Bangladeshi students seeking to pursue higher education in Australia are facing an increasingly difficult visa process, with only 24 per cent of offshore higher education visa applications from Bangladesh approved in August, according to the latest Australian government statistics.

The August approval rate was the lowest on record for Bangladeshi applicants in a 21-year dataset maintained by Australia’s Department of Home Affairs. Bangladesh was among several major source countries, including Bhutan, Nepal, Nigeria and the Philippines, to record its lowest-ever August grant rate.

The number of higher education visas granted to Bangladeshi applicants also fell sharply. Australia issued 93 per cent fewer higher education visas to Bangladeshi offshore applicants in August compared with the same month last year, making Bangladesh one of the worst-affected major source markets.

Applications from Bangladesh have also declined substantially. The number of higher education visa applications lodged by Bangladeshi students in August was 83 per cent lower than a year earlier, reflecting both the increasingly difficult visa environment and falling demand to study in Australia.

The figures come as Australia continues to tighten its international education and migration policies. The federal government has also announced plans to restrict most international students from obtaining secondary visas for their dependants, a change that could have particular implications for Bangladeshi students, who have historically been among the nationalities more likely to bring family members to Australia.

The latest figures suggest that the impact of these policy changes is already being felt before the new dependant restrictions take full effect. Only 943 secondary higher education visas were issued in August to applicants both inside and outside Australia, the lowest August figure since 2010 and almost two-thirds lower than the same month last year.

Australia’s immigration minister Tony Burke said the rising refusal rates were linked to financial checks, arguing that many applicants did not have sufficient resources to fund their studies. He also said the government was attempting to address excessive migration while maintaining Australia’s reputation as a welcoming country.

The sharp decline in Bangladeshi approvals is particularly significant for Australian universities, which continue to operate under international student intake allocations. Universities have reported that high visa refusal rates are making it difficult to reach the number of international students they have been permitted to enrol.

Western Sydney University vice-chancellor George Williams, for example, said the university had been allocated 4,000 international student places but would be “lucky” to reach 2,300 because of the difficulties in securing visas.

The Australian opposition has also criticised the high refusal rates, arguing that universities have been given international student quotas that they cannot realistically meet because of visa decisions. The government, however, maintains that the restrictions are necessary to manage migration and ensure that international students have sufficient financial resources.

For Bangladeshi students, the figures point to a substantially more challenging pathway to studying in Australia. With approval rates falling to just 24 per cent and applications down 83 per cent year on year, prospective students are now facing not only tougher competition for admission but also a significantly higher risk of being refused a visa after securing a place at an Australian institution.