Student Visa Requirements
International students require a student visa in order to study in Australia. The process of applying for a student visa depends on which country you apply from and the type of study you're applying for. The student visa application process can be involved and for this reason, students in some countries apply for their student visas using the help of a registered Australian education agent.
For assistance in your application for a student visa, contact the Australian Governments Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) office nearest to you.
Changes to international student visa rules
In December 2010, the Australian Government conducted a review of the student visa program to recommend improvements to student visa rules and conditions. Known as the Knight Review, these recommendations aim to make studying in Australia easier for international students, while maintaining the integrity and quality of the existing student visa program.
These changes to student visa rules are detailed in the
- Stage One Knight Review Changes Fact Sheet (November 2011)
- Stage Two Knight Review Changes Fact Sheet (March 2012)
These fact sheets have been translated into several other languages.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website provides a timetable of the visa rule changes that are part of Stage One of the Knight Review implementation.
The student visa process
The DIAC website also outlines the process for assessing and granting student visas and a visa wizard to help determine the type of visa to apply for. This is particularly useful for students who want to establish if they can study in Australia before they begin applying for courses. Higher Education Sector: Streamlined Visa Processing
Streamlined visa processing (SVP) arrangements now allow for faster, easier visa access for international students applying to most universities and partner programs. A list of universities participating in SVP and affiliated educational program partners is available here.
If you lodge a student visa application with a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) forBachelor, Masters or Doctoral degree level program from a university or education provider participating in SVP, you will benefit from reduced evidentiary requirements and faster visa processing times, regardless of your country of origin.
However, you must meet requirements for English-language proficiency and financial capacity and will have to satisfy the genuine temporary entrant requirement.
To find out more about how you can benefit from SVP, visit
http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/573-0/applying.htm
http://www.immi.gov.au/students/_pdf/2011-university-sector-streamlined-processing.pdf