New South Wales is the second Australian state to stop accepting students from certain central provinces of Vietnam.
This decision was made due to the recent increase in visa non-compliance among international students.
DE International (DEI) – the international division of the New South Wales Department of Education – has informed its partners in Vietnam that the state will stop accepting applications from students residing in the provinces of Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, and Quảng Ninh.
As of October 2023, there were over 31,000 Vietnamese international students living in Australia, ranking Vietnam sixth in terms of international student numbers. This includes high school students, university and college students, as well as those enrolled in vocational or English language programs. Among them, the largest number are based in Victoria (around 13,400), followed by New South Wales (approximately 11,500).
The Australian Department of Home Affairs reported that about 19% of international students were refused visas in the second half of 2023 — the highest rate in the past three years. For Vietnamese students, the refusal rate was approximately 16%.
This decision is said to align with the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act and aims to help maintain the integrity of Australia’s visa system.
