Australia is one of the most sought after destinations by Indian students for higher education. Obtaining a student visa is one of the most important steps in getting to study in Australia. In order to have a hassle free Australia student visa process, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the various student visa requirements. This article aims to give you thorough information about the Australia student visa process which could be handy in planning your overall higher education process.

A typical student visa process to study in Australia involves numerous steps. The Australian student visa process is not any different. As a matter of fact, the process to obtain a subclass 500 visa to study in Australia involves a lot of documentation and other steps. Let us take a look at some of the crucial steps involved in the process to study in Australia. The Australia student visa process step by step is explained in this article clearly. 

Overview of Student Visa Process to Study in Australia

An Australian student visa is granted to students who fulfill the following requirements.

  1. The student should be enrolled in a course of study in Australia
  2. Hold an Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

The Australia student visa enables students to do the following important tasks:

  1. Study in Australia
  2. Travel in and out of Australia
  3. Work for up to 40 hours for every 2 week periods 

The final cost of the Australian student visa can go upto AUD 620 for the main applicant, unless they are exempted from paying. Students from countries across the world are eligible to apply for a visa.

Candidates who have already taken an Australian student visa are allowed to travel as many times as they wish, in and out of the country. Now that you have acquainted yourself with an overview of the student visa to study in Australia, let us move on to understand the eligibility criteria of an Australian student visa.  Students who are on a student visa to study in Australia can stay for the entire duration of the course or longer, depending on the total length of their course period. However, the maximum duration will not exceed a period of 5 years.

Student Visa Process to Study in Australia Requirements 2023

Candidates who wish to apply for an Australian student visa must fulfil certain requirements before they can be deemed eligible. The requirements stated in the following paragraphs is specifically applicable to students who have been granted admission for postgraduate courses in any university which falls in the CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) list.

  • Provide a Confirmation of Enrolment to be Eligible to Study in Australia

Students must be accepted for any of the full-time courses registered on the CRICOS. It is important that students submit a Confirmation of Enrollment from their university to the embassy or consulate to which they are applying for a student visa. If you are applying for more than 1 course in your student visa application you must include all CoE codes in the application form or your visa period may only consider the duration of the course according to the CoE provided.

You can apply to take 2 or more courses on your Student visa Australia requirements 2023 where one course clearly leads to the next.  Course gaps must be less than two calendar months, unless the first course finishes at the end of the standard academic year and the next course commences at the beginning of the standard academic year.

If you are applying for more than 1 course in your student visa application you must include all CoE codes in the application form or your visa may only cover the CoE provided.

  • Meet English Language Requirements

As an overseas student who wishes to study in Australia with the help of an Australia student visa, it is important that you submit all the necessary documentation which proves your efficiency in reading, writing and speaking the English language. Your IELTS or TOEFL score cards are the documents which indicate your English proficiency are the major documents required.

You do not need to provide evidence of an English test score with your visa application if one of the following applies:

  1. you are a citizen and hold a passport from UK, USA, Canada, NZ or Republic of Ireland 
  2. you are an applicant who is a Foreign Affairs or, Defence sponsored student or a Secondary Exchange student (AASES)
  3. you are enrolled in a principal course of study that is a registered school course, a standalone English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS), a course registered to be delivered in a language other than English, or a registered post-graduate research course
  4. you have completed at least 5 years’ study in English in one or more of the following countries: Australia, UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, or the Republic of Ireland
  5. in the 2 years before applying for the student visa, you completed, in Australia and in the English language, either the Senior Secondary Certificate of Education or a substantial component of a course leading to a qualification from the Australian Qualifications Framework at the Certificate IV or higher level, while you held a student visa.
  • Provide Adequate Health Insurance

It is extremely crucial to note that students who are applying for a student visa to study in Australia are required to submit a health insurance which covers the student’s health requirements for the entire duration of their stay in Australia. The insurance cover must begin from the day the student arrives in Australia and not the date of commencement of their course. This is an important point which should be noted by you.

Students from outside Australian that have been granted an Australian student visa and want to travel to Australia before their course begins, the OSHC start date must be the same as the date you arrive, not the date your course starts. Generally, this is a minimum of 1 week to 1 month before your course starts. 

Students must: 

  1. ensure they don't enter Australia before your OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) begins, and maintain their OSHC until you leave Australia.
  2. You may be refused entry to Australia if you cannot prove you have health insurance in place when you arrive.

Candidates who are in need of a visa to study in Australia will not be allowed to apply if they already possess any of the following visas.

  1. Domestic Worker (Temporary) Diplomatic and Consular visa (subclass 426)
  2. Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) in the Domestic Worker (Diplomatic or consular) stream
  3. Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) – primary visa holder only. A family member of a Diplomatic (Temporary) visa (subclass 995) can apply for a Student visa in Australia
  4. Transit visa (subclass 771)
  5. Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the Sponsored Family stream or in the Approved
  6. Destination Status stream
  • Have enough money for your stay

Students must provide sufficient documentation supporting their claims of having sufficient money to support their living expenses and course during the course of their study in Australia. 

  • Student Must Be a Genuine Temporary Entrant

Students must prove that they would return to their native countries once they have completed their study in Australia. The list of necessary documents proving this point is provided on the official department of immigration website

  • Students Must Meet The Government’s Character Requirements

Candidates who wish to study in Australia must prove the goodness of their character before applying for an Australian student visa. This includes not having any criminal records in the past and maintaining a good financial record as well.

  • Student Must Not Have Had a Visa Cancellation in the past or a Visa Refused

Meet the Australian Government’s health requirement

Student Visa Australia Requirements 2023 - Documentation Required For An Australian Student Visa

The list of documents required by the consulate for an Australian student visa depends on the institution into which candidates have been accepted. However, here is a generic list of some of the basic documents asked by the consulate from students who wish to study in Australia.

  1. Documents proving your identity. Possibly a copy of your passport and also include copies of your birth certificate, drivers licence or any other documents containing your correct address proof.
  2. Documents providing evidence of a student’s health insurance cover if they are from outside Australia and wish to study there with the help of an Australian student visa.
  3. Documents that indicate evidence of financial capacity. Students must either have
    (a). sufficient funds to cover their travel costs and 12 months of living and tuition fees for them and their accompanying family members and school costs for any school-aged dependants,
    (b). or evidence that their spouse or parents are willing to support them and they have an annual income of at least AUD 60,000 for single students or at least AUD 70,000 for students that are accompanied by family members
    (c). an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Students form for secondary exchange students only
    (d). a letter of support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defence.
  4. Documents indicating evidence of English language eligibility
  5. Genuine temporary entrant requirement. This must include a statement in your application form that you intend to stay in Australia temporarily and/or documentation to support claims. The statement must be written by the applicant even if using an agent.
  6. Documentation showing evidence of a change of name if applicable

Australia student visa process step by step

In order to avoid facing hurdles in your journey to obtain a visa to study in Australia, it is essential that you understand the Australia student visa process step by step. The following steps are implemented in the Australian student visa process.

  1. Students who are from outside Australia should apply for a student visa way in advance. Applying for an Australian visa at least 6 weeks prior is the recommended method.
  2. Before applying for an Australian student visa, gather all the required documentation with the help of the document checklist provided on the official website.
  3. Apply for the Australian student visa online.
  4. Wait for your student visa to be approved by the respective embassy or consulate.

Scheduling your visa interview is one of the last stages in the Australia student visa process. It is important to take note of the smaller details of the Australian visa process in order to avoid having any blocks along the way.

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