Nigerian students may pay N2m as new visa fee for Australia – Newstrends
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Nigerian students may pay N2m as new visa fee for Australia

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Australia VISA

Nigerian students may pay N2m as new visa fee for Australia

Nigerians planning to study in Australia may need to brace for a major hike in visa application fees, as the Australian government considers raising the student visa cost from AUD$1,600 to AUD$2,000 approximately N2,054,480 at current exchange rates.

This proposed increase comes less than a year after the last fee hike in July 2024, which saw student visa charges soar by 125% from AUD$710 to AUD$1,600. Now, both major political parties in Australia are reportedly backing another increase, as the country gears up for its federal election on May 3.

The potential rise is expected to further impact international students, particularly from developing countries like Nigeria, where foreign exchange rates and economic challenges already pose significant hurdles.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has floated a plan that would push the fee even higher, proposing AUD$5,000 for international students applying to Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight (Go8) universities, and AUD$2,500 for applicants to other institutions.

If implemented, these new visa fees could make Australia the most expensive destination globally for student visa applicants.

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The policy is projected to generate AUD$760 million over four years from international students worldwide.

Industry groups and education stakeholders have sharply criticized the proposals. English Australia, the peak body representing English language colleges for international students, noted that Australia’s current AUD$1,600 fee is already twice the rate charged in the UK, four times the US, and almost ten times higher than Canada.

Critics warn that the proposed increases will financially burden international students, potentially damaging Australia’s standing in the competitive global education market.

Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), has also voiced concern, saying short-term courses have been particularly hard-hit. He supports a discounted visa fee structure for such courses to help revive enrolments.

However, Education Minister Kay Gallagher defended the increase, calling it a “sensible measure” that reflects the premium value of an Australian education.

With the federal election looming, student visa policy has become a hot-button issue. While the Labour Party promises a balanced approach that includes stakeholder dialogue and fiscal responsibility, the Coalition’s more aggressive fee hike proposals may reshape the future of international education in Australia.

 

Nigerian students may pay N2m as new visa fee for Australia

(Vanguard)

Education

JAMB fixes mop-up UTME date for 96,838 candidates

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JAMB fixes mop-up UTME date for 96,838 candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed the date for 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mop-up exercise.

A statement signed by JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin on Sunday, disclosed that the examination will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

According to the statement, the examination will accommodate 96,838 candidates, including 5,096 spill-over candidates and those who failed biometric verification during the main exercise, as well as 91,742 candidates who were absent in the main and resit examinations.

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JAMB urged candidates to commence printing their examination notification slips from Monday, June 23, 2025.

It noted that the examination will be conducted in 183 centers across the nation, with strict security measures in place to prevent examination malpractice.

The statement added that in a bid to crack down on examination malpractices, JAMB has delisted or suspended 113 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centers implicated in sharp practices.

The board also appreciated security agencies, including the State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for their efforts in investigating and prosecuting culprits.

JAMB fixes mop-up UTME date for 96,838 candidates

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JAMB: 11 CBT centres, registrants to face sanction over fingerprints

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Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede

JAMB: 11 CBT centres, registrants to face sanction over fingerprints

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has recommended tough penalties for 11 Computer‑Based Test (CBT) centres and their registrants involved in fingerprint irregularities during registration for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Registrar/Chief Executive of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, made this known after a brainstorming session with some critical stakeholders following a meeting with the affected CBT centres and registrants on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said the measures, which still require the approval of Education Minister, Dr Maruf  Tunji  Alausa, are intended to protect the integrity of the examination process.

“The leadership of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board with some critical stakeholders here recommended that any registrant who registered more than 50 candidates (with infractions) should be dismissed from participating in any activities of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

“And what that means is that such a person will not participate in any UTME exercise, will not be registered for the UTME even as a student, and will not be allowed to participate in any of the sister examinations, be it WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB, and this is to be for three years.

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“The suspension is to stay for three years. After three years, the Board will revisit it and look at the issue. If the registrant has shown any remorse, such a suspension could be lifted.

“And others who have registered less than 50 will be warned and they will be required to write a letter of apology to the Board after issuing a bond, indicating that they will not be involved in such a thing again.

“Then for CBT centres, all CBT centres involved are to be warned and then asked to sign a bond. And beside the bond, they will also be required to give evidence of training of their registrants.

“And that training should be anchored by any of the federal universities within their vicinity. That training should be anchored by the appropriate department of the university within their vicinity,”  Oloyede said through JAMB’s Public Communication Adviser, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, who read out the recommendations.”

Throwing more light on the recommendations, Oloyede said the Board will not entertain any infraction from the affected centres in the future despite their claim of ignorance, hence, the need for them to undergo necessary training in federal universities closest to them before they can be re-engaged by JAMB.

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“We will not allow any of these centres to do anything with us until they bring a certificate, a letter from a federal institution closest to that centre that their staff had been trained on ethical standards.

“But for the centres, those that are owned by the federal government, the reports will be made to the authorities that this is what your agency did,” Oloyede said.

Earlier, most of the affected registrants and some CBT operators who confessed engaging in candidate’s finger contribution during the registration process, hinged the act on ignorance or the need to get more people registered in their centres, even as many broke down in tears and pleaded for leniency.

One of the stakeholders at the meeting and former Lagos Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the actions of the affected registrants warrant prosecution and possible jail term,  but appealed to JAMB to forgive and make them sign undertaking not to engage in such infraction in the future.

Earlier, an official of Jicoras CBT Centre, Bashir Gumel, said the centre has already commenced an internal probe on the involvement of its registrants, saying the outcome will be forwarded to JAMB.

 

JAMB: 11 CBT centres, registrants to face sanction over fingerprints

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JAMB finalising arrangements for mop-up UTME – Registrar

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JAMB finalising arrangements for mop-up UTME – Registrar

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) is set to announce the date for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) mop-up examination.

The examination will cater to candidates who missed the initial test due to various reasons, including biometric issues during verification and those registered for foreign centres.

According to the information in JAMB’s Bulletin release on Monday, JAMB management is finalising arrangements, and the date is expected to be confirmed within this month.

The Board advised affected candidates to await official announcements and disregard unverified social media posts.

“Candidates are advised to disregard any social media posts suggesting specific dates. The Board will make an official announcement once the date is confirmed,” the Bulletin said.

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Recall that JAMB’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, during a meeting with key stakeholders to address the challenges encountered during the 2025 UTME, announced that the mop-up examination with accommodate the estimated 5.6 per cent of candidates who missed the examination.

He said that the board had extended the opportunity to all the affected candidates, regardless of the reasons for their absence.

“Normally, we hold one mop-up nationwide for those with one issue or the other.

“But this time, we are creating a new mop-up. Even those who missed the earlier examination due to absence, we will extend this opportunity to them.

“It is not that we are doing something extraordinary; in class, you make up an examination when students miss it for one reason or the other; we just don’t allow abuse of that.

“So we will allow all the candidates who missed the main examination for any reason to take part in this mop-up,” he said.

JAMB finalising arrangements for mop-up UTME – Registrar

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