Australia has emerged as the premier destination for international students all over the world. Why is that? For starters, the education system in Australia is world-renowned for its quality of education. The Australian education system is full of world-class courses, certifications, and degrees such as nursing, automotive, information technology, commercial cookery and many more.
Additionally, Australia allows international students to work part-time while they study. This gives students the experience and expertise needed to launch their careers and excel once they graduate. This will also give international students a pathway to permanent residency if they meet the requirements.
So, if you are thinking of studying abroad, choosing Australia is a wonderful decision that will benefit you long term. But how do you begin? Every international student who isn’t a citizen of Australia needs a student visa before they can study in the country. There are various requirements you must fulfil and here are the steps to take:
This is the first and somewhat most important step in getting a student visa. You should know what course you want to study first, then identify the educational institution you would like to study in, and then apply.
The next step is getting a CoE (Certificate of Enrollment). Once you receive an offer letter from your school of choice, accept the offer in writing, and pay the tuition deposit, then the school will send you a CoE. The CoE is the document you need to begin the visa application process.
Your next step is to create an account with the Australian immigration authorities where you will be asked to submit your name, phone number and email address. Then you get to create a password and accept their conditions.
You will need the following documents before you can apply for a visa:
Please be reminded that some of this may vary depending on the educational institution you choose. You can use this Document Checklist tool to get a detailed list of the documents you need.
The visa you will apply for is called the student visa subclass 500. You should apply at least 124 days before the course starts (according to the date on your CoE). The application is done online. Follow the instructions on the visa home affairs website.
You will be asked to submit personal/family details, answer questions about your previous education and work experience (if applicable), and submit details about your health and criminal record. You can pause your student visa application process if you don’t have the complete information with you, then finish later once you do.
The next step is paying for the visa application and getting your TRN (Transaction Reference Number). But first, make sure your credit card has the right amount in AUD. This is because your visa application cannot be finalised without paying the compulsory Visa application fee.
When the application and payment are done, you will get a receipt with your TRN number. Save this receipt and number so you can check on the status of your application.
Once you complete the visa application, you will be asked to complete a health checkup and have your biometrics taken. In some cases, albeit rarely, a student will be asked to go through a visa interview as well. The health checkup check-up must be done by an approved Australian Immigration panel physician (hospital/clinic). Alternatively, you can find doctors in your country that are approved by the Australian Immigrations to do this check up on the home affairs page. You will also need an E-Medical generated referral letter which will have a HAP ID on it and your passport for the medical check.
The visa approval takes about a couple of weeks, depending on how busy the Australian immigration authorities are. You can check the status of your application by logging in to your account on the immigration website. Once approved, your student visa will be sent by immigration via email. Unlike other countries, Australian student Visas are electronic. But if you want physical proof, you can print the grant letter that you receive online once your visa is approved.
Obtaining an Australian student visa can be quite stressful. Aside from that, international students also have to apply for admission to an educational institution which takes a lot of time and attention to detail. One mistake is all it takes for your student visa to get rejected. So if you wish to avoid this and do it the right way, get your student visa (500) processed by a certified education agency. This is to ensure your visa application has the best possible chance of success.
At VisaConnex, we help international students from the school admissions stage up to settling down right here in Australia when you arrive. Schedule a meeting with our professional consultants for free and we will make this process exciting and hassle-free for you.