Australia to Implement a Genuine Student Test (GST) for Student Visas Now

The Australian government has made some apparent changes in the Australia student visa allotted to international students. Recently, a report was published stating that the Australian government needs to review the struggling visa system. The Migration Review's final report, released late last month, said that Australia needs to reform its student visa regulations and procedures, including limiting working hours and aligning English-language standards. 

The report said, "The migration system has supported strong growth in the education export sector. The Student visa program should be an important source of high-performing, skilled migrants but has not delivered on its potential," 

There have been a lot of discussions lately on the sudden increase in the refusals of the Australia student visa due to the increased cases of fraud in presenting the documentation to the embassy. Many speculations were being made, like fewer marks, gap year or a student being from the Haryana and Punjab board. Due to this, the government has decided to implement a Genuine Student Test to check the authenticity of the student. This will include an interview with the visa officer, who will check the students’ English proficiency, academic and financial documents, and other submitted documents. 

The report on the migration system review stated, “Finally, a move from the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) criterion to a new Genuine Student Test could reduce mixed messaging while maintaining the basic policy intent of the GTE.” 

Minister of Home Affairs Clare O’Neil added, "This is not about reducing the number (international students), but I think it’s inevitable when we lift standards that there might be some implication for numbers. That’s not the target of this. The target of this project is making sure that we have the skills in our country that we need to meet national challenges.”

The existing system of GTE might be completely removed in the coming months, and the Genuine Student Test (GST) might completely take over. The decision was made in accordance with the intention to reduce document fraud happening lately, especially with students belonging to the Punjab or Haryana region. Now, only the students who have the means and are genuinely interested in studying in Australia will get their student visa. A similar system to paying the GIC in Canada might also be introduced in Australia. 

We hope you have gained insights into the new changes to the Australian Visa system. If you wish to know more about the Australia student visa or wish to study in Australia, we advise you to speak with our expert counsellors at Meridean Overseas Education Consultants (MOEC). If you cannot travel to the office, you can utilise our free online counselling service via the website. Our team of dedicated counsellors will provide you with the best guidance and support and will update you with the latest information. Please do not hesitate to contact us at application02@meridean.org or call us at 1800-1230-00011.