Will visa processing take longer now?

Yes, under the Australia student visa risk category change, visa processing for Indian applicants is expected to take longer because India has been moved to the highest-risk student visa category and now falls under Evidence Level 3 student visa Australia. With this change, the Department of Home Affairs requires more detailed documentation and conducts higher levels of scrutiny for each application. This includes verifying financial evidence, education history, and genuine intent to study, which adds extra steps to the assessment process. As a result, Australia student visa scrutiny for Indian applicants has increased, and additional checks can extend the overall processing time compared with when India was at a lower risk level. Indian students and advisors should plan for these extended processing timelines when preparing and submitting applications.