More than 400 international PhD candidates from China, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are facing prolonged delays in their Australian visa applications due to a reported technical glitch in the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) system. These applicants, who have collectively paid over half a million Australian dollars in visa fees, claim their applications have stalled indefinitely after being asked to submit Form 1221.Despite completing the online form, applicants say the system fails to recognize the submission, preventing further progress. Resubmission leads to the same outcome, leaving them in limbo. Screenshots reviewed by Times Higher Education indicate that affected students receive “yellow flags,” signaling pending DHA assessments and prompting repeated requests for additional documentation.A PhD candidate from India, who requested anonymity, stated that no applicant impacted by the issue had been granted a visa so far. “Many of us have lost our scholarships this month as the universities cannot carry forward the scholarships and enrollments,” she said, adding that some students had been waiting over 10 months without communication from DHA.The Australian student visa application fee stands at A$1,600, the highest in the world. Despite repeated complaints, DHA has denied awareness of any system errors. A spokesperson stated, “A visa cannot be granted until the department is satisfied that all requirements have been met.”Petitions to Australian authorities have urged for clear deadlines in visa processing and regular updates for applicants. Some candidates have been waiting up to 36 months, with their academic futures uncertain. “Refund the application fee if you can’t make a decision,” one petition demands.DHA statistics indicate that 99% of offshore postgraduate research visa applications are eventually approved, with half processed within 20 days. However, these figures exclude applications placed under indefinite security review. Applicants say they have repeatedly submitted required documents, including Form 80, but continue to face delays with no definitive timelines provided.A group of Chinese PhD students recently appealed to their country’s ambassador in Australia, seeking intervention for more transparent visa processing. “Since early 2024, students who encountered the ‘1221 bug’ have almost never received their visas and are still waiting indefinitely,” their petition states.While DHA cites factors like document submission timelines and security checks as reasons for the delays, affected applicants say they have complied with all requirements but remain stuck in a system that offers little clarity or recourse.