Hill, Australia’s assistant minister for international education, told an AAERI reception in Hyderabad that over 178,000 Indians are now studying in Australia, with Indian-origin people among the fastest-growing skilled migrant groups – making up nearly 4% of the population.
“Australia welcomes high-quality Indian students. People make a financial investment in the country, and increasingly we see students who want to pursue education in every part of Australia, at every institution. At the moment, 178,000 Indian students are studying in Australia,” stated Hill.
“We welcome those students into a safe, multicultural community — the most successful multicultural nation. We aim to provide an international experience where students study alongside Australians and students from around the world.”
Some who claim to be agents are only interested in making money and don’t give proper advice, but the good agents play an important role in helping students who genuinely want to study
Julian Hill, Australian government
Despite Australia introducing tighter rules — including a 270,000 cap (rising to 295,000 in 2026), higher English and financial requirements, and the new Genuine Student test — in recent years, it remains a top choice for Indian students with numbers up over 31% from 135,300 in 2024.
While the rise has been noteworthy, Indian students have also faced high visa refusal rates amid concerns over document fraud, prompting organisations like AAERI to introduce a new verification tool “to ensure document authenticity and protect the integrity of the admission process”.
Last month, the controversial Integrity Bill cleared the Australian Senate, updating the definition of education agents and adding transparency around commissions — measures Hill says “strengthen integrity and address long-standing loopholes”, though some stakeholders have called it a “pre-packaged political deal”.
Amid increased government scrutiny of the sector, Hill talked about the complexities of the study abroad process for students, while noting the important role a “good agent” can play in guiding them.
“There’s an enormous information asymmetry between young people as consumers trying to figure out not just which institutions might be best for them or which country to go to, but also understanding legal norms, the visa system, and the realities of living in another country — all of that is incredibly complex,” said Hill.
“The role of good agents is crucial. Some who claim to be agents are only interested in making money and don’t give proper advice, but the good agents play an important role in helping students who genuinely want to study.”
Though recent reports claimed Australian universities have banned Indian students from states such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Jammu and Kashmir over fake documents and high dropouts, universities told The PIE News that these restrictions, first introduced in 2023, were lifted within months.
However, Hill, speaking at an AAERI luncheon in Amritsar, noted that some regions still see “an increase in fake or unverifiable documents, directly contributing to higher rejection rates”.
Moreover, Hill underscored the “significant challenge” of high volumes of onshore student transfers, noting that many students move to lower-cost providers after arriving in Australia, with about half of these cases involving students from India.
“Nearly half of these transferring students are from India, affecting academic outcomes, institutional accountability, and sector-wide integrity,” Hill said.
Though many in Australia have argued that an onshore commission ban to curb “course hopping” will backfire, with some aiming to circumvent the rules, AAERI maintains it will help stop “unethical onshore poaching by certain agents and institutions, ultimately protecting students, genuine agents, and sector integrity”.
The agent body also praised Hill’s presence at its India events, saying that despite significant travel constraints, it “showed his strong commitment to the agent community and genuine interest in hearing their concerns firsthand”.
Hill’s visit to India was part of a broader high-level Australian delegation trip that included education minister Jason Clare, skills and training minister Andrew Giles, university vice-chancellors, regulators, and sector leaders such as Universities Australia CEO Luke Sheehy.
The delegation focused on expanding India-Australia collaboration in education, skills, and research through sector roundtables and meetings with Indian institutions and officials, including education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
It also included the third Australia-India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) meeting, where University of New South Wales (UNSW) received a Letter of Intent (LoI) to establish a campus in Bengaluru — becoming the seventh Australian university set to do so in India.
Several MoUs were exchanged between Indian and Australian universities, governments, and skilling bodies, including 10 new joint research projects between higher education institutions in both countries.
Telangana signed an agreement with Victoria-based Deakin University to establish a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence, with further regional collaborations also in the pipeline, according to Hill.
“We have research and education partnerships, and it’s a serious long-term relationship that we want to build.
Southern India is particularly important — it’s a growing economy with excellent research institutions and families who are deeply focused on education
Julian Hill, Australian government
“Southern India is particularly important — it’s a growing economy with excellent research institutions and families who are deeply focused on education.”
The release of the “Shared Pathways to Research Futures” document — the Australia–India research collaboration framework 2026–2030, developed by the Australia-India Institute — was another key outcome of the recent visit.
“The ROI is important. Many partnerships in India aim to ensure that our graduates in Australia are not just knowledgeable, but also equipped for the workforce and the challenges they will face,” stated Hill.
“We are also looking at two-way student mobility, as well as partnerships between businesses, institutions, and government.”
