Study Matters in Australia

Requirements for Student Visa in Australia

In order to apply for a Student Visa, you will need to meet the following requirements:

Confirmation Of Enrolment (COE)

You will need to provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) or Letter of Offer issued by the education provider you have chosen. Axiom will help you to submit your application with an approved college so you can get your COE.

Please note that to obtain this document, the course you selected must be registered under CRICOS framework (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students).

Axiom has built a widespread network of more than 200 accredited educational providers across Australia and we helped over 6,000 students from all over the world to begin their educational journey in Australia.

Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE)

Applicants should provide enough proof to support that their intentions in Australia are temporary for the purpose of study or accompany a student as a dependent or guardian. This means that an applicant should show that they intend to study in Australia then leave (to their home country or otherwise). You will need to write a statement to prove that you comply with the honesty measure of the Australian student visa program. Later on, this document will be assessed by the case officer responsible for your visa application, who then will consider if your personal circumstances meet this GTE requirement.

If you wish to read more about this criterion, further information can be found at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection website. Before you apply for a course, Axiom counselor will discuss your goals and aims with you and help explain all the details of the GTE process.

Financial requirements

 When lodging your student visa application you may need to show evidence of sufficient funds to cover tuition fees, travel expenses and living costs for the intended period of stay. These requirements may vary depending on which country you are from and which institution you will be studying at.

In most cases, the amount to be considered as enough funds will depend on the length of the course and its tuition fees. For example, the financial capacity of a student who would like to pursue a 3 year Bachelor course will be different from those students who are seeking a 12-month English course.

To find out if you are likely to provide documentary evidence to comply with the student visa financial capacity requirements, please refer to the Document Checklist Tool developed by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.

This process can be complex and confusing, so our experienced counselors at Axiom can help explain this essential part of obtaining an Australian Student Visa.

English Proficiency Requirement

Some students may need to provide an up-to-date certificate of an English language test as part of the Student Visa application. This will depend on what course you wish to study.

For those citizens and passport holders of one of the following English-speaking countries: USA, Canada, New Zealand, UK, and Ireland, as they will be exempt from this language requirement.

Moreover, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection set out a further list of English language exemptions. Check if you fall into one of those categories as you may not need to prove your English proficiency.

For those of you, who are required to show evidence of an acceptable language test score, please contact us to further discuss which course you would like to study.

We will advise you with a complete list of providers available to assess your language skills and the valid minimum test score to meet this requirement.

Please, be aware that although the Australian Government sets a minimum language score for each education level (e.g Diploma vs. Bachelor), your education provider might have a different language skill level based on the course you’ve chosen. For example, you may have an IELTS score of 6 (IELTS is an international language test). However, some Bachelor’s Degrees require an IELTS score of 6.5 or 7 depending on the institution or the course. In these cases, you might have to retake the exam to reach that grade or look for another course that is within the threshold.

Still not sure if you comply with this condition? Contact us and explain your personal circumstances and the course you have in mind.

Australian Health Requirement

As an Australian Student Visa applicant, you must undergo a medical health examination. This will depend on a number of factors:

 The type of visa that you are applying for.

 The length of your intended stay in Australia.

 Your country’s level of tuberculosis risk.

 Your intended activities in Australia.

 Any special circumstances that may be applicable.

 The presence of any significant medical conditions.

 All costs related to the medical examination are your responsibility. For instance, if you undertake a medical examination and your visa application is not approved you will not be eligible for a refund of any costs you may have incurred.

For further information to know what types of medical examinations are required for a temporary visa application, please visit the Department of Immigration and Border Protection site.

Australian Character Requirement

Everyone who wants to enter in Australia will be assessed against these character requirements. As a temporary applicant you might be asked to provide police certificates for each country you have lived in for 12 months or more, over the last 10 years (calculated immediately before the time the visa application is lodged), since turning 16 years of age.

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

Australian Student Visa Applicants must register with an OSHC insurance provider for the duration of their time as a student in Australia. This health insurance policy is mandatory for all the applicants who wish to study in Australia (restrictions to a few countries apply).

OSHC is a special health insurance scheme designed for the international student what will help you cover any potential medical or hospital expenses that you may suffer during your stay in Australia. It will also cover a certain amount of pharmaceuticals and ambulance services.

The current government authorized providers of an OSHC policy are:

 AHM (Australian Health Management)

 BUPA OSHC

 NIB OSHC

 Medibank Private Allianz Global Assistance

 Allianz Global Assistance

Compare the features and the price of their policies on their website and get an instant quote of the total cost of your OSHC health insurance. At Axiom we help students on a daily basis, so we usually know what you might need if you just arrived in Australia or even if you’ve been here for quite a while. Save time and money by directly talking to us to get you covered. Axiom can set up your OSHC provider and offer you high-quality coverage at the cheapest rate.

Need more information? Visit the Department of Health and read through the most frequently asked questions about OSCH.

Cost of annual living Amounts

Every application where evidence of funds is required should include the following cost of living amounts in their calculation of funds:

Student or guardian: AUD$20,290 / BDT 13, 12,290 (Approx.)

Partner or spouse: AUD$7,100 / BDT 4, 59,204 (Approx.)

Child: AUD$3,040 / BDT 1, 96,617 (Approx.)

Duration of a Student Visa in Australia

The student visa duration depends on the program you choose:

 If you enroll for a 6-month course, your Student Visa will be valid for 6 months.

 If you enroll for a 3-year program, your Student Visa will be valid for 3 years.

 The program you choose must be between 12 and 52 weeks in order to be eligible for a Student Visa.

Depending on the length of your course, your visa will be granted with the following additional times once you finish your studies:

 For courses below 10 months in duration, you will be given 1 month extra.

 For courses over the 10-month threshold, you will be given 2 extra months.

 For courses over 10 months in which the term end date is December, you will be given 3 extra months.

Cost of a Student Visa in Australia

The current fees in order to apply for a Student Visa (Subclass 500) are set to $560 AUD / BDT 36220 (Approx.) The price is always the same no matter the length of your studies.

Please note that this price may vary depending on the location where you apply for your Student Visa (Australia or onshore). The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has built a pricing estimator tool to help future applicants to quickly get a price overview of their visa application.