Australia student visa refusals approach 80% for Kenyan and Nigerian applicants

Prospective students from Kenya and Nigeria face some of the highest Australian student visa refusal rates recorded in recent years, with rejection rates approaching 80% in September 2026 against less than 10% a year earlier. The figures, reported by Times Higher Education, come as Australia tightens student visa requirements and raises application costs.

Adelaide University is one institution feeling the effect. It projects an A$90 million ($63 million) revenue shortfall after international student enrolments landed 40% below its first-semester target, and administrators are reviewing spending and staffing.

Key facts

• September 2026: student visa rejection rates for applicants from Nigeria and Kenya approached 80%, compared with less than 10% a year earlier.
• Student visa application fees have risen to A$2,500.
• 17 September 2026: Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced plans to stop most international students bringing family members.
• Applicants from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have also faced tighter screening.
• Adelaide University enrolled 16,677 international students in 2026, 4,143 fewer than the 20,820 recorded across its two predecessor institutions in 2025.
• International student numbers fell 8% nationwide.

What is changing?

Australia has tightened student visa requirements and increased application fees, and the government has introduced further measures to strengthen immigration controls. Adelaide University has linked its declining international enrolments to these policies, including higher visa refusal rates and increased application costs.

On 17 September 2026, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke also announced plans to restrict most international students from bringing family members, with exemptions proposed for PhD students and certain other groups. The source does not state when that restriction would take effect.

Who is affected?

The university says the changes affect prospective students from countries including Nigeria, Kenya, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Applicants from India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have faced tighter screening, and Times Higher Education put refusal rates for Nigerian and Kenyan applicants at close to 80% in September 2026.

Adelaide University has not disclosed how much of its revenue shortfall is attributable to individual countries. Some Australian institutions have still grown, with Flinders University among them, even as overall international student numbers fell 8% nationwide.

What this means for travellers

Students from Kenya, Nigeria and other affected countries planning to study in Australia should expect a substantially tougher visa process than a year ago, higher application costs and, for most, restrictions on bringing family members. The university's deputy vice-chancellor for international and external engagement, Professor Jessica Gallagher, said: "We are deeply concerned by the policy direction." She linked the decline in enrolments to tighter visa requirements affecting South Asian applicants.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the restrictions, saying international education remained important but required stronger immigration oversight and integrity in the system.

Adelaide University began operating in January 2026 following the merger of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, a project estimated at between A$500 million and A$650 million and supported by an A$464.5 million funding package from the South Australian government. The merger carried projections of 6,000 additional overseas students by 2034. To manage costs, the university is considering a voluntary early retirement scheme for employees aged over 55 with at least five years of service, with voluntary redundancies possible if further reductions are needed. Participation remains optional.