Applying for a Student Visa

Applying online
You should read this information form if you are one of the
following: The department offers a number of convenient internet services
for student visa applicants. More information is available from
• outside Australia and intend to apply for a visa to study in the department’s website.
Australia See: www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/students.htm
• a student visa holder in Australia intending to enrol in a course Please: If your application is exempt from a visa application
of study charge (VAC), you will not be able to lodge your visa application
• a student visa holder intending to apply for permission to work online.
• a student visa holder intending to change from one education For general information on lodging your visa application, refer to
sector to another How to lodge your application on page 4.
• a visitor, working holiday-maker or other temporary visa
holder intending to extend your stay in Australia to undertake
full-time study in a registered course.
Package courses
If you want to apply for a package of courses comprising an
Student visas – general information enabling course (for example, a prerequisite English language
tuition, foundation or bridging course) followed by the main
The Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa comprises 8 subclasses. course (for example, a Bachelor degree), you must provide
Subclasses 570–576 are based on the education sector of your evidence of your enrolment in your enabling course, plus letters
main course. of offer of a place from the relevant education providers for the
The subclasses and the prescribed courses for each subclass are: other courses in your package. You will be assessed under the
visa subclass applicable to the principal course, and at the highest
• Independent ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses assessment level of the courses in your nominated package (with
for Overseas Students) (Subclass 570) the exception of any ELICOS course within the package).
ELICOS (non-award and Certificate I–IV) as a stand-alone You can be granted a student visa to cover the total of the
course. proposed package only if you provide confirmation of enrolment
Students undertaking ELICOS as a pre-requisite to another for all courses. You may also be eligible for streamlined visa
course must apply for a visa under the subclass appropriate to processing. For additional information, refer to Requirements for
the main course. the grant of a Student (Subclass 570-576) visa and Offer of a
• Schools (Subclass 571) place in a course and confirmation of enrolment on page 2.
Primary school; secondary school including junior and senior Detailed information on applying for and being granted a student
secondary; approved secondary exchange programs. visa is available on the department’s website.
• Vocational education and training (VET) (Subclass 572) See: www.immi.gov.au/students
Certificate I, II, III, and IV; VET diploma; VET advanced
diploma. Acceptable courses
• Higher education (HE) (Subclass 573) To be eligible for the grant of a student (Subclass 570–576) visa,
you must be accepted for full-time study in a registered course or
Bachelor degree; associate degree; graduate certificate; part of a registered course.
graduate diploma; HE diploma; HE advanced diploma; masters
by coursework. Acceptance for full-time study is evidenced by an electronic
confirmation of enrolment certificate or an ‘offer of a place in a
• Postgraduate research (Subclass 574) course’ letter issued by the registered provider offering you a
Masters by research degree; Doctoral degree. place, refer to Offer of a place in a course and confirmation of
• Non-award (Subclass 575) enrolment on page 2. If you are sponsored by AusAID or Defence,
a letter from these agencies indicating their support of your study
Enabling course; non-award foundation studies; other full-time
in Australia is required. If you are a secondary school exchange
courses or components of courses not leading to an Australian
student, you must provide a completed Acceptance Advice of
award.
Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form.
• AusAID or Defence (Subclass 576)
A registered course is an education or training course offered by
Full-time courses of all types undertaken by AusAID or an Australian education provider registered on the
Defence students sponsored by the Australian Government. Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas
A further subclass of student visa, the Student Guardian (Subclass Students (CRICOS) to offer courses to overseas students. Details
580) visa, provides for certain persons to reside with a student in of registered courses and education providers are available on the
Australia, where that student requires a guardian. Applications for internet.
student guardian visas should be made on form 157G Application See: http://cricos.deewr.gov.au
for a student guardian visa. Further information on applying for a If you are sponsored by AusAID or Defence, or are a secondary
student guardian visa can be found in the information sheet school exchange student, you are not required to enrol in a
Applying for a student guardian visa and on the Department of registered course in order to be granted a student visa.
Immigration and Border Protection (the department) website. However, you must be enrolled in a full-time course of study or
See: www.immi.gov.au/allforms/ training.

July 2012 Page 1 of 5

Requirements for the grant of a Student • Demonstrating and/or providing evidence in your application
that the funds you are relying on will genuinely be available to
(Subclass 570–576) visa you during your stay in Australia.
To be granted a student (Subclass 570–576) visa, you must meet • Your level of English language proficiency in relation to that
key requirements. These include a genuine temporary entrant required for your assessment level and education sector of
requirement, your financial capacity, English language study. Where an English language test result is required, it
proficiency, likely compliance with the conditions of your visa must be a ‘specified English language test’ and you should
and any other matters considered relevant to assessing your have the results of this test before making your visa application.
application.
• your academic record and qualifications completed.
A student visa application will be assessed against one of the
following: Detailed information on requirements can be found on the
department’s website.
• one of five assessment levels for each visa subclass
• the streamlined visa processing requirements if you are an General requirements
eligible student. General requirements you must meet include that:
Assessment levels are prescribed according to the passport you • You are of good character.
hold and the education sector of your course. Assessment Level 5
has the most stringent requirements. • You are of sound health.
See: www.immi.gov.au/students/ • You have acceptable health insurance through the Overseas
To be eligible for streamlined visa processing, you must provide Student Health Cover (OSHC) for yourself and members of
evidence of your confirmation of enrolment for an eligible course your family unit accompanying you to Australia. Refer to
from a participating university at the time that you lodge your OSHC on page 5.
application. Eligible courses include Bachelor, Masters and • You have no outstanding debts to the Commonwealth of
Doctoral degrees. Australia, or have made arrangements acceptable to the
See: www.immi.gov.au/students/ Minister to repay such debts.
To be granted a student visa, you must also satisfy the general • Where you are under 18 years of age, acceptable arrangements
requirements that are applicable to all student visa applicants. for your accommodation, support and general welfare are in
General requirements include you being of good character and place.
sound health, and having acceptable health insurance and no • If you are in Assessment Level 2, 3, 4 or 5, do not hold a
outstanding debts to the Commonwealth of Australia. student visa and are applying in Australia, you must provide
exceptional reasons to justify the grant of your visa.
Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement
Factors considered under this requirement include: Offer of a place in a course and confirmation of
• your personal circumstances such as your potential enrolment
circumstances in Australia and personal or financial If you are lodging a paper application you should provide either
commitments that may provide an incentive for you to return an electronic confirmation of enrolment certificate or an ‘offer of
home a place in a course’ letter from your Australian education
• your immigration history such as previous compliance with provider when you lodge your application.
immigration laws However, even if an ‘offer of a place in a course’ letter has been
• if you are a minor, the intentions of your parent, legal guardian provided to lodge your application, an electronic confirmation of
or spouse will also be considered. enrolment certificate is usually required before a student visa can
be granted. Exceptions to this include, but are not limited to the
Evidentiary requirements following:

Key requirements include: • AusAID/Defence scholarship recipients

• Your capacity to cover the cost of air fares, course tuition fees • Secondary exchange students
and living costs for the duration of your stay in Australia. Your • Postgraduate research students on a subclass 574 student visa
living costs in Australia are set at AUD18 610 pa. The period while their thesis is being marked.
for which you must provide evidence of funds, the type of This is because these students provide other forms of evidence of
funds considered acceptable, and the savings period for funds enrolment. To confirm whether you need to provide an electronic
may vary with your assessment level and education sector of confirmation of enrolment certificate, you may contact the
study. Living costs are a minimum amount set for visa department.
purposes. Living costs vary depending on where you will be See: www.immi.gov.au/contacts/
living and studying. It is your responsibility to determine what
If you are applying using the department’s online lodgement
your own costs will be to live and study in Australia. Even if
facility, eVisa, you will need your electronic confirmation of
you have permission to work you should not rely on work to
enrolment certificate to lodge your application.
support yourself in Australia as a student.
To be eligible for streamlined visa processing, you must provide a
• Your capacity to cover the cost of air fares, living costs and
confirmation of enrolment for full-time study in an eligible course
school tuition costs for your family unit members for the
at a participating university when you lodge your application. If
duration of your stay in Australia. Living costs for family
you package your courses, you must provide your confirmation of
members are set at AUD6515 for your partner, AUD3720 for
enrolment in an approved enabling course and the eligible course
your first child and AUD2790 for each child thereafter. School
in your package at the time when you lodge your application.
costs are set at AUD8000 pa. Except in very limited
circumstances, you are required to provide this evidence An approved enabling course must be provided by an education
regardless of whether your family members intend to business partner nominated by your university, that is, your main
accompany you to Australia.
July 2012 Page 2 of 5
course provider. Your university will be able to provide you with Permission to work
details of their nominated education business partners.
When applying for your student visa, you are required to provide
Student visa conditions evidence of financial capacity to support your period of stay in
Australia. Permission to work is intended to provide you with an
If you are issued a student visa, some conditions will be attached
enriched cultural and social experience in Australia. You should
to the grant of the visa. The most common conditions are:
not rely on work to fund your studies.
• You must satisfy attendance and/or course progress
requirements and maintain a valid enrolment for your chosen From April 2008, all student Subclass 570–576 visas include
course of study. permission to work as part of the initial student visa grant.

• You and members of your family unit must not work unless If you and your family members are granted student visas you
you have been granted permission to work as part of your will be allowed to work up to 40 hours per fortnight once your
initial visa grant and you have commenced your course of course has commenced. Neither you nor your family members
study in Australia. may commence work until the principal visa holder has
commenced studying.
• You must maintain your approved Overseas Student Health
Cover while in Australia. While the course you are studying is in session you cannot work
more than 40 hours per fortnight. No work limits apply during
• If you are an Assessment Level 3, 4 or 5 student whose overall recognised periods of vacation offered by your education
intended period of study is 10 months or less, you will usually provider. Family members will be allowed to work up to 40 hours
be subject to a ‘no further stay’ condition. This means that after per fortnight throughout the year.
entering Australia, you may not be granted any other visa while
you remain in Australia, other than a further student visa with Holders of a Postgraduate Research (subclass 574) visa who have
permission to work, or a Graduate – Skilled visa 1. You may be commenced their Masters by research or Doctorate course will
exempt from the mandatory imposition of the ‘no further stay’ have unrestricted permission to work. If you hold a subclass 573,
condition if you are an Assessment Level 3 student and can 574, or 576 visa and commence studying for the award of a
show funds to cover specified tuition, living and school costs masters or doctorate course your family members will have
for a 12 month period in addition to the period of your intended unrestricted permission to work.
study in Australia (for further information, see the department’s The limit on work hours is strictly enforced by the
website). department.
• A ‘no further stay’ condition may also be imposed on your visa, If you have any concerns about your pay and conditions, or other
regardless of your assessment level or period of study, if the issues at work, you can contact the Fair Work Ombudsman (all
decision maker considers this appropriate. state and territories except Western Australia).
• If you are sponsored by the Commonwealth of Australia or the See: http://www.fwo.gov.au/
government of your home country, you may be subject to a ‘no Telephone: Wageline on 1300 655 266 (Western Australia only).
further stay’ condition. This means that after entering Australia,
you will not be entitled to be granted any other visa while you Members of your family unit
remain in Australia apart from a further Student visa with A member of the family unit is your partner (spouse or de facto)
Permission to Work, or a further student visa with the consent or a dependent child of you or your partner who is not married,
of your sponsor1. not in a de facto relationship and who has not turned 18.
• You must inform your education provider within 7 days of Members of your family unit may apply for a student (Subclass
your arrival in Australia of your current residential address and 570–576) visa to live with you in Australia as your family unit
must advise them any changes of address within 7 days. Your members. They can apply at the same time as you, or after you
provider is required by law to keep your residential address so have arrived in Australia. However, your family members cannot
you can be contacted if you do not satisfy course requirements. be granted a student visa if your application is subject to
If you do not abide by this condition, you may not be aware of Assessment Level 3, 4 or 5 and your proposed course of study is
any such contact by your provider. This situation may lead to 12 months or less in duration.
the cancellation of your student visa.
All members of your family unit must be declared on your
• If you are a student visa holder under 18 years of age, who is application whether or not they intend to travel to Australia at any
neither being accompanied nor staying with a relative who is at time. A member who is not declared will not be eligible for entry
least 21 years of age, you must not change your to Australia as your family unit member, except for a person who
accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements becomes a member after your application was decided. A person
without the written approval of your education provider. If you who becomes a member after you lodged your application and
want to change your accommodation and welfare arrangements before it is decided is eligible for entry provided you inform the
to live with a parent, a person who has custody of you, or a department in writing of that member’s personal particulars and
relative who is already the holder of a student guardian visa, provide evidence of their relationship to you.
you must lodge form 157N Nomination of a student guardian
at the nearest office of the department. Further information can Periods of stay granted to members of your family unit will
be found on the information sheet Applying for a student generally be the same as your period of stay. Your family
guardian visa on the department’s website. members should ensure they always hold a valid visa while in
Australia.
• You must continue to be a person who would satisfy the
primary or secondary criteria, as the case requires, for the grant Your partner will have a condition on their visa that limits their
of the visa. period of study in Australia to a maximum of 3 months. If your
partner wants to undertake a course of study beyond this period
Any breach of a student visa condition may result in
they must apply for a student visa in their own right. This
cancellation of your visa.
application for change of status from family unit member to
student may be made in Australia.
A school-age family unit member (one who has turned five but
has not turned 18 years of age) who will live with you in
1
Except in extremely limited circumstances which are outside your control, or Australia is expected to attend school in Australia. You must
to engage Australia’s protection obligation under the 1951 UN convention
relating to the status of refugees.
July 2012 Page 3 of 5
provide evidence of enrolment for them if you want them to be Applications lodged at an Australian Embassy in mainland China
granted a student visa as a family unit member. In most cases, or New Zealand cannot be accepted.
public and private schools charge fees for family unit members of Residential address
student visa holders. You should check the exact fees with the
You must provide the address where you intend to live while your
school where your family unit member will be studying.You are
application is being dealt with. Failure to give a residential
responsible for their education costs in Australia.
address will result in your application being invalid. A post office
How to lodge your application box address will not be accepted as a residential address.
If you are applying in Australia you may lodge your application Consent to communicate electronically
in person, by mail or electronically through the department’s The department may use a range of means to communicate with
website. Electronic lodgement through the department’s website you. However, electronic means such as fax or e-mail will only
is the preferred method of lodgement. be used if you indicate your agreement to receiving
See: www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/ communication in this way.
Applying in person To process your application the department may need to
In some states or territories in Australia you may need to make an communicate with you about sensitive information, for example,
appointment to lodge your application. Please telephone the health, police checks, financial viability and personal
department on 131 881 for advice about whether you need an relationships. Electronic communications, unless adequately
appointment. If you need an appointment you will be able to encrypted, are not secure and may be viewed by others or
make one when you telephone. interfered with. If you agree to the department communicating
with you by electronic means, the details you provide will only be
Complete application form 157A Application for a student visa used by the department for the purpose for which you have
and lodge it with your supporting documentation at an provided them, unless there is a legal obligation or necessity to
appropriate Australian Government office if you are applying use them for another purpose, or you have consented to use for
outside Australia, or at any office of the department before your another purpose. They will not be added to any mailing list.
current visa expires if you are entitled to apply in Australia.
The Australian Government accepts no responsibility for the
Electronic student visa security or integrity of any information sent to the department
Some people are eligible to apply through the department’s over the internet or by other electronic means.
website for an electronic student visa. Eligibility is restricted to
the following: Visa Application Charge
• in Australia: You are required to pay the Visa Application Charge, unless you
o a student visa holder seeking permission to work are sponsored by the Commonwealth of Australia or participating
in a formal secondary exchange program. Under some
o a student seeking a further student visa circumstances you may not be required to pay a Visa Application
o Assessment Level 1 applicant seeking to apply for a Charge if your education provider ceased to offer your course.
student visa (for example you are in Australia on a visa Check the amount of this charge with your nearest office of the
other than a student visa). department or Australian Government office. The charge is also
• outside Australia, all Assessment Level 1 students are eligible listed in form 990i Charges which is available from the
to apply for a student visa on the internet. department’s website.
See: www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/students.htm See: www.immi.gov.au/allforms/
Fees may be subject to adjustment at any time. Visa Application
Assessment Level 2–4 students should also check the Charges may be subject to adjustment on 1 July each year. This
department’s website to see if they are eligible. may increase the cost of a visa.
Lodgement of applications by citizens of the People’s Payment must accompany your application and is generally not
Republic of China (PRC), Pakistan and Afghanistan refunded if the application is unsuccessful.
You must send your application to one of the addresses below if
you are applying outside Australia and you either: Method of payment
• hold a passport for the PRC (excluding Special Administrative In Australia
Regions), and are normally resident in the PRC or New To make a payment, please pay by credit card, debit card, bank
Zealand cheque or money order made payable to the Department of
• hold a Pakistani passport and are normally resident in Pakistan Immigration and Border Protection. Debit card and credit card are
or New Zealand the preferred methods of payment.
• hold an Afghani passport and are normally resident in Outside Australia
Afghanistan, Pakistan or New Zealand.
Before making a payment outside Australia, please check with
By post: the Australian Government office where you intend to lodge your
Student Visa Centre (South Australia) application as to what methods of payment and currencies they
Department of Immigration and Border Protection can accept and to whom the payment should be made payable.
GPO Box 1393
ADELAIDE SA 5001 Supporting documents you need to provide with your
By courier: application
Student Visa Centre (South Australia) You must provide all of the documentation needed to support
Department of Immigration and Border Protection your application (certified or notarised copies) and declare in
4th Floor your application form that you have attached all the required
55 Currie Street documents.
ADELAIDE SA 5000
‘Certified copies’ means copies authorised or stamped as being
true copies of the originals by a person or agency recognised by
July 2012 Page 4 of 5
the law of your country to perform such functions. If you are in will cease to be in effect 28 days after the date of withdrawal. As
Australia, copies may be certified by a Justice of the Peace, a a result, you will become an unlawful non-citizen 28 days after
Commissioner for Declarations or a person before whom a the withdrawal if you have not departed Australia within that time
statutory declaration may be made under the Statutory and you do not hold another valid visa.
Declarations Act 1959.
The documentation required may vary depending on your Review rights
assessment level and the education sector of your main course of If you apply for a student visa in Australia and you are refused
study. To find out what documents you need to provide, refer to the visa, you may apply for a review of the decision. You will be
the department’s website for the subclass applicable to you. notified of your review rights in writing and the time limits for
English translations lodging such an appeal.

Documents in languages other than English must be accompanied

by an English translation. If you are applying in Australia, the
translator must be accredited by the National Accreditation
Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). Translating
and Interpreting Service (TIS) translators are NAATI-accredited.

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

Generally, you must have acceptable health insurance cover by
paying the OSHC for yourself and accompanying family unit
members for the proposed duration of your visa. Norwegian
students with Norwegian National Insurance Scheme cover and
Swedish students with international cover arranged through the
National Board of Student Aid (CSN) are covered and do not
need to take up OSHC. Belgian students are covered by a
Reciprocal Health Care Agreement and do not need to take up
OSHC.
Your student visa will be valid for the same period as your OSHC
policy to ensure that you have OSHC for the entire period you are
in Australia.
To arrange your OSHC, you can:
• ask your education provider to organise your health insurance
cover on your behalf; or
Home page www.immi.gov.au
• if your education provider cannot assist you, select an approved
OSHC provider yourself and pay the insurance. You must General Telephone 131 881 during business hours in
provide the office processing your visa with a receipt of enquiry line Australia to speak to an operator (recorded
payment of the OSHC fee or other evidence that you are information available outside these hours).
covered by OSHC before your student visa can be granted. If you are outside Australia, please contact
Information about OSHC providers is available from the internet. your nearest Australian mission.
See: www.health.gov.au

Re-entry to Australia
A student visa permits multiple entries to Australia. If you or
members of your family unit are planning to leave and return to
Australia during the period of your study, you and your family
members should ensure that you re-enter Australia before the
expiry of your visa. If you seek to re-enter Australia after your
student visa has expired, you will need to apply for a new student
visa overseas, pay the Visa Application Charge and meet visa
requirements current at the time.

Applications for a further student visa in Australia

If you want to extend your stay in Australia to complete your
current course or to enrol in a new course, you should apply for a
new student visa before your current student visa or another visa
you hold expires. You may not be granted a new student visa if
you hold a student visa with a ‘no further stay’ condition (see
Student visa conditions on page 3).

Withdrawal of application
You can withdraw your application in writing at any time before
a decision is made. Any charges that you paid at the time you
lodged your application are usually non-refundable.
If you applied for a student visa in Australia, you were most
likely granted a bridging visa at the time you made your
application. If you withdraw your application, that bridging visa

July 2012 Page 5 of 5