Source: Department of Immigration
Evidence levels are calculated using a weighted average based on the total number of international students (applicants and holders of student visas) that have a confirmation of enrolment (CoE) based on their principal course of study from the education provider.
The following weightings and evidence level indicators are used to calculate the evidence level of each education provider and country under the simplified student visa framework (SSVF):
- rate of visa cancellations (25% weighting)
- rate of refusals due to a fraud reason (40% weighting)
- rate of refusals (excluding fraud) (10% weighting)
- rate of student visa holders becoming unlawful non-citizens (15% weighting)
- rate of Subsequent Protection Visa applications (10% weighting)
Evidence levels are allocated to each education provider and country.
| Evidence level index (weighted average of all indicators) | Evidence level |
| Below 1.0 | 1 |
| Between 1.0 and 2.7 | 2 |
| Above 2.7 | 3 |
Evidence level indicators
Visa cancellations
Immigration reporting for education providers includes student visa cancellations for fraud, non-genuineness, breaches of visa condition 8202 (must maintain enrolment, attendance, course progress and changing courses), and breaches of visa condition 8105 (cannot work more than 48 hours a fortnight when course is in session).
Student visa cancellations where the student requests their visa cancellation are not considered.
Visa refusals
Refusals that count towards an education provider’s evidence level include those refused due to fraud. Refusal where the client is inside or outside of Australia are counted.
Overstaying a visa
Students and other visa holders who have overstayed their visa and have been unlawful for a short period of time can apply for a bridging visa. People who have been unlawful and resolve their immigration status within a short period of time (less than 28 days) are unlikely to have an adverse record on our databases. These figures represent visa holders who did not contact us to arrange a bridging visa or another visa and overstayed their visas for more than 28 days.
Unlawful non-citizens
These figures represent visa holders who did not resolve their immigration status and overstayed their visas for more than 28 days.
Protection visa applications
The number of protection visa (PV) applications is defined as the number of people who lodged a PV application where the last visa held by them was a student visa.
Linking a student visa to an education provider
Your evidence level is based on student visas that are linked to your institution. The student visa outcomes are attributed to the education provider specified on the CoE for the principal course at the time the student visa application was decided. If a student transfers to another education provider and is not granted a new student visa, their student visa remains linked to the original education provider.
Small education providers and countries
Where there is insufficient data to determine the evidence level of an education provider or country a default evidence level is assigned. This applies if a country or education provider has less than the threshold of 50 for any of the following data items in the relevant reporting period:
- number of active student visas
- finalisations where the client was inside or outside of Australia
- number of students whose visas are due to expire
Small education providers
Education providers that during a 12-month reporting period do not have 50 active student visa holders and/or 50 student visa applications (where the client is inside or outside Australia) and/or 50 student visas about to expire are allocated a default evidence level of two under the SSVF.
We set this threshold based on experience in managing the streamlined visa processing arrangements and in consultations with a working group of members from the Education Visa Consultative Committee (EVCC).
Small countries
If a country has less than the threshold of 50 for any of the data items listed above, their default evidence level will be 3 unless that country meets certain criteria regarding income, in which case a default evidence level of one is applied.
Packaged courses
Where the student intends to package courses to combine their preliminary course of study with their principal course of study, the education provider evidence level applied to the student visa application would correspond to the student’s principal course of study.
Relevant links:
Student and Student Guardian visa processing priorities
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