That is a relatively easy question to answer with a strong degree of accuracy. The DOHA has good statistics on student applications and student visa grants for applications. Applications that are made both In Australia (Onshore) and Outside Australia (Offshore).
As the question is asked mostly by Offshore Applicants thinking about coming to Australia to study for the first time, we will look at that data. DOHA most recent statistics cover the period Jan-Dec 2020 to Jan-Dec 2021 so let’s see what they tell us.
Some important numbers
What the statistics do tell us is that the overall Student Visa Grant Rate is an impressive 92.7%. Another way to see this is that 10 in 11 applicants are successful in being granted a Student Visa.
But delving into the student visa grant data of Table 3.03, the 92.7% Australian Student Visa Grant Rate it’s not really that simple. The location of the applicant potentially plays a big part in that person’s Australian Student Visa Outcome
To better understand the significance of location, let’s briefly turn to Table 1.16. This table sets out where the bulk of international students come from. As we all know, the number one source of International Students coming to Australia on Student Visas is China. Even during the worst of the Pandemic, they have remained number 1. Similarly, India and Nepal continue to maintain their respective second and third positions as sources of International Students to Australia. So, let’s look at their respective Visa Grant Rate percentages.
1.16 Number of student visa applications lodged in 2021-22 to 31 December 2021 where the client was Outside Australia.
Returning to Table 3.03, we can see that the Australian Student Visa Grant Rate for China is 98.24%. This is some 5.5% points higher than the average. On the other hand, Indian Student Visa Applicants achieve just 68.66%. And Nepal, a very similar 68.24% – this is some 24% Points below the average grant rate for Australian Student Visas. That’s a substantial difference variation from the 92.7% Australian Student Visa Grant Rate.
The number of granted visas change
Why do Student Visa Grant Rates vary? Well, there are lots of potential factors. Rumour has it that DOHA is focussing heavily on the documentation presented with Student Visa Applications from South Asian countries. There is certainly no official statement on this from DOHA so let’s look at other potential reasons.
What other reasons might there be? Well, the type of course or program one applies for might have some bearing on the refusal rate. Table 3.01 below sets out the Student Visa Grant rates for each category. Let’s ignore the Foreign Affairs & Defence Sector category as this is very small and effectively Government supported for invited applicants.
3.01 Grant rate of student visa applications decided in the three-month period between 1 October 2021 and 31 December 2021 by client location and sector – comparison with previous four periods.
Of the other categories and using the Student Visa Grant Rate Average of 92.7% as our benchmark, we can see only two categories that are below that level: Independent ELICOS and Vocational Education and Training. Table 2.30 tells us that Nepal and India head this table as the most popular source of International Students.
Unfortunately, DOHA does not provide country data for the VET sector applications. But the bulk data shows that some 7686 offshore applications were made for the 6 months up to Dec 2021 (see below). When we look at the Rate of Change from 2020-21, it is probably unsafe to speculate if this sector is the cause of the significantly lower than average Success Rate for Indian and Nepalese Student Visa Applicants.
In respect of ELICOS, none of the major countries feature as the main sources of students in this sector as Table 2.22 shows.
Conclusion
So, the answer to the question of ‘What are the chances of being granted an Australian Student Visa’, well, more than 9 out of 10 Student Visa Applicants are granted an Australian Visa but if one is applying from South Asia (with the exception of Bangladeshi applicants), the chances are statistically significantly lower than if applying from China, South-East Asia, or elsewhere.
Concerned about your student visa application, then contact us and book an appointment so we will help you get into the 92.7% of successful student visa applicants.
Data Sourced from: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/student-temporary-grad-program-report-dec-2021.pdf