Vietnamese student applications for Australian student visas are in the high-risk group

By the end of March 2025, the average Australian student visa approval rate was only 77.8%, a significant decrease compared to 85.1% in the same period in 2024.

Australian student visa approval rate drops sharply in the first 3 months of 2025 - Photo: ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY

This is the figure recorded in the latest report of the Australian Department of Home Affairs on student visas in the first 3 months of 2025.

Visa rates plummet

Specifically, the approval rate for applications submitted from abroad was 81.4%, while domestic applications only reached 71.6%, a sharp decrease compared to 96.8% last year.

Notably, many countries, including Vietnam, are witnessing a tightening of the process of reviewing study abroad applications from Australia.

As of May 2025, Vietnam is currently ranked at Assessment Level 3 - the highest risk level. This means that Vietnamese students must meet more stringent conditions when applying for a student visa (subclass 500), including full financial proof, standard English proficiency and a clear and reasonable study plan.

According to study abroad experts, Vietnam's placement in the Level 3 group reflects the high rate of application rejections, as well as concerns from the Australian Government about students changing visa purposes or violating residency conditions.

This is one of the factors that has contributed to the sharp decline in visa approval rates in recent times and has put more pressure on students, parents and study abroad consultants to prepare their applications carefully.

Previously, according to data from the Australian Department of Home Affairs, in the 2023-2024 school year, the approval rate for Australian student visas for Vietnamese students reached 78.7%, also the lowest level in the past 18 years.

From July 2023 to April 2024, about 12,600 Vietnamese students were granted visas, accounting for 78.7% of the total number of applications submitted.

This is the second time since 2005 that the visa approval rate for Vietnamese students has dropped below 80%, while previously it usually ranged from 85% to nearly 100%.

In particular, the decline was mainly concentrated in vocational training programs and short-term English courses, with rejection rates of 46.8% and 48.4%, respectively.

Australia's tightening immigration policy

Australia has been implementing many strict immigration control policies, implemented by the Australian Government from the end of 2023.

Accordingly, the requirements for English proficiency are raised (minimum IELTS 6.0 - 6.5), the financial proof level is increased to nearly 500 million VND/year, the overtime working time is limited to 24 hours/week, and it is mandatory to pass the "Genuine Student" test to verify the real purpose of study.

Furthermore, according to The Guardian , from July 1, 2024, the fee for applying for a subclass 500 visa will also double from 710 AUD to 1,600 AUD, and is expected to increase further to 2,000 AUD in the coming months of 2025.

According to The Australian , from January 2025, the international student enrollment limit policy will officially take effect, setting a ceiling of 270,000 international students per year. When the threshold is reached,educational institutions will have to temporarily stop accepting applications, prolonging visa processing time.

At the same time, the Australian Government has increased supervision of training facilities, especially vocational schools and English centers, to eliminate "ghost schools" operating under false pretenses.

According to news.com.au , more than 150 such units have been closed in less than a year.

Not only the procedural impact, the current political landscape in Australia is also having a major psychological impact on the international student community.

In the May 2025 federal election, both major parties – Labor and Liberal – have taken a stance on tightening immigration, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton publicly linking international students to the housing crisis, while the government has proposed maintaining the student intake cap and increasing visa fees.

According to The Economic Times , this is raising concerns about a new "reserved attitude" towards international students, not as open as before.

Faced with this situation, consultants recommend that Vietnamese students prepare their applications more carefully than ever: from demonstrating transparent financial resources, meeting English requirements, to choosing a major that is in high demand in the Australian labor market and applying to prestigious schools with high visa approval rates.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ho-so-sinh-vien-viet-nam-xin-visa-du-hoc-uc-thuoc-nhom-rui-ro-cao-20250508170218582.htm