Italy: Australia consults on student visa overhaul as refusals hit key markets
Proposals would revise the Genuine Student requirement and financial-capacity rules, including possible Australian bank accounts and tougher evidence for certain international student applicants. The post Australia consults on student visa overhaul as refusals hit key markets appeared first on The PIE News .
What happened
A Department of Home Affairs consultation paper released today sets out options to revise Ministerial Direction 106 , which guides assessments under the Genuine Student requirement, alongside a new financial-capacity architecture for student visa applicants.
The consultation follows concerns raised by assistant minister for international education Julian Hill at the Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) 2026 in Sydney over persistently high offshore visa refusals , particularly in South Asia.
“While the government will not compromise on integrity, I believe Navitas data and market feedback make clear that the rate of refusals is now impacting key markets and actively deterring the very students we most want to come to study in Australia, as they are terrified of a visa refusal that hurts their chances of studying elsewhere,” Hill told delegates.
What it means for students
Planning to apply in 2027? It starts with pre-enrollment on Universitaly and credential recognition — see the step-by-step timeline in our guides.
EuroPath Education guides admissions to Italian universities: program selection, documents, DSU scholarships and visas. Free consultation — we assess your profile and outline the next step.
Source: The PIE News. Translated and adapted by the EuroPath Education team.
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