One of the major destinations for overseas students to study is Australia. Any course you desire to take is available at an Australian institution. As soon as you are accepted for a study, you must consider getting an Australia student visa. Since obtaining an Australia student visa is quite complex, we thought of sharing all the important information you want to know about it from this guide. Continue to read and you can find answers to all questions you have about Australia student visas.
What is an Australia student visa?
There are two main types of student visa options available in Australia. They include:
- Student Visa – Subclass 500
- Training Visa – Subclass 407
Out of these, Subclass 500 is the usual student visa that you need to apply for. If you are not an Australian citizen or a PR holder, you will need to apply for Subclass 500 visa. Watch the YouTube video, if you want to learn about it here.
What are the requirements for Australia student visa?
There are a few requirements that you need to fulfill to be eligible for Student Visa Subclass 500. Below mentioned are those requirements.
Valid Passport
You need to have a valid passport to proceed with your application for Subclass 500 student visa. Apart from the passport, you may also be requested to provide a copy of the driver’s license or the national identity card.
Recent Photograph and Biometrics
You should also submit a recent photograph for the visa. You must adhere to the specific guidelines for the photo. Then you will need to go to the immigration office to provide your fingerprints.
Australia Student Visa Application Form
Take your time to carefully read the application form. Then you can go ahead and fill it out. You will also need to sign the application before you submit it.
Age Requirement
Australian student visa is available for students aged above 6 or more. There is no upper limit for age.
Confirmation Letter of Enrolment (CoE)
Along with your application, you will also need to provide a Confirmation Letter of Enrolment from the Australian university. You need to maintain this and remain as a student throughout your stay in Australia. You won’t be able to remain in Australia on a student visa if you arrive and then finish your studies there.
Some students often sign up for several courses. So, you may supply a Confirmation Letter of Enrolment for each course if you fall under this category. If not, you may only complete the course for which you filed the CoE within the terms of your visa. In order to support your visa if you are applying under one of these categories, you must provide the following supplementary paperwork:
- Trade Sponsored student from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs
- Department of Defence Sponsored student.
- Secondary exchange student.
Postgraduate Student Requirements for Australia Student Visa
You must remain in Australia until you turn in your theses if you are a postgraduate student. This is where you will need to provide some extra university documentation at this point.
Child Support Documents
When visiting Australia, you may bring along dependent children under the age of 18. If you are bringing your parents but not the other parent, you must submit a parental permission form.
Civil Documents
Civil documents that you should provide for Australia student visa include your marriage certificate, birth certificate, divorce certificate and adoption papers where available. If there are any changes to your name, you should provide supportive documents for it as well.
Health Insurance
You will need to have an Australian health insurance to go ahead and apply for Australia student visa. This is where you will need to obtain an OSCH (Overseas Student Health Cover). Your health insurance should be valid from the very first day you come to Australia. You can obtain your health insurance online from one of the approved service providers.
Financial Support Documents
You should be in a position to cover up all expenses for your very first year in Australia, including your tuition fees. To prove that you should provide supportive documents. If you are a single student, you need to show that you have at least 62,222 AUD in your bank accounts. Or, If you are bringing one family member as a dependent, you will need to show that you have 72,592 AUD in the bank account.
If you are getting a tuition waiver, you should provide supportive documents for it. For example, Secondary Exchange Students can provide their Form of Acceptance Advice. You can also provide a supportive letter from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia to support it.
English Language Proficiency
You need to take an English language proficiency exam such as IELTS or PTE and provide the results of it along with your visa application. Most universities may require the same before providing you with the acceptance letter.
Police Clearance Certificate
You will need to provide a Police Clearance Certificate to show your good character in the home country. For instance, If you have been convicted of domestic violence or if you have any criminal records, there is a high possibility for your visa to get rejected.
Genuine Temporary Entrant
Australia Student visa is not an immigration visa. You will have to go back to your country or a different country upon the completion of your studies. Now, this is where you will need to write a Genuine Temporary Entrant. This is a statement where you say that you will not overstay your visa and you are willing to leave the country upon the completion of your studies.
Employment History
If you have been employed before, you should provide your employment history proof. It is better to send this along with a copy of your resume. You may also attach your educational transcripts for this. This is not something that Defence or Foreign sponsored students need to submit.
Form 157N for Student Visa
Any student aged under 18 years will need to submit this form. This form is to accompany a guardian to Australia along with the student. You will need to provide the nomination form with it.
Australian Values Statement
You will need to sign an Australian Values Statement as well. This is where you make a promise to uphold the laws and values in Australia.
Authorized Recipient Form
If someone is aiding you to complete Australian student visa application, you should fill out this form. On top of that, you should also write a letter to explain why you needed assistance with filling out the form.
How to apply for Australia student visa?
When you are ready with the documents, you can proceed with your visa application. Here are the steps that you should follow to apply for the Australia student visa.
Setting up the ImmiAccount for Australia Student Visa
You can submit your documents online through ImmiAccount. You will need to visit the website and create an account.
Submit your documents
When you have an ImmiAccount, you can go ahead and submit your documents to it. Make sure that you upload all documents in English language. But, If you don’t have any document in English, you should attach a certified English translation for it.
Make the payment for Australia Student Visa
The student visa for Australia cost as of now is 630 AUD. However, it can increase depending on the number of dependents that you are planning to bring to Australia along with you. You will be shown the amount that you have to pay on ImmiAccount.
Apply for Australia Student Visa Subclass 500
Once you make the payment, you can submit your application and apply for Subclass visa. It will take some time for the authorities to decide and inform you. You will be notified via email. It will usually take around 3 weeks to one year for you to receive your visa.
How long is the Australia student visa valid?
The Australian student visa is usually valid for a duration of five years. In case if your studies are taking more than five years to complete, you will need to provide supportive documents to prove it. Make sure that you apply for a visa extension ahead of time, so that you can avoid unexpected troubles.
Reasons why your Australia Student visa can be canceled
There can be quite a few reasons on why your Australian student visa can get canceled. Let’s take a quick look at the reasons.
Working more hours than eligible under Australia Student Visa
You can work part-time under the Australia student visa. However, you should not work for more than 48 hours per fortnight. If you work more hours, there is a possibility for your student visa to be canceled.
Failing to attend the course
You should continue to attend your school or lectures during the time period. If you get absent without a valid reason for more than 2 months, there is a possibility for your student visa to be revoked.
Failing to remain in the same course
You should remain in the same course that you applied for during the visa process. In case you want to change the course, you will need to obtain formal permission from the ministry. You cannot even change your research topic without such approval.
Not having a valid health insurance
It is a must to have valid health insurance during your stay in Australia. If you fail to keep it, you will lose your student visa.
Not having a valid CoE
The Confirmation of Enrolment letter you get from the university should be a valid and up-to-date one. The authorities will cross-check the authenticity of this letter from relevant departments. Therefore, you should only provide a valid document.
Failing to focus on the education of dependents under 18
If you bring dependents under 18 to Australia with you, you will need to manage their education as well. It is important to send the child to school and provide education.
Failing to have proper welfare arrangements
You should also have proper welfare arrangements for students aged under 18. For example, a guardian should come to Australia, accompanying a child under 18.
Failing to update personal details
You must contact your university within 7 days of arriving in Australia to change your address. You must update your personal data right away if there are any changes.
Being disruptive
You should not cause disruptions within Australia under any circumstance. It is important to oblige the law and remain a lawful resident.
Failing to apply for the correct visa extension
There are few visa extensions available for the Australian students with student visas. For example, you can extend your visa with subclass 485 or subclass 590 visa. You may also be eligible for protection visa. However, you will not apply for any other visa.
How to extend my stay in Australia after my studies?
After you complete studies, you will prefer to stay in Australia and continue with your career and life. Overall, There are two main options available for you to consider in such situations. They include:
- Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate Visa
You will be able to look for work soon after your graduation under the Subclass 485 visa.
- Subclass 476 – Skilled Recognition Graduate Visa
This visa extension is available only for engineering students. You should get a letter from a reputed university in Australia to proceed with it.
Lastly, you cannot directly apply for permanent residency in Australia after Subclass 500 visa. However, you can go ahead with any of these extensions, and then apply for permanent residency under the permanent skilled work visa. Otherwise, you may have to leave Australia after completing your studies. Read in detail about the extension procedure here.