Student visa

 

All international students enrolling on a registered course in Australia for more than 3 months need to apply for a student visa from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). Students who are not enrolling on a registered course, or whose course is not registered, will not be allowed to apply for a visa and thus will not be allowed to enter the country, so is important to ensure the course is registered. Visit the Commonwealth Register of Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) for a list of registered courses: cricos.deewr.gov.au.

Steps


Once you have red through the information on the Courses page and you’ve decided what course(s) you would like to study and what city you would like to study in, now you are ready to:

1.    Contact Us and tell us about your decision OR click Apply Now button and fill in the form and upload the documents requested on the form;

2.    HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES will contact you through e-mail if you are missing any documents and confirm that we received your application for processing;

3.    We will send your application to your chosen institution (please allow 48 hours processing time);

4.    HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES will send you a Letter of Acceptance or Offer Letter for you to read, sign, scan and send it back to us through e-mail;

5.    Now you are ready to pay the first semester fees and OSHC (medical insurance – Hello Aussie Student Services can help you get the most affordable one on the market or read more on the Services page);

6.    You will receive an electronic Confirmation of Enrollment (eCoE) to add it to your student visa application – which is the only accepted evidence of enrollment for processing visa applications;

7.    Now you are ready to apply for your student visa (please see the step bellow);

8.    After you received your student visa you can arrange your flight, accommodation and airport pick-up. Hello Aussie Student Services can help you find accommodation and airport pick-up at affordable prices within the area you would like to study. Please Contact Us for more information.

Applying for a student visa


The student visa information on this website is an outline only and subject to change. For more detailed, accurate and up to date information about student visas and visa requirements please visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website or speak to your HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES counselor.

To study in Australia, you will need a student visa unless you are the holder of another Australian visa that allows you to enter Australia with no restriction to study. Students who are undertaking an ELICOS program of no more than 10 weeks, may be able to travel to Australia on a tourist or visitor visa. Student visas can only be granted for courses that are registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

International students may apply for a student visa as soon as they have received a Confirmation of Enrollment (COE) or an offer of a place on a full time, registered course. The local Australian Government office will be able to provide detailed information on the application process and all necessary documentation. For details of Australian Government offices overseas, visit www.immi.gov.au/contacts/overseas

Student visas and visa extensions are granted by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). DIAC will only grant you a student visa if the course you’ve chosen is a registered course on a full time basis. A registered course is one offered by an approved Australian Education Provider registered with the Australian Government to offer courses to overseas students. All the courses in HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES portfolio are registered courses.

Only courses under three months can be undertaken on a tourist visa. If you would like to study for more then three months you will need to apply for a student visa.

Full student visa information is available from DIAC website.

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Visa sub-classes

There are seven types, or sub-classes, of student visa available depending on the type of course the international student is applying for. Below are the most common visa sub-classes: 

  • * Subclass 573 Higher Education covers bachelor degrees, associate degrees, graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and master's by coursework.
  • * Subclass 570 Independent ELICOS for students studying English language intensive courses as a standalone course.
  • * Subclass 572 Vocational Education and Training (VET) Sector for Diploma and Advanced Certificates I, II, III and IV.
  • * Subclass 574 Postgraduate Research covers master's degree by research and doctoral degree.

For a full list and comprehensive explanations of all seven subclasses click here.

Assessment levels

Student visa applications are assessed in a system of levels 1 - 5 determined by passport holding country of the student. The assessment levels are based on statistics of previous students showing how likely they are to comply with visa regulations; one being most likely and five being unlikely.

The local Australian Government Office can provide information about assessment levels or Click here.

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How to apply

  • * Students in assessment level 1 may apply for their visa online;
  • * Assessment levels 2 to 5 must make their first student visa application outside of Australia;

Visa applicants need to demonstrate:

  • * Good character and sound health;
  • * Student health cover through the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). For more information see our Services page.
  • * No outstanding debts to the Commonwealth of Australia.

Visa conditions

International students on a student visa must:

  • * Satisfy attendance and course requirements;
  • * Not work more than 20 hours a week during class sessions;
  • * Maintaine the OSHC for the duration of time in Australia;
  • * Remain with the original education provider for at least the first six months;
  • * Advise the education provider of living address within the first seven days of arriving in Australia.

Information about the student visas is subject to change. To check for any alterations to student visa guidelines visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website www.immi.gov.au/students

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Documents you need, to apply for a student visa

To apply for your student visa you will need the following:


    * Form 157A filled and signed – you can find Form 157A Here;
    * Valid passport – we recommend your passport to be valid for the length of your studies;
    * Visa processing charge receipt;
    * School graduation certificates and academic records certified and translated in English;
    * Confirmation of Enrollment from an approved Australian education provider – HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES can help you with this step;
    * Certificate of Police Clearance for applicants who intend to study in Australia for more then 12 months – the certificate must be original issued within the last three months;
    * Certified copies of birth certificates for you, your spouse and your children if applicable;
    * An English Certificate (e.g. IELTS test score);
    * Evidence of sufficient funds to support yourself in Australia for the duration of your studies;

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Advantages to study in Australia on a student visa:

    *     You will have access to Australia’s subsidized student health cover which gives you access to the benefits of one of the best health systems in the world;
    *     You will benefit from a well established legal system in place design to serve the international student while studying in Australia. For an easy explanation of the ESOS Act 2000 or if you would like to find out what is the education legislation in Australia or what CRICOS is Click Here.
    *     You will be able to study in Australia for more then three months;
    *     You can work part-time not more then 20 hours per week during school sessions and full-time on holidays;
    *     If you study for more then 12 months members of your immediate family (spouse, unmarried under 18 years of age children) can accompany you to Australia and will be considered in the same visa class as yourself;
    *     If you study a vocational course your dependants can work part time in Australia; if you study Higher Education course, they can work full time, depending on your case ;
    *     Affordable courses and one of the best lifestyles in the world;


The number of documents you will be asked for by the Australian embassy in regards to your student visa application is linked to the assessment level your country is assessed by. You can find your country’s assessment level Here.

Assessment level 1 represents the lowest and assessment level 4 the highest. The higher your assessment level is the more evidence you will be asked for by the Australian embassy in regards to your student visa application.

Your HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES representative will consider all relevant information from you before lodging the application by considering different alternatives for your specific conditions.

The student visa has seven separate subclasses for each education sector. You should apply under the visa subclass for your principal course of study. Your HELLO AUSSIE STUDENT SERVICES consultant can provide you with further information.

You will be granted a student visa for the length of your studies in Australia. If you would like to continue your studies in Australia, you have to extend your student visa before the current one expires.

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Amendments to Student Visa Assessment Level Requirements 27 March 2010

Starting with 27 March 2010, student visa aplicants seeking to package two or more courses will be assessed against the highest assessment level which applies to any of the courses in their package ( with the exception of ELICOS courses in a package).

Example: If a student's packaged course looks like this: Vocational course + Higher Education course and his country's assessment level is: Assessment Level 3 for Vocational Education and Assessment Level 2 fo Higher Education, before 27 March 2010 his student visa application was assessed against the lowest assessment level (which in this case is Assessment Level 2), but after 27 March 2010, his student visa application will be asessed against the highest assessment level (which in this case is Assessment Level 3).

For more information regarding the amendments please Click Here.    

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Financial Requirements

It is a requirement of the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship that prospective international students can demonstrate that they have access to at least AUD$18 000 a year to fund their living costs in Australia.

This is a rough guide only and will depend on many things, including where you live (for example Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, etc...); the type of accomodation you live in; and your lifestyle. Remember your living expenses are separate from your tuition fees.

You must have money to pay for your travel, tuition and living expenses for yourself, your partner and your dependent children for the duration of your stay in Australia.

You must show proof that you can meet these financial requirements for the first 12 months (if you are Assessment Level 2), the first 24 months (if you are Assessment Level 3) or the first 36 months (if you are Assessment Level 4), and you must declare on your application that you can meet these financial requirements for the remainder of your stay in Australia.

Expenses Per Person Amount Required in AUD
Travel Yourself Return Airfare to Australia
  Family Members One Return Airfare to Australia per person
Tuition Fees Yourself Course Fees
  Children Aged 5-18 AUD8 000/year
Living Yourself AUD18 000/year
  Partner AUD6 300/year
  First Child AUD3 600/year
  Each other child AUD2 700/year

The department must be satisfied that an applicant, once in Australia, they will have genuine access to the funds they claime to possess to cover travel, tuition fees and living expenses for themselves and their family members.

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Acceptable sources of income

The money to support yourself and your family members need to come from one or more acceptable sources.

Examples:

# Money deposits held in a bank account by you or a person supporting you.
# A loan from an approved financial institution.
# A loan from your government.
# Financial support from your education provider or another organisation.

* Non-cash assets such as property or shares are not acceptable evidence of income. However, non-cash assests can be liquidated or used as collateral on a loan.

There are different key student visa financial requirements for every assessment level:

ASSESSMENT LEVEL 1

  • * a declaration that they have sufficient funds to support their entire stay in Australia;

ASSESSMENT LEVEL 2

  • * evidence of funds from an acceptable source to pay for their expenses for their expenses for the first 12 months of their stay;
  • * a declaration that they have sufficient funds to support the remainder of their stay in Australia

NOTE: Funds can be provided by any individual willing to support the applicant if they can demonstrate their income stream;

 ASSESSMENT LEVEL 3

  • * evidence of funds from an acceptable source (a money deposit or a loan with an acceptable financial institution) to pay for their expenses for the first 24 months of their stay (or duration of preliminary plus the first 12 months of principal course for Postgraduate Research);
  • * a declaration that they have sufficient funds to support the remainder of their stay in Australia;

NOTE: Funds can be provided by any individual willing to support the applicant if they can demonstrate their income stream;

  • * if evidence of funds is a money deposit, must show a three months savings history;

ASSESSMENT LEVEL 4

  • * evidence of funds from an acceptable source (a money deposit or a loan with an acceptable financial institution) to pay for their expenses for the first 36 months of their stay (or duration of preliminary plus first 12 months of principal course for postgraduate research);
  • * a decalaration that they have sufficient funds to support the remainder of their stay in Australia;
  • * funds must be provided by close relatives only who can demonstrate their income stream;
  • * if evidence of funds is a money deposit, must show a six months savings history;

ASSESSMENT LEVEL 5

  • * evidence of funds (money deposits) to pay for their expenses for the full period of their stay;
  • * funds must be provided by the applicant;
  • * evidence of income stream;
  • * if evidence of funds is a money deposit, must show a five year savings history;

NOTE: The above information is not intended as a comprehensive list of all requirements of evidence in Schedule 5A to the Migration Regulations 1994. For comprehensive information please visit the department's website. See: www.immi.gov.au/students/

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Deferring the commencement of the course

Students who are unable to commence the course they've accepted in, should write Hello Aussie Student Services requesting a deferment of commencement of the course to the next intake date.

Change of course

International students may be eligible to change their course either within the college or in a different college. To apply for a "change of course" the student must contact a Hello Aussie Student Services consultant, because changing the course may have student visa implications. 

Extending your student visa in Australia

Students may apply for a student visa extension in Australia, provided the student visa is not subject to a "no further stay" condition. Students are required to apply for a new student visa 28 days before the current student visa expires. Students are advised to seek assistants from Hello Aussie Student Services.

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How do I apply for a new student visa in Australia?

There are two ways you can apply for a new visa:

1) ONLINE: Website: http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/students.htm

Click on Start your application>in Australia

Click on Renewing your student visa (if you are extending)

2) PAPER: Mail your application to your closest DIAC office.

What do I need to lodge an application?

ONLINE

  • * Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE)
  • * Passport
  • * Payment - Credit Card or BPay*

* If using BPay option, apply at least 10 working days before your current visa expires.

PAPER

  • * Form 157A
  • * Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE) or Letter of Offer
  • * Payment - Credit card details, bank cheque or money order for $550 made payable to Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

To see what other documents you need visit the website: http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/

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How do I attach more supporting documents to my application?

You can attach additional documents to your application simply by following the instructions below:

http://www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/students-attachments.htm

How do I check the progress of my application?

Once you have succesfully lodged your application online, you are able to check the status of the application through teh Electronic Application Status Inquiry page. to access the page, you will need to have your Transaction Reference Number (TRN) and your passport number.

https://www.ecom.immi.gov.au/inquiry/query/query.do?action=eVisa

How do i continue a saved application?

To continue a saved application, the system will require you to insert your Saved Application ID and password to the page below: https://www.ecom.immi.gov.au/visas/startRetrieve.do

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How can I change my address and passport details?

Please visit de following link and use the appropriate form to notify DIAC about any changes:

http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/visa-enquiries/change.htm

 

Processing Standards

 

The department gives priority to offshore applications to ensure that prospective students receive their visas in time to travel to Australia to commence their courses.  Onshore students are granted bridging visas pending finalisation of their new student visa applications and can still commence their courses.


Depending on the relevant assessment level the service standards are that 75% of offshore applications are finalised within 14 to 90 days and 75% of onshore applications are finalised within 14 to 30 days. It should be noted that approximately 80% of onshore applications are incomplete when lodged, and this adds to processing times as officers request and then wait for applicants to provide required information.

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Students under 18

If you are under the age of 18, your parents must nominate a guardian who resides in Australia for you before DIAC will consider your student visa application. DIAC requires your guardian to be over 21 years old, related to and of good character. If you do not have a relative in Australia, your parents will need to engage the services of an approved care provider agency before the education provider will issue an eCOE. Please contact us for a list of aproved care provider agencies. 

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Students with families

If you are in Assessment Level 3 to 5 and your course duration is less than 12 months, your family will not be allowed to accompany you to Australia.

You will also need to provide proof of Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) membership for your family.

If you have children between 5 and 15 years old and are bringing them to Australia, you must enroll them in school. Full fees are payable at both government and non-government schools. View a complete listing o Victorian primary and secondary schools at Schools Online, a Victorian Government website. Costs, application and enrolment information for government, primary and secondary schools may be found on the Victorian Government Schools website.




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