Australian Student Visa Information

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There are different types of visas for you to choose from if you are going for tertiary education. These include,

English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) Visa :
This visa allows you to stay in Australia to study a full-time English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS). If you are planning on taking English courses that will not result in a degree, this is the visa that you need to apply for.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) Visa :
If you are not coming to Australia in order to take intensive English Language Course (like through ELICOS), but you are earning a vocational degree of some sort, then you will need to obtain a VET visa. VET visas are for those obtaining Certificates I, II, III, IV and those who are obtaining vocational diplomas, vocational advanced diplomas, vocational graduate certificates, or vocational graduate diplomas.

Higher Education Visa :
If you are earning any type of degree in an academic field, (anywhere from academic levels 5 to 9 according to the Australian Qualifications Framework), then you will apply for a higher education degree. You might be able to get this visa if you are enrolled as a student in a registered course for the award of
- a bachelor or associate degree
- a graduate certificate or graduate diploma
- a masters degree by coursework
- a higher education diploma or advanced diploma.
This is not the visa to apply for if you are pursuing a Master's research degree.

Postgraduate Research Visa :
If you are earning a Master's research degree or a doctoral degree of any type, then you must apply for this visa. Your university will help you determine if your Master's is by coursework or by research.

Non-award Visa :
If you are looking to come to Australia for a semester or you are just taking classes while residing in Australia without pursuing a degree, then you have to apply for a non-award visa. This visa allows you to stay in Australia to study a full-time.
- non-award foundation studies course
- course or components of a course (other than ELICOS) that does not lead to an award.

Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector Visa :
These visas are designed for international students who are sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence to study a full-time course of any type in Australia.

Apart from these there are,
Schools Sector Visa for overseas students undertaking a course of study at a primary school or a secondary school, including either junior and senior secondary school or an approved secondary school exchange program.

Student Guardian visa which is a temporary visa for a person who needs to come to Australia to provide care and support for:
- a student visa holder who is younger than 18 years of age
- a student visa holder who is older than 18 years of age and who needs such care and support due to exceptional circumstances.

For applying to a student visa, the prospective student should :

Be accepted for a full-time course of study (registered by the Australian Government for overseas students).
Not intend to become a permanent resident.
Have adequate financial means for the duration of their studies.
Have evidence of arrangements for health insurance in Australia.
Have reasonable proficiency in English to successfully undertake the intended course.
Have a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) from the institute for any preliminary course you have enrolled & the Offer lettter / COE for the Principal Course.
Have a current passport valid for the period of stay in Australia.
Have access to sufficient funds to cover study cost, living cost, accommodation and to and fro travel expenses.
Satisfy the health requirements as per the Australian high commission rules.

The best way to find out your specific visa requirements is to visit the Department of Immigration and Border Protection ( DIBP) website or meet your education agent for advice and help with your visa application.

A student visa application will be assessed against one of the following:

one of three assessment levels for each visa subclass
the streamlined visa processing requirements if you are an eligible student.

Assessment levels depends on your country of origin and the type of study you intend to undertake (from English language courses and secondary school through to postgraduate research). The higher the assessment level (with Level 1 being the lowest and Level 3 being the highest), the greater the amount of evidence an applicant is required to demonstrate in order to support their student visa application.

To be eligible for streamlined visa processing, the student must lodge their applications with a CoE from a participating university or eligible non-university provider for Bachelor degrees, Masters degrees, Doctoral degrees, university student exchange programs or study abroad programs. These applicants do not receive an assessment level and are processed in a streamlined manner with reduced evidentiary requirements regardless of their country of origin.

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