The student visa (Subclass 500) is for anyone who wishes to study full-time at an Australian institution. Before applying for this visa, you must be accepted into a CRICOS registered course. There are several requirements an applicant must be able to meet when applying for a student visa. These include:
Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) statement
International students are expected to explain why they are choosing to study in Australia and how it is going to benefit their future. You will need to write a statement showing that you have done research and are familiar with your choice of course and institution. You will need to also explain how your chosen course makes sense in regards to your existing qualifications and what you intend to do upon completion of your course. Basically the Department of Home Affairs needs to be convinced that you intend to enter Australia temporarily to be a genuine student and comply with your student visa conditions.
Evidence of genuine access to funds
When submitting a student visa application, you may be asked to provide documentation to prove you have sufficient funds to pay for your studies, your travel to (and from) Australia and also to cover your living costs.
- Students who will be in Australia for at least 12 months must be able to show they have access to at least $20,290. For students intending to be in Australia for less than 12 months, this figure will be adjusted on a pro-rata basis.
- An additional $7,100 if your partner is coming with you
- An additional $3,040 per child if you have children coming with you
- You may also be able to use parental income. For a single applicant at least $60,000 in the most recent completed financial year and where dependents are included this must be at least $70,000
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
Student visa applicants are required to hold a valid Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). This needs to be paid upfront. This must be active the day you enter Australia right up until your student visa expires. Belgian, Norwegian and Swedish students do not need OSHC because of agreements between our respective governments.
There are six approved health insurance providers for student visa purposes:
The policy price varies slightly depending on the provider you choose to take out your insurance with. You can see estimate costs for a single cover for different time periods below –
6 months – $225 – $265
12 months – $455 – $575
18 months – $690 – $805
The dates on your letter of offer will help determine the dates the insurance needs to cover. You can purchase your health insurance through the college itself, through you agent or directly with the provider. At EasiVisa, we work directly with AHM, Medibank and Allianz.
Confirmation of Enrolment (COE)
An enrolment is made up of three stages:
Part 1 – Submitting the application + supporting documents
Part 2 – Receiving and accepting a letter of offer
Part 3 – Making payment and receiving a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE)
A Confirmation of Enrolment contains your unique reference number and is issued by your education provider. This is also recorded in PRISMS, a system where providers communicate with the Department of Home Affairs and records each student’s enrolment details.
Generally, a student cannot apply for a student visa without a COE, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Other requirements include –
Medical exam
All student visa applicants must meet Australian health requirements. Some people will be asked to undergo visa medical and some won’t. It depends on several factors such as your country of origin, where you have lived, your travel history, your previous medical history etc.
If you are already in Australia and you need to do visa medicals, you will need to organise these with BUPA. If you are outside of Australia, we’ll let you know where the closest approved visa medical clinic is.
Biometrics
The Department of Home Affairs will request that you provide your biometrics if you are in a specified country at the time you lodge a student visa application. We can let you know before lodgement whether you will need to provide your biometrics.
Minimum English
You may need to provide documents to prove your English language skills if you enrol to study a Certificate/Diploma or at university.
Translations
You will need to translate any original documents by a certified NAATI translator. We work with Perth Translations and are happy to get a quote for you.
Additional things to consider:
- Do you have family members travelling with you?
- Are you under 18? Do you need a guardian to travel with you to Australia?
- Do you currently hold a visa? If so, which one and what conditions are on it?
Cost of a Student Visa
The Department of Immigration in Australia currently charges $620* (plus credit card surcharge) when you submit an application for a student visa, regardless of the length of your course. Additional charges apply for extra applicants such as partners or children. You can find the current visa pricing table here. *All $ figures are in AUD.
Length of a Student Visa
You must enrol to study in a course for a minimum of 12 weeks to be considered for a student visa.
The duration of your visa will be impacted by the duration of your course.
- If your course is longer than 10 months and finishes in November/December your visa will usually be granted until mid March the following year
- If your course is longer than 10 months, you will usually receive an additional 2 months at the end of your studies
- If your course is shorter than 10 months, you will usually receive 1 month at the end of your studies