Australian visa delays mess up Vietnamese students’ plans

Tran Duc, 18, of Hanoi had to cancel his flight and miss his July admission to the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane after his visa was delayed.

He applied on May 25, but nearly three months later it remains in limbo.

“I panicked at first, but now I’ve accepted the situation,” he says.

He had to be present at the university by Aug. 2, but the visa hassle has forced him to defer his admission to next February.

Nguyen Minh Anh, another Hanoi student, also faced visa delays that prevented her from attending her program at Monash University as planned.

During her two-month wait for a visa she sent five letters to the Australian embassy, pleading for quick processing, but received no response.

As a result she had to begin her studies online, missing some in-person classes that were not available remotely.

By Aug. 11 the deadline for her to be present at the university had passed.

The tardy visa processing, which has been occurring since April, is impacting both academic plans and finances of students and their families.

Simon Tran, vice general director of overseas education consultancy firm Avenue to Success, said the visa processing period, which used to take two to six weeks, now takes two to four months on average.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs has said around 50% of visa applications are processed within 43 days and 90% are completed within four months.

The process has also become more stringent. Unlike in the past, when copies of documents were sufficient, all documents must now be translated into English by a translator with at least two years’ experience.

“The visa approval process is longer, and the chance of success is lower,” Tran said.

Lu Thi Hong Nham, general director of consultancy firm Duc Anh EduConnect, said the Australian government amended its visa policies in March, and they have had an immediate impact, with students planning to study in that country in July being the first ones to feel the brunt.

Nguyen Nhut Hung, an admissions officer for Vietnamese schools at the University of Technology Sydney, said since late May the average wait time for a student visa has been around 52 days.

Renee Deschamps, Australia’s deputy ambassador to Vietnam, attributed the delays to an overwhelming number of visa applications, which has strained the approval system.

Australia is also placing a greater emphasis on ensuring that applicants are genuinely interested in studying rather than pursuing other objectives.

Amanda Barry, director of future students at the Australian National University, acknowledged that the government’s policies pose challenges for international students.

Visa rejections depend on various factors, including the applicant’s location of residence and the school they plan to attend, she explained.

Applications to top-tier institutions are less likely to be rejected, she added.

Australia reduced the post-graduation stay period for international students from four to six years to two to four in February.

In March it raised the IELTS requirement for international students from 6.0 to 6.5.

Over 37,000 Vietnamese students were studying in that country in the first four months of this year, a 49% increase from the same period last year, according to the Australian Department of Education.

The unseemly visa delay has dampened Duc’s enthusiasm for studying abroad though he remains determined to pursue an education in Australia.

Anh and her family are considering alternative international schools in Vietnam but have yet to make a final decision.