A fast-emerging study abroad destination, Australia is home to some of the top world-class universities. The Student Visa to Australia is the Subclass 500 which is your license to stay in Australia and pursue courses of the following types:
- Independent English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS)
- Primary and Secondary schooling
- Secondary School Exchange Program
- Vocational Education and Training (VET)
- Higher education
- Postgraduate research
- Non-award courses
International students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs or Defence also need the Subclass 500.
Then, there are other visa types such as the
- Visitor Visa (Subclass 600, 601, 651) – for short courses (3 months or lesser)
- Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417 and 462) – for short courses (4 months or lesser)
- Student Guardian Visa (Subclass 590) – for maximum course length of 3 months and given to persons who accompany students under 18 years of age or in special circumstances
- Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) – For international students who have graduated from an Australian educational institution and want to gain some work experience
Since most of our student traffic will be applying for undergraduate courses in Australia, Master’s, PhDs, and MBAs in Australia, the Subclass 500 will be the most sought-after visa type among our students. Thus, let us look at it more closely. For information on the other types of visas, please reach out to our Study Abroad Consultants.
About the Subclass 500
- Allows the student to stay in Australia for the entire course duration which, in most cases, is up to 5 years or according to the enrolment date
- Allows the student to pursue the chosen programme
- Allows the student to travel with the family to Australia
Eligibility
- You should have enrolled in the programme which you intend to study in Australia for the said duration
- You should have the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) unless you fall under any of the exemptions
- Age should be 6 years or more
- If you are less than 18 years old, you should have a welfare arrangement
Documents Required for Australian Student Visa
- A valid passport
- The electronic confirmation of Enrolment
- The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) Statement
- Visa application fee receipt
- English proficiency test (IELTS/PTE) scores
- Proof of financial standing, to be able to cover tuition, living expenses, etc.
- Health insurance details (Overseas Student Health Cover)
- Statement of Purpose of your visit to Australia
- Photographs in the prescribed format
- Paternal consent (For students less than 18 years of age)
Now, these are just general requirements. Depending on your profile and circumstances, you may be required to provide additional documents. To get a clear picture of what you need to do, please contact our Study Abroad Consultants.Â
The Online Application
- Create an account on ‘ImmiAccount’ – the online application system of DIBP
- Pay the Visa Application Fees as mentioned below:
- Basic Application fee = AUD 620
- Additional Applicant Charges:
- For applicants of 18 years and above = AUD 460
- For applicants of less than 18 years = AUD 150
- Subsequent Temporary Application Charge = AUD 700
- Remember to submit your application as soon as you get the offer from the desired university or at least 6 – 12 weeks before the commencement of your course.
Visa Interview
You may be called for an interview depending on your case. You may have an interview over a telephonic call, a personal interview at the Australian High Commission in your country, receive a letter asking for required information. In some cases, a visa application may be rejected without any interview or a visa application may be approved without an interview.
Proficiency in the English Language
You need to provide your IELTS/PTE scores at the time of applying for the visa. While the university requirements for these scores may vary, the subclass 500 entails a minimum score band of 5.5 in each module.
Validity of your Visa
Your visa may get cancelled if you:
- Drop out from the course for which you applied for the visa
- Fail to maintain satisfactory attendance and course progress
- Do not provide the university with your residence address in Australia
- Fail to intimate the university of any change of address in case you move
- Unable to financially support yourself during your period of stay in Australia
- Breach any of the visa conditions that apply to you
- If you change your qualification level, you are required to apply for a new student visa
So if you have the ticket to your desired programme in your dream university, please reach out to our Abroad Education Consultants who will guide you through the important aspects of travelling and living in a foreign country. You will get the benefit of getting first-hand inputs from our team of experts on the ‘On Arrival’ experience.
Find Your Dream University
If you are planning to study abroad and searching to match your profile with the best suited university, Experts at Manya – The Princeton Review have gathered important information of top Universities from abroad. Surely, this information will help you narrow down your quest for universities.
You can access accurate & authentic information related to rankings, application fees, average tuition fees, cost of living, scholarships, latest updates, and much more from more than 1000+ universities. You may also search for universities by name, country, or courses in common specializations, such as Physics, Finance, Business, Language and Culture, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Computer and IT, Media and Communication Marketing.
Manya – The Princeton Review offers end-to-end study abroad services encompassing admissions consulting services, test preparation, English language training, career assessment, and international internship opportunities to study abroad aspirants.