The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Australia has announced stricter visa rules for international students, including restrictions on bringing dependants, and tighter requirements for students seeking to extend their stay.
The changes, announced on 17th September by Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, are part of the government’s efforts to increase control over migration and reduce net overseas migration to 225,000 by 2028.
Under the new rules, most international students will no longer be able to bring their spouses or family members. Exceptions will apply to students who already have their families in Australia, applicants from Pacific and Southeast Asian countries, and PhD students.
Mr. Palden Tshering, Chairman of the Association of Bhutanese Education Consultancies
The Chairperson of the Association of Bhutanese Education Consultancies and Placement Firms (ABEC), Palden Tshering, said the changes are likely to take effect from June 2027, although no formal implementation date has been announced.
The Australian government has indicated that the changes may take several months to be formally implemented.
The government will also tighten rules on “visa hopping”, where students move from one visa or course to another to extend their stay in Australia. Students will still be allowed to progress to higher qualifications, such as transitioning from a Bachelor’s degree to a Master’s degree.
Bhutanese applicants face increased scrutiny
Palden Tshering said the South Asian region has come under increased scrutiny, with visa grants declining across the region. The Department of Home Affairs has been monitoring education consultancies with high application and refusal rates, as well as patterns involving student retention and the education providers students move to after arriving in Australia.
He said Bhutanese student visa applications have also faced increased scrutiny from Australian authorities in recent months, with refusals rising significantly.
“In the last few months, Bhutanese student visa applications have been screened aggressively by the Australian High Commission,” he said adding that the refusal rate is high.
He said the high refusal rate marks a significant shift in how Bhutanese applications are being assessed. The requirements have not necessarily changed, but the perception of Bhutanese applicants has shifted from low-risk to high-risk.
“Bhutan’s student visa refusals to Australia have reached an unprecedented height. This has never, ever happened,” he added.
He said Bhutan’s increased scrutiny began after private colleges started being marketed in the country, along with unregulated promotions on social media that suggested applicants only needed to meet minimum requirements.
Dependant restrictions expected to reduce numbers
Palden Tshering said the restriction on dependants will impact Bhutanese students because travelling with spouses has become increasingly common.
He said Australia’s student market initially developed around individual students seeking education and work experience rather than students travelling with spouses. The pattern began changing around 2012 to 2015, when more applications started including spouses, partly due to the growing number of education consultancy and placement firms and practices that encouraged students to travel with spouses.
“It became the norm. It became the practice,” Palden Tshering said.
He said the association is now trying to reset how prospective students approach Australia and expects the number of Bhutanese students travelling to Australia to decline under the new rules.
“Will numbers reduce? Yes, numbers are definitely going to reduce,” he said. However, Australia will continue to attract Bhutanese students because of its education system and opportunities for international students.
“The doors are still very much open. It’s really how you approach it,” he said.
Student Process Advisory
ABEC has prepared a two-page advisory outlining the requirements and steps prospective students should follow when applying to study in Australia.
He said applicants should accept the changes and adjust their plans instead of expecting the rules to be reversed.
“It is over. We have to accept it,” he said, adding that the changes were decisions made by the Australian Government in Australia’s interest.
The advisory recommends that applicants prepare their own Genuine Student statements and provide information about their circumstances, family, community, employment and economic ties, as well as reasons for choosing a particular course and education provider. Applicants are also advised to explain how completing the course would benefit them and to support their statements with relevant documents.
The advisory recommends meeting the English language requirements set by the intended course or provider. For employed applicants, it recommends providing an employment contract or employer letter showing position, appointment date and employer contact details. Supporting documents such as salary slips, bank statements and income tax returns may also be required.
Applicants relying on family members for financial support are advised to have a maximum of three relatives act as sponsors, including parents, siblings and grandparents. The advisory states that personal loans, mutual funds and stock holdings should not be used as proof of funds and that university scholarships should not be counted towards the financial requirement.
Applicants are advised to provide bank statements covering six to 12 months before the application date and explain any large deposits or transfers. Additional documents are recommended where funds come from agricultural income, business income, fixed or term deposits, or the sale of land or property.
Applicants urged to move away from outdated advice
Palden Tshering said applicants should not assume that the experience of a relative or friend who studied in Australia several years ago would apply to current applications.
“The process for your cousin five years ago is very different from what it is today,” he said.
Bhutan currently has 67 registered education consultancy and placement firms, of which 43 deal with Australia, along with three university country representatives. Palden urged applicants to use registered professionals and verify information before making decisions.
“If you are thinking of studying in Australia, everything that you’ve heard about what to do to study in Australia, take that out from your mental library, delete it, read this new checklist, use it as your advisory, and then speak to the professionals,” he said.
He also cautioned applicants against relying on social media influencers or people presenting themselves as professionals without verifying the information they provide.
“Anybody that guarantees you anything, you put a big question mark there,” he said.
Applicants should ask why a particular recommendation is being made and consider how decisions made during the application process could affect them later.
Education and migration advice
The Chairperson of ABEC also stressed the difference between education advice and migration advice. He said education consultancy and placement firms can advise on education-related matters, but should not provide migration advice.
“I cannot speak about migration because it’s a conflict of interest completely,” he said.
He advised Bhutanese students already in Australia to seek assistance from registered migration agents for migration-related matters and to use student support services provided by their universities.
“Do not panic. Before reacting, understand the situation that you are in and what the best practice will be for you,” Palden said.
He said students already in Australia should consider their individual circumstances and seek professional advice rather than making decisions based on information circulating online. Students who have not completed their current courses should be careful about changing courses or visas, as earlier decisions could affect future applications.
Australia remains open to Bhutanese students
Despite the changes, Palden said Australia will remain an important destination for Bhutanese students. He said applicants should understand that the environment has changed and that practices that may have worked in the past cannot necessarily be relied upon for new applications.
“Be calm. Understand what has happened, process it, make decisions based on the homework and the questions that you ask,” he said.
He also urged applicants to carefully assess information as more advice and commentary on the new rules emerges.
