When learning about studying abroad Australia, you may come across concepts such as Evidence Level 1, Evidence Level 2 or Evidence Level 3. However, a fairly common understanding today is: “Level 3 schools are poor quality schools” or even “Level 3 schools are ghost”. This is an incorrect understanding.
According to the assessment method of the Australian Department of Home Affairs, Evidence Level is not a ranking of a school’s educational quality. This index involves data on Visa records, compliance status and some Visa behaviors of international student groups. Therefore, when choosing a school, students should not just look at the Evidence Level and immediately conclude about the quality of training.
What is Evidence Level?
To put it simply, Evidence Level is an index used in the Student Visa application risk assessment system. This index reflects a number of characteristics related to Visa history and compliance with immigration regulations of international student groups at the school or by country group. In other words: Evidence Level does not answer the question “Is this school good at teaching?” Instead, it is more about the question: “What are the Visa risk characteristics of the international student profile associated with this school/country?” These are two completely different issues.
How is Evidence Level calculated?
According to published calculation methods, the Evidence Level index is constructed based on data of international students, including applicants and Student Visa holders associated with educational institutions.
Groups of indicators included in the evaluation include:
| Index | Weight |
|---|---|
| Visa cancellation rate | 25% |
| Visa refusal rate due to fraud | 40% |
| Visa refusal rate not due to fraud | 10% |
| Rate of students overstaying their Visa (unlawful non-citizen) | 15% |
| Rate of subsequent Visa Protection submissions | 10% |
Among them, the Visa refusal rate due to fraud has the largest weight, up to 40%. This shows that the honesty and consistency of Visa documents are particularly important factors in the evaluation system.
What do Evidence Levels mean? Level 3 is an increase in the level of risk reflected in the relevant visa data, not a gradual decrease in the quality of education.
Therefore, it should not be understood:
Level 1 = good school
Level 2 = average school
Level 3 = poor school
This understanding equates two completely different evaluation systems. Does Evidence Level evaluate the quality of training?
No. Evidence Level is not a ranking based on:
- Quality of faculty
- Curriculum
- Facilities
Quality of classrooms
Quality of research
- Academic Reputation
- Quality of Degrees
- Employability After Graduation
- Quality of Learning Facilities
- Research Quality
- Academic Reputation
- Quality of Degrees
- Employability After Graduation
A school with Evidence Level 3 does not mean that the school has poor training. Similarly, a school with a low Evidence Level does not mean that every student will definitely be granted a Visa. This is why when advising on studying abroad, it is necessary to separate two issues: the school’s educational quality and the visa risk of the application.
Why can a school have a high Evidence Level?
One of the important reasons lies in the Visa behavior of international students. For example, data may reflect cases such as:
- Visa canceled due to violation of Visa conditions.
- Visa application was rejected because of fraud related issues.
- Visa application was rejected for other reasons.
- Students stay in Australia when their Visa has expired.
- Student then applies for Protection Visa.
This also explains why Evidence Level cannot be used alone to conclude whether a school is “good” or “bad”.
What can be the impact of breaching Student Visa conditions?
Certain violations of Visa conditions may be reflected in the data used for assessment. For example, issues related to:
Condition 8202
This condition involves students maintaining their studies and meeting prescribed course, academic progress and enrollment requirements. If students do not comply with Student Visa requirements, this may result in consequences regarding their Visa status.
Condition 8105
This condition relates to the Student Visa holder’s employment restrictions. Working beyond the allowable limit may result in a violation of Visa conditions and affect your immigration status.
Therefore, students should not only care about “being granted a Visa or not”, but also must understand and fully comply with the conditions after the Visa is granted.
What about voluntary visa cancellation?
Not all cases of Visa cancellation have the same meaning. In the Evidence Level calculation method, the case of a student requesting to cancel their Visa is not handled the same as the case of a Visa being canceled due to a violation. This is an important detail because if only looking at the phrase “Visa cancellation”, readers can easily misunderstand the nature of the data.
How many days should I worry about overdue visa?
This is also an issue that needs to be understood correctly. Should not be simplified into: “Just overdue your Visa will cause the school to increase its Level.” Unfair status cases have specific criteria and handling methods. In particular, short overstay situations that are handled early should not be equated with prolonged illegal stays without contacting the Department of Home Affairs.
Therefore, if one is having problems with Visa status, the most important thing is to handle the residence status as soon as possible and seek appropriate advice, instead of assuming that the application will definitely be affected.
So is Evidence Level 3 a “ghost school”?
No. This is one of the misconceptions that needs to be eliminated. Evidence Level 3 is not a label:
“Poor school”
“Ghost school”
“Not worth studying at”
It reflects a group of indicators related to Visa applications and compliance behavior of international students. A school may have good training quality but still have a high Evidence Level due to the Visa data characteristics of the relevant international student group. Conversely, a low Evidence Level cannot be understood as a school that is definitely suitable for all students. Does
Evidence Level affect Student Visa applications?
This is the point students need to pay attention to. Evidence Level is related to the level of evidence that a Student Visa applicant may need to provide in the process of proving his/her application. However, the Evidence Level of the school is not the only factor that determines whether a Visa is granted or denied. The application still needs to be considered as a whole, including factors related to the applicant, study purpose, study history, finances, personal circumstances and current Visa requirements.
Therefore, you should not advise like: “Level 1 schools are definitely easy to pass a Visa.” Or: “Level 3 schools are definitely difficult to get a Visa.” Both ways of saying it oversimplify the problem.
What should students do when choosing a school?
Instead of just asking: “What level is this school?” You should ask at least 4 questions:
1. Is the school suitable for your learning goals?
Take a look at the curriculum, subject content, learning path and compatibility with the current platform.
2. What is the quality and value of the degree?
Evidence Level is not a substitute for assessing educational quality.
You still need to consider the school’s reputation, training program, output results and degree value for career goals.
3. Is there anything in your Visa application that needs explaining?
This is a very important part.
A school with a low Evidence Level cannot “erase” weaknesses in individual records.
On the contrary, an application that is properly prepared, honest and has clear learning goals still needs to be evaluated based on the actual circumstances of the applicant.
4. Does it meet the Department of Home Affairs’ proof requirements?
If the application requires additional evidence, prepare complete, consistent and explainable documents.
Evidence Level is only part of the decision to choose a school
This is a reasonable approach. Don’t choose a school just because of Level 1. But don’t eliminate a school just because of Level 3. Evaluate at the same time: Quality of training + field of study + cost + location + career opportunities + learning path + Visa requirements + Evidence Level.
By putting all the factors into the same picture, students and families can make better decisions. Evidence Level is not a ranking of school quality. Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 mainly reflect data related to Visa, compliance status and immigration behavior of the international student group, but do not directly evaluate the quality of teaching or school facilities. In particular, because the Visa refusal rate due to fraud is heavily weighted, the integrity and consistency of the application are factors that both students and consulting units need to pay special attention to. So, if you are choosing a school to study abroad in Australia, don’t just ask: “What level is this school?” Ask further: “Is this school a good fit for my academic goals and profile?” That is the correct and more complete view of Evidence Level.
