The Australian government has reduced the number of approvals for Nigerian students’ visa applications by 75 per cent since the Oceanian country’s draconian immigration policies came into effect in the fourth quarter of 2023.

According to a report by research website ICEF Monitor, official government statistics showed a significant constant drop in the visa approval rate for Nigerian offshore higher education, as only 25.6 per cent of visa applications were approved in the fourth quarter of last year.

This is a huge contrast to the figures from the second quarter of 2023 when 67 per cent of Nigeria’s offshore higher education visa applications were approved prior to the Australian government’s new immigration stance.

ICEF Monitor noted that their internal data indicated that the percentage of disapproval rate for student visa applicants from Nigeria may be higher, prompting a school in Australia to pause offshore admissions for applicants from Nigeria and Pakistan.

A letter by the school with multiple locations in Australia to its agents, obtained by ICEF Monitor, reads: “Unfortunately, due to significant and recent changes in the way the Australian government is assessing student visa applications, [Institution] has been left with no alternative other than to pause all applications from offshore Pakistan and Nigeria.”

“This decision will remain under constant review, pending information and clarity from the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs,” the school noted.