Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: In line with the steps taken by Canada and the UK, Australia is also preparing to tighten its immigration regulations regarding student visas. Effective from March 23, the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement for student visas will be replaced by the Genuine Student (GS) requirement. The decision, announced on December 11, will only affect visa applications submitted after March 23.
The new regulations state that an IELTS score of 6.5 rather than 6.0 will be needed to be eligible for a Temporary Graduate visa. It will go from an IELTS score of 5.5 to 6.0 in order to be eligible for a student visa.
“The test validity window for the Temporary Graduate visa (TGV) decreases from 3 years to 1 year. TGV applicants now need to provide evidence that they have completed an English Language test within 1 year immediately before the date of the visa application,” the official notification states.
Additionally, the Australian government is implementing a new genuine student test for all international students, which will replace the existing GTE requirement. Moreover, high-risk student applications will undergo scrutiny.