall of nearly 50 per cent in just two years.

The number of visas granted has also seen a steep decline. While Australia granted 1,02,696 student visas to Indian applicants in 2022-23, the number dropped to 50,516 in 2023-24. In 2025-26 so far, only 33,827 visas have been granted.

The decline came after Australia tightened its immigration and student visa policies. Authorities introduced stricter checks to prevent misuse of student visas and to control rising migration numbers. Higher financial requirements, closer scrutiny of applications and concerns over fraudulent admissions are believed to have affected approval rates.

The data also showed how Indian student interest in Australia grew rapidly over the past decade before the recent decline. Applications rose steadily from 38,988 in 2014-15 to 89,868 in 2018-19. Numbers briefly fell during the Covid-19 pandemic, before surging to a record 1,09,676 in 2022-23 when international travel resumed fully.

Visa grants followed a similar pattern. From 29,573 grants in 2014-15, the figure climbed to 66,449 in 2018-19 and later crossed one lakh in 2022-23.

Education experts say the falling numbers also reflect changing preferences among Indian students. Many students are now considering countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, while some are choosing to stay back in India due to rising education and living costs overseas.