Australian student visa requirements
Our advisors recently had to break it to parents that their child did not meet all the Australian student visa requirements. In particular, the family did not have enough money available for the child’s stay.
Unfortunately, the family was unaware of this requirement. Even more unfortunate was that the parents had already enrolled their child at a university and paid for most of the first year!
You can only imagine the family’s disappointment and frustration. Not to mention the fact that the child’s dreams of studying in Australia could be dashed!
This type of situation is the part of our job we don’t like. We’d much rather help all applicants get to Australia successfully! The starting point? Sharing the need-to-know information right here on our blog.
Today, as you may have guessed, we’re going to share information on the Australian student visa requirements. Let’s start with:
You MUST have enrolled in a full-time course and have evidence of enrollment
Immigration Australia requires that you are enrolled in a full-time study course. In turn, this course must be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).
When applying for your visa from outside of Australia, as you most likely will do if you’re reading this, you must provide a Confirmation of Enrollment (CoE) for each course of study with your visa application.
Please note the following about CoEs, as stipulated on the Australian Home Affairs website:
- You can apply to take two or more courses on your student visa where one course clearly leads to the next. Course gaps must be less than two calendar months, unless the first course finishes at the end of the standard academic year and the next course commences at the beginning of the next standard academic year.
- If you are applying for more than one course you must include all CoE codes in the application form. If you neglect to do so, your visa may only cover the CoE provided.
There are some students who do not have to provide CoEs. You are more than welcome to chat to us to find out if you qualify.
You MUST have enough money for your stay
This is where the parents we dealt with fell short. Immigration Australia not only requires that you’re able to pay for your course, but also wants to see that you can support yourself financially during studies.
You must be able to cover:
- Your travel to Australia.
- Twelve months of your course fees or pro rata fees if your course is shorter than 12 months.
- Living costs for a year. This applies to both you and any family members who might be joining you. Pro rata costs apply if you’ll stay for shorter than a year.
- School fees for any school-age children who accompany you.
You could provide financial evidence through:
- Deposits of money.
- Government loans or loans from financial institutions.
- Scholarships or similar financial support.
- Annual income of your parents or partner.
If you’d like to work out how much money you’ll need, we suggest having a look at the cost estimates the Australian Home Affairs has put together.
You MUST have adequate health insurance
The Australian student visa requirements stipulate that you must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) from an approved Australian health insurance provider for the duration of your stay.
It’s important to note that this means your insurance must start on the day you arrive in Australia – not on the day your course starts!
Exceptions
You don’t need to have OSHC if you are a:
- Norwegian student covered by the Norwegian National Insurance Scheme.
- Swedish student covered by Kammarkollegiet.
- Belgian student covered under the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement with Australia.
You MUST be a genuine temporary entrant
As a student visa applicant, you must show that you are only coming to Australia temporarily and that your intention is to return home. The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement is not, however, intended to exclude students who, after studying in Australia, develop skills Australia needs and who then go on to apply for permanent residence.
You MUST meet Australia’s English language, health, and character requirements
Just like all other visa applicants, you must satisfy the English language, health, and character criteria of Australia.
For all other Australian student visa requirements, contact us
The student visa requirements listed above are the main conditions you must be aware of to set yourself up for success. To discuss the other requirements, please feel to contact us when you are ready. You can either call us on +27 (0) 21 202 8200 or send an enquiry straight from the website.
