Australia
What is an Australian Study Visa?
An Australian student visa is a temporary visa that allows you to stay in Australia for the duration of your academic program.
The guidelines for the Australian Student Visa underwent a change, effective from July 1, 2016, with the introduction of the Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF).
According to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, as of now, all international students intending to pursue studies in Australia must apply for a visa under Subclass 500. This change effectively consolidates the previous subclasses 571 through 576 into a single category.
Top 15 Universities in Australia
According to the QS World University Rankings 2024, Australia is ranked as follows among the Top 500 universities globally.
| Rank in 2020 | University |
|---|---|
| 29 | Australian National University (ANU) |
| 38 | The University of Melbourne |
| 42 | The University of Sydney |
| 43 | The University of New South Wales (UNSW) |
| 47 | The University of Queensland (UQ) |
| 58 | Monash University |
| 86 | The University of Western Australia (UWA) |
| 106 | The University of Adelaide |
| 140 | University of Technology Sydney (UTS) |
| 207 | University of Newcastle |
| 212 | University of Wollongong |
| 224 | Queensland University of Technology (QUT) |
| 230 | Curtin University |
| 237 | Macquarie University |
| 237 | RMIT University |
Upcoming Intakes in Australia
Australian universities have two intakes every year:
Intake 1: Extends from February/early March to late May/early June
Intake 2:Extends from July/early August through to November
Many Indian students typically consider the first intake as the primary intake. It is advisable to prepare for the upcoming intake to ensure a smooth application process
Documentary Proof Required for an Australia Study Visa
The typical requirements for an Australia Student Visa application include the following fundamental documents:
- The Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment as proof of admission into a college or university.
- A valid passport.
- Your visa application fee.
- Your GTE (Genuine Temporary Entrant) statement.
- Academic and work experience documents.
- Evidence of financial ability to meet expenses like tuition fees, living expenses, living costs for dependents, and return airfare.
- Statement of purpose.
- Passport-size photographs.
Applicants under the age of 18 may also be asked to submit supplementary documents, including parental consent.
Application Process: Study in Australia in 3 Simple Steps!
It is essential to ensure that you fulfill all the prerequisites before proceeding with your visa application
To fulfil the requirements, you would need to :
Meet Australian study requirements :To be eligible for a student visa, you must be enrolled in a full-time course, whether it's undergraduate, master's, or Ph.D. The course should be registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). Your university will issue an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) certificate as evidence of your enrollment.
Meet Language Requirements: To demonstrate your language proficiency, authorities typically require you to take a language proficiency test. The following test scores are generally accepted:
International English Language testing system (IELTS) : 6-6.5
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) : 80
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) : 50-58
- Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) : 162
- Occupational English Test (OET) : A ‘b’ for each test component
Have a Genuine Temporary Entrant (gte) statement: This will state that your only intention is to study in Australia, and that you plan on returning.
Have adequate health insurance: In case of a health-related incident in Australia, authorities must ensure that you have the financial means to cover your healthcare expenses. Typically, you will need to acquire Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) as proof of this.
Meet health requirements: You should generally be in good health, with no significant illnesses detected during medical examinations.
Meet character requirements: Eligibility to apply for a study visa typically requires a clean criminal and security record, without any history of criminal or terrorist activities.
- For this step, you will need to obtain your Certificate of Enrolment. It's possible that you may be required to make a partial payment of your tuition fees to acquire this certificate
Additionally, you might be requested to obtain Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) to ensure that your health and related expenses are adequately covered.
Create a profile: When visiting the Australian Immigration website, it's essential to have scanned copies of your documents readily available.
Fill in your visa application: You can submit your application up to 124 days prior to the start date of your course, but not before.
- After you have successfully completed your application and uploaded the documents, you will be required to process the visa fees.
- Following this, you will receive a Transaction Reference Number which you can use to check to see where your application stands.