Dhaka, Jan. 11 -- Australia has moved Bangladesh into its highest student visa risk category, tightening integrity checks that could lead to closer scrutiny and longer processing times for Bangladeshi applicants.

Under a revised Assessment Level (AL) framework effective from Jan 8, 2026, Bangladesh has been upgraded from AL1 to AL3, the highest risk tier, according to a notification issued through Australia's PRISMS system by the Department of Education, The Australia Today reports.

Alongside Bangladesh, India and Nepal have also been moved to AL3 from AL2, while Sri Lanka has been shifted from AL1 to AL2. Pakistan remains in AL3.

The update is part of a broader review aimed at addressing "emerging integrity issues", particularly conce...