Sydney visa is here to help you and guide you with your Australian Student Visa application. There are mane requirements set by the Australian Immigration Department, so lets take a look at them closely:
Choice of the Australian educational provider and payment of the course [CoE]
Something that we must be clear from the beginning is that without a course, there is no visa.
Therefore, the first step in the process is to choose what you want to study in Australia ( English, a vocational course, a university degree , a master’s degree or PhD degree).
Depending on the course and the institution requirements, you will have to pay for your study in Australia in full or a percentage depend of the school and requirements.. Once the payment for the course has been made, the school will give us a document called CoE (Confirmation of Enrolment), which is essential to apply for the Australian Student Visa.
This document demonstrates to the Australian Immigration Department two things:
- You already secured a place in the Australian educational Institution
- You have paid for your course
Health Insurance Payment [OSHC] for the Australian Student Visa
By government stipulation, health insurance must cover you from the moment you set foot in Australia, until the moment you leave the country. So, together with the CoE, proof of payment of your medical insurance is essential when applying for the Australian Student Visa, and we must include it in the documents that are delivered to the Australian Immigration Department.
This medical insurance is specially designed for international students and is known as OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover). Its price is around $40 to $60 Australian dollars per month (but you must pay everything in advance) and its price increases considerably if you include your partner on your Student Visa, and even more if you include children.
Letter of Intent [GTE] – reasons you want to study in Australia
There is an extremely important document to apply for the Australian Student Visa and about which little is said; is the GTE (Genuine Temporary Entrant) or Letter of Intent.
It is a letter that you write to the Australian Immigration Department, explaining the reasons that motivate you to study in Australia, the benefits that this will bring to your professional life and what you plan to do once you finish your studies.
IMPORTANT: It is vitally important to mention that your plan is to return to your country, not stay in Australia.
Many people feel intimidated by having to write their Letter of Intent, but don’t worry, part of our job at Sydney Visa is to help you write it so that it looks impeccable.
Support Documentation for your Australian Student Visa
In addition to the GTE, where you explain who you are and why you want a Student Visa to Australia, you must also collect documentation that supports everything mentioned in said letter.
So, if in the GTE you say that you studied IT, you worked for Microsoft for six years and now you have your own IT company; You must show official certificates of your studies in IT, your work at Microsoft and the existence of your IT company.
Everything you say to the Immigration Department must be backed up with official certifications.
Medical Examinations and Biometric Data Registration
The Immigration Department requires students to undergo a medical examination, depending on the country they come from.
This exam has a price of approximately $150 Australian dollars (it changes depending on the country you are undergoing it) and you must do it in the office of one of the doctors that the Australian Immigration Department has authorized in your country.
Currently some countries that do to require the medical exam are:
- Italy
- France
- Argentina
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Mexico
- Puerto Rico
- Spain
- Uruguay, etc.
Additionally, you may also be asked to register your Biometric Data. This is priced at $60 Australian dollars on average and also depends on the country.
Economic Solvency during your study in Australia
Surely you have heard about this topic before; with phrases like: “To get a student visa to Australia they ask to have a lot of money in a bank account.” And in part it is true. It is about financial solvency.
It turns out that the Australian Immigration Department needs to make sure that you have enough money to support yourself, for as long as you come to study in Australia.
You should NOT pay this money to anyone and you do not need to spend it either; it should simply act as a backup to be used in an emergency.
The economic solvency is equivalent to $1,900 Australian dollars for each month that you are going to be studying in Australia, although if you are going to be in the country for more than a year, you would only have to prove that you have money for up to 12 months.
IMPORTANT: There are countries that the Australian Immigration Department rarely asks to prove the money of economic solvency (such as Germany, Chile, Switzerland, for example).
This is largely defined by the political and economic stability of the country of your passport. Thus, students who have dual nationality have an advantage here, since they can apply for the Student Visa with the passport of the most stable country at that time.
Minimum and Maximum Age for the Australian Student Visa
To apply for a Student Visa in Australia you must be over 6 years of age, and from the age of 18 you have the right to work legally.
Obviously, if you are of a school age, you would only be able to study at school:
You must also be:
- less than 17 years old when you begin Year 9
- less than 18 years old when you begin Year 10
- less than 19 years old when you begin Year 11
- less than 20 years old when you begin Year 12
And you would need to show
- prove you have a welfare arrangement, if you are under 18
There is no age limit to come to study and that is great; However, when applying for the Australian Student Visa, the Immigration Department analyses your age with respect to your education.
For example, if you are 35 years old and do not have university studies, you would have a doubtful profile. Well, at that age, the ideal thing for the Immigration Department is that you have already studied something that helps you earn a living.
On the other hand, if you are 18 years old and do not have university studies, you still have a good profile before the Immigration Department; because it is perfectly normal for an 18-year-old person to not yet have a university degree.
The country of your passport
When granting the Australian Student Visa, the Australian Government assigns each country an “Immigration Risk Rating”.
With this they determine how feasible it is that the citizens of a certain country tend to remain illegally in Australia.
This rating depends on factors such as the political stability of the country, as well as its economic stability in recent years, among many other factors. In the same way, the Government also evaluates Australian educational Providers and gives them an “Immigration Risk Rating”.
This rating has 3 levels, with 1 being the highest level and 3 being the lowest. So, the Australian Immigration Department combines the qualification of your country with the qualification of the institution you chose, and the result will determine the requirements and documents the Department will ask you to provide to apply for the Australian Student Visa (specifically the evidence of economic solvency) .
Your previous studies
The truth is that the Immigration Department loves that people study! That is why when applying for the Australia Student Visa, the more studies you have done, the better chances of visa approval you will have.
English level requirement for the student visa to Australia
If your plan is to study a course other than English, you must prove that you speak the language in order to apply for the Australian Student Visa.
On the other hand, if your intention is to take an English course, you can apply for the visa even if you know absolutely nothing about the language.
Remember that the application process for the Australia Student Visa is lodged online and Sydney Visa can help you with the entire process process.
If you would like to assess your chances of studying in Australia please fill out our FREE STUDNET VISA ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE