Indian students face restrictions from some Australian universities amidst surge in ‘non-genuine’ visa applications
Indian students face restrictions from five Australian universities amidst surge in “fraudulent applications” from Haryana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Amidst a surge in fraudulent applications originating from certain regions in India, five Australian universities have imposed restrictions on Indian students.
Students from Uttarakhand too impacted
Mr. Ravinder Virmani, the Director of Innovative Future Steps, a prominent overseas education consultancy in Dehradun, expressed his concerns over the decision, stating that “it is grossly unfair and discriminatory to ban an entire region. Not all students or educational institutions from these regions engage in unethical practices. We put checks and balances on ourselves and we choke our pipeline before fraudsters even start. Our entire thing is based on reputation. We have a 98% visa success rate.
Instead of implementing a blanket ban, educational providers can adopt more rigorous measures to verify applications, leveraging the existing Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) mechanism to identify potential fraudulent individuals posing as students. By implementing checks and balances at various levels, including agents, EduTech portals, education providers, and the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), it is possible to filter out fraudulent documents and blacklist unethical agents.
Dishonest players within India are tarnishing the reputation of the industry. It is imperative to put an end to these fraudulent activities. Students and parents must also understand that following unethical advice or engaging in dishonest practices recommended by unscrupulous agents or consultants can negatively impact their child’s future. It is crucial to prioritize the student’s genuine educational aspirations over deceptive “package” deals that serve as a scam.”
With the Indian Ministry of External Affairs taking note of the situation, it is expected that the Australian government will urge the universities that imposed the blanket ban to reconsider their decision. While additional checks can be implemented, denying genuine students from high-risk regions equal opportunities compared to students from other parts of India would be unfair. The use of available tools to verify documents and the introduction of an application fee by universities can deter time-wasting applicants.
About Innovative Future Steps
Innovative Future Steps is one of the best PTE & IELTS coaching center in Dehradun. Established in the year 2014, Innovative Future Steps has helped over hundreds of students’ study abroad in prestigious universities and colleges of Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc. IFS is also the first recognized PTE center in Dehradun.
For more details visit https://www.futurestepsedu.com/
