EL3 Australia student visa: Since 8 January 2026 all Indian student visa applications assessed under EL3

Since 8 January 2026 every Indian student visa application is assessed under Evidence Level 3 (EL3), Australia’s highest-risk classification, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) confirmed.

EL3 Australia student visa: How EL3 is calculated

The DHA publishes the EL3 methodology but does not disclose country scores or the reporting period used. EL levels are set by a weighted average across five compliance indicators; a weighted average above 2.7 triggers EL3.

Indicator weightings are fixed: fraud-related refusals 40% , visa cancellations 25% , unlawful non-citizens (overstays) 15% , non-fraud refusals 10% , and protection visa applications 10% . Fraud carries the largest influence on a country’s score.

MD106, effective 23 March 2024 , guides officer scrutiny. Two clauses are often cited in refusals: MD106 Section 8(2)(c) allows officers to consider an applicant’s economic circumstances as a migration incentive, and Section 8(3) allows comparison of an applicant’s circumstances to others in their home country.

Refusal letters typically cite clause 500.212 and state the officer is "not satisfied" the applicant is a genuine student. Those letters do not disclose which MD106 factor — or which sub-indicator in the EL3 model — determined the outcome.

EL3 Australia student visa: Immediate impact on applicants

India’s grant rate has fallen from roughly 75–80% before January 2026 to 49% in March 2026 , the first month in which a majority of Indian applicants were refused. Reported refusal outcomes in March 2026 included a 51% refusal figure cited in coverage.

EL3 is a country-level classification and cannot be appealed or individually challenged by applicants. Applicants effectively inherit the aggregate country risk when they lodge.

What officers can and cannot rely on

Under MD106 officers may weigh country-level factors unrelated to an individual’s intent. They are not required to identify which factor was determinative in a refusal letter. That means a clean personal record does not guarantee a grant when the country-level model pushes risk higher.

Practical steps students are advised to follow

Students should focus on evidence within their control. A genuine student (GS) statement must be specific to your course and provider. Financial evidence should credibly cover the full course: bank statements showing 12–18 months of consistent balances and education loan letters that name tuition and living costs for the entire course.

Applying to higher-ranked providers reduces combined evidence level risk; the DHA’s model combines country and provider-level data. Treat the AUD 2,000 non-refundable application fee as a financial risk, not a formality.

For now, EL3 remains in place until the DHA changes India’s weighted score. Students and families should prepare stronger, more detailed files on the controllable factors while monitoring official DHA announcements.