Study in Australia - Student Visa Document Requirements, Fees
Australia has emerged as one of the most popular destination for international students. India is the second largest contributor of international students in Australia after China. And this is not only because of its reputed educational institutions but also the options it offers students to work after you have completed your studies.
The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) is a case in point which allows successful applicants to live and work in Australia for up 18 months to 4 years.
There are two major types of visas issued under this programme --- the Graduate Work Visa for students who have completed two years education in Australia in the last 6 months before applying for this visa and the Graduate Post-Study Visa for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Are you planning to study in Australia? Read on to find out all the documents needed to apply for a student visa for Australia.
Student Visa/Subclass 500
An Australian study visa is a temporary visa. This visa will let you participate in an eligible course, travel in and out of Australia.
In a good news for students applying for study visa to Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has recently done away with the 40-hour week caveat, which means international students will no longer have restrictions on the amount of hours they can work.
Letter of Offer
If your application is successful, you will receive a Letter of Offer.
- A valid passport
- Confirmation of Enrolment
A CoE is issued by an educational institution that will verify your enrolment in a specific course. The CoE will be sent after you have accepted the offer and paid the deposit.
- Evidence of your English proficiency
These tests prove to the Australian government that the applicant meets the minimum English proficiency levels needed to succeed in a given course.
- Academic records
Your previous educational certificates have to be produced as proof of your educational background, such as matriculation, college or university or any other course that you have pursued.
- Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement
In this case you must write a statement that addresses two criteria – (1) You are genuinely coming to Australia to study and not for any other reason and (2) that you will only be residing in Australia temporarily (and not overstaying your visa).
- Proof of sufficient funds
You can either produce your bank statements or those of the person financing your education or any other documents to prove that you have the funds to cover all the charges and expenses during your stay in the country.
- Overseas Student Health Cover
OSHC will help pay for your medical or hospital care while studying in Australia, pay for most prescription medicines and provide you with ambulance cover in emergencies.
- Health requirement
You may have to undergo health check-ups to provide a medical certificate confirming that you are in good health before entering the country.
- Character requirement
You must be of good character to visit or live in Australia. You may be asked to provide a police certificate, complete Form 80, a character statutory declaration, a military certificate (if applicable), a letter of good conduct from an employer or a third party, such as a foreign government or law enforcement authority.
All forms are available on the official website of the Department of Home Affairs of the Australian government.
Visa Application fee
The current Visa Application Charges (VAC) for a Student visa is AUD 630 (a little over 30,000 in Indian rupees). But there is a small caveat considering the ongoing pandemic.
To assist with Australia’s COVID-19 recovery, the Government is providing an incentive to Australia student visa holders. Any student visa holder who is currently offshore and will travel to Australia between 19 January and 19 March 2022 will be eligible for a refund of their VAC.
Details about how to apply for a refund will be available on the Department of Home Affairs website shortly.
Visa for students in Australia may take varying amount of time to process. However, 75 per cent of applications are processed within 29 days and 90 per cent are processed within 42 days. Besides you must find out the current Covid-19 restrictions in place in the state you are going to.
