Student Visa For Australia

An international student visa is required for those who want to study in Australia. Australia Study Visa regulations have changed, and a Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) has been implemented as of July 1, 2016, replacing the previous regulations. As per the new visa guidelines implemented by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the Australian Government, all students planning to study in Australia need to apply for Visa under Subclass 500 with effect from July 1, 2016.

Before July 1, 2016, a variety of subclasses were used to accept applications. The former subclasses 571 through 576 have been combined under subclass 500 in the most recent modifications. Hence, beginning on July 1, 2016, students who intend to apply to any of the sectors must submit an application for a Student Visa under Subclass 500.

Recent Updates – Visa & Immigration in Australia

According to recent discussions between Australia’s Minister of Education, Mr. Jason Clare, and India’s Union Minister of Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, Mr. Dharmedra Pradhan, on July 21, 2022, Students have been informed that their visa-related issues will be resolved quickly by their Australian counterpart.

There have also been discussions about strengthening partnerships to support skill development in the educational sectors with contributions from Australia, which is recognized all over the world. 

Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482)

This is a temporary visa that Australia introduced to address the problem of a skilled labor shortage by allowing skilled workers to be brought in through registered employers who are unable to find the right workforce for their organizations or businesses. For AUD 1,290, those who apply for this visa will be able to stay for up to 2 years, and 4 years in the event of an international trade obligation. Additionally, this visa would permit workers or candidates to visit Australia an unlimited number of times, and those who qualify might also submit a PR application.

Applications for Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visas may take 44 days to 15 months to process. According to the qualifying requirements, candidates should be nominated to work in short-term skill occupations. They should also only work for the committed sponsor and have two years of work experience.

COVID-19 Pandemic (subclass 408) Visa

The Australian government has introduced a temporary (subclass 408) visa to promote employment in critical skill sectors that have gradually declined as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

International students will be allowed entry into Australia starting on December 1, 2021, according to the Australian government. International students and other qualifying visa holders who have received all necessary vaccinations may enter without requesting a travel exemption. A negative Covid-19 PCR test report was taken within three days of departure, and students with valid visas must show proof of their vaccination status (should have received an approved vaccine). The vaccines Covishield and Covaxin, both produced in India, have been licensed by Australia. Also, travelers must comply to the quarantine regulations in the country or region where they are arriving.

“The return of skilled workers and international students to Australia will further cement our economic recovery, providing the valuable workers our economy needs and supporting our important education sector,” the Australian Prime Minister said in a statement.

Main Features of the new Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) for Australian Student Visa

Students applying from particular countries were categorized under the Assessment Level Framework when visas were previously categorized under Immigration Risk. The old Assessment Level Framework has been replaced with a new combined country and immigration risk framework in the new rules, and paper applications have been permanently discontinued. The New SSVF categorizes the students’ based on both:

1. Nationality

Keep in mind that a student’s passport defines their nationality. The nationality mentioned on the passport would be taken into consideration, regardless of where the students are applying for the visa. For instance, an Bangladeshi Student staying in the USA and applying for a visa from the USA would be considered under the risk levels as specified for Bangladesh by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP).

2. Education Provider’s risk of default
   

Some of the Universities in Australia have been marked as riskier than others.

The table below indicates the classification of students under the new SSVF rule

A student would be identified using a tool provided by DIBP under the Regular/Streamlined approach. The list of documents that students would need to supply would be accordingly filled out by the tool. The DIBP has the right to request any or all of the documents at the time of the application, thus students are advised to have them all ready.

Australia Student Visa Fees

Basic Application Fee for an Australian Student Visa (subclass 500) is AUD 650 + AUD 485 (if applicant is 18 years of age or above) or + AUD 160. (if under 18). You do not need a visa label on your passport to travel to, enter, or stay in Australia, according to the Australian government.

The following table throws light on the Australian student visa fees for reference for prospective applicants:

Note: All online applications and services are charged in Australian dollars.

For the Australian student visa fees for Bangladeshi students, MasterCard, VISA, and American Express are accepted credit cards.  Applicants may be charged banking and currency conversion fees as well as being at risk of currency fluctuations when paying with a credit card in Australian dollars.

Various Programs/ Sectors Eligible for Student Visa under Subclass 500

Following is a list of the various sectors/ categories which have been combined to fall under the Subclass 500. Students applying for and admitted to either of the following are eligible to apply for a student visa to Australia.

Independent ELICOS Sector

For a short amount of time, students can take an English language course in Australia. The English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students, or ELICOS, is the name of the courses that result in a certificate I, II, III, or IV. The length of the courses usually varies.

Vocational Education and Training Sector

Vocational Education and Training Sector Students may apply for this category of visa if they are enrolled in a registered Vocational Education and Training Course (VET) offered by a TAFE institute or a private institute. That essentially covers students enrolled in either of the following courses:

• Certificate I, II, III and IV (except ELICOS)
• VET Diploma
• VET Advanced Diploma
• Vocational Graduate Certificate
• Vocational Graduate Diploma

Higher Education Sector

Students who are registered full-time in a higher education course in a university, college, or institute are referred to as being in the higher education sector. The following courses are covered under this category of visa:

• Courses at the undergraduate level at a University (Bachelor/Associate Degree)
• Courses for a postgraduate level at a university (master’s degree by coursework like MBA, MS, etc.)
• Post Graduate courses that offer a higher education diploma or advanced diploma like PGDBM, etc.

Essentially, these are courses that extend beyond a year. However, they can also be of a shorter duration.

Post Graduate Research Sector

This sector refers to students enrolled for

• Master’s degree in research
• Doctoral Degree

Student sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs or Trade or the Department of Défense also falls under one unified category. 

Australian Student Visa Validity

International students’ visas in Australia usually have a 5-year validity period, however under the new rules that took effect on July 1, 2016, the visa’s validity would be determined by the length of the course the student is enrolled in.

Australia Study Visa Requirements

The prerequisites for an Australia study visa are mentioned here, along with important considerations that applicants should bear in mind while completing an application.

Full-Time Study

Only those students who are enrolled in full-time courses are qualified to submit an application for a Student Visa under Subclass 500. The qualifications do not apply to part-time or distance learning courses.

Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE)

The student must be able to show that they are a Genuine Temporary Immigrant in order to obtain an Australian Student Visa. That basically means that you should be able to convince them that you are only going to Australia to study and that you will return home after the course or after a few years of experience. Your visa applications are then evaluated based on a number of factors, namely;

• Your circumstances in your home country include your economic circumstances.
• Potential circumstances/opportunities for you in Australia
• Value of your chosen course to your future
• Your immigration history
• Any other relevant matters

Health Check-up and Insurance

You must present evidence of your good health in order to be granted a student visa for Australia. You can do this by presenting a health certificate. Only the empanelled doctors may provide the health examination and certificate. You can make an appointment with the one closest to you for the same. In other countries, there are eMedical Facilities available, and often, the records are updated right away. You would receive a HAP id, which you would need to provide when filling out the form. In many country students also need to provide a Chest X-Ray as proof that they are free of tuberculosis because many countries is regarded as a high-risk country.

Before or after beginning the visa application, you can apply for a health examination. Nonetheless, obtaining it in advance would ensure faster processing. You also require health insurance, also known as an OSHC (Overseas Students’ Health Cover), apart from a health check-up.

• At the time of the visa application, you should have an Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of your visa.
• Depending on the duration of your health coverage, your visa tenure would be settled so make sure that it covers the duration of your course.
• The average cost of OSHC is AUS$ 591 for 12 months for a single student.
• How much time immigration takes for a student visa after a medical test in Australia depends upon the availability of the medical reports.
• It may take from one week to three weeks for the report to be sent to the Home Affairs Department of Australia.

Good Character

Students are required to show evidence of their good character, which implies that they do not have any criminal case and/or have never been expelled from Australia. A simple declaration of the same is often acceptable on the form.

Documents Required for Student Visa for Australia

Students can determine the documents that will be needed using the tool on the DIBP website. You will receive all the documents that could be needed for Streamlines and Regular Evidentiary documents. Note that since the application is only accepted online, students must make sure they are prepared before beginning their online application by having scanned copies of each of the necessary documents available. Please keep in mind that there are other documents needed for the processing of the SSVF listed in the list of Regular Evidentiary Documents.

Documents required for the SSVF processing.

• Valid Passport – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in Australia.
• Non-immigrant Visa Application
• Application fee payment receipt
• Confirmation of Enrolment Form (COE) – To obtain a visa to study in Australia you must be fully enrolled in an Australian institution and receive a “Confirmation of Enrolment (COE)”. These forms are issued by the Australian institution you will be attending. The forms are usually issued after the tuition fees have been received.
• An acceptance letter from your host university will include the proposed study plan
• Overseas health insurance receipt (OSHC)
• Recent Digital photographs
• Transcripts, diplomas, degrees, or certificates from schools you attended
• English Language Test Scores
• Statement of Purpose (SOP)
• Evidence of Financial Capacity

How and When to Apply for an Australian Student Visa?

Before to the start of your study, you have a maximum of 124 days to complete the Australian Student Visa process. Also, you are permitted to visit Australia up to 90 days before the start of your study. The Australian Student Visa application process from overseas is completely online under the new SSVF Guidelines.

1. To start an online application, you will need to create and log into your ImmiAccount.
2. Applicants should fill out the visa application form corresponding to the visa subclass under which they are eligible to apply. (Education agents and Registered Migration Agents (RMAs) based in Banglades who are registered to access the student online lodgement facility can lodge student eVisa applications on the behalf of the student.)
3. To track your application, you will again need to log in to your ImmiAccount.  You can use your account to attach documents, update passport details, change email, and address details, and check the progress of your application.
4. A Transaction Reference Number (TRN) is a unique number assigned to each online application. You will need this to track and manage your application, identify when you need to communicate with the visa centre and check your visa entitlements.

Dependents

Also, the dependents apply under SubClass 500 and pay the required additional fee. Even if they don’t plan on going to Australia with you, you must list every member of your family when applying for a visa. If you don’t do this, your family members won’t be able to join you in Australia later on if dependent visas are granted. The student’s spouse is granted a Dependent Visa and a valid work permit for the same period of time as the primary applicant. This only applies to applications for master’s degrees.

What is the minimum IELTS band required for an Australian Student Visa?

Students frequently contact us with questions regarding what IELTS band they must have in order to be eligible for an Australian student visa. But let’s finally put this confusion to end. Aspirants who want to study abroad should know that since your IELTS score is a requirement for the university, it has no effect on your ability to obtain an Australia student visa. For undergraduate admissions to Australia visa programs, the top IELTS band required is 6.0, with no band less than 5.5, however for postgraduate programs, the top band required is 6.5 to 7.0 for acquiring a student visa.

As a result, individuals seeking admission to an Australian university usually need an overall band score of 6.5 with no component band score below 6 for postgraduate programs and an overall band score of 6.5 with no component band score below 6 for undergraduate programs. Specific subjects, such as law, laboratory, nursing, etc., have higher IELTS band requirements. Applicants should be aware that the IELTS Band score is only indicative; the real value may vary depending on your preferred university. Your Australian Student Visa, however, is unaffected in any way by your IELTS score.

Part-Time Work Options under Student Visa Subclass 500

Students who are travelling to Australia still have the same choices for part-time employment. In accordance with Visa Subclass 500, students may work up to 40 hours per week while their course is in session and an unlimited number of hours when it is not (during breaks). The sole restriction is that the student cannot begin working before the start of the course.

A few things to remember:

• Before the start of the session, students cannot work. For example, if your course begins in January 2019 and you arrive in Australia by December 2018, you won’t be able to start working until your session starts.

• In casework is a normal part of the curriculum of the course you are enrolled on then this limit does not apply. This is usually applicable in the case of compulsory internships or integrated courses.
• • Also, when the research study or doctoral thesis begins, students who come under the Post Graduate Research Sector are permitted to work an unlimited number of hours. Additionally, if the student is enrolled in any prerequisite courses, they are still permitted to work 40 hours a fortnight in accordance with the previously mentioned rule.

• Students who have completed the necessary Australian coursework may apply under the Graduate Stream for a Post-Study Work Permit. Students enrolling in an ELICOS, however, are not eligible to apply for an Australian Post-Study Work Permit.

Australian Student Visa Processing Time

The time it takes to process visas has been a little longer during COVID-19 compared to previous years. The processing period may range from 7 working days to 85 days at the most because the new timetable differs for each application for a student visa. Since a lot of students are returning, this is the proposed visa processing timeline guide given in the table below for each of the subclass visas:

Scholarships for Studying in Australia

Many scholarships are available to help pay for your education if you want to study in Australia. However, there are many requirements for getting a scholarship, which one can study in more depth before applying for the one for which they are qualified. The fellowships are offered to help pay for the study of international students.