Studying in Australia: Obtaining a Visa

The idea of studying in a foreign country can be very appealing: different language, different culture, different education system, different lifestyle. All these things can be daunting, particularly adapting to a new language and way of living, but these obstacles are all easily overcome. Choosing a course and destination are also tough decisions, but, once again, they are obtainable. The one thing which seems bound to trip people up is applying for not only a visa, but the right visa for your particular circumstances.

For students wishing to come to Australia to study, it is a must to visit http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/chooser/ . There, you can choose your country of origin and course of study and get detailed information on eligibility requirements to obtain a visa to study in Australia. In this article, I will outline the general requirements of obtaining a student visa for Higher Education. For other types of student visas please visit the above website.

Be careful when it comes to Passports.

For starters, the higher education student visa is for students who are applying for a student visa for the first time, wish to renew their student visa or students who wish to visit a family member on a student visa. To apply for this visa you need to have been accepted into a course at an Australian higher education institution. The course must also fall under one of the following awards: bachelor degree, masters by coursework, associate degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma, higher education diploma or advanced higher education diploma. So if you’re not sure whereabouts in Australia you might what to study, get on the net and find out what the different universities have to offer. After you’ve navigated, applied for and been accepted into a course of study, I’m afraid that’s only the beginning of the paperwork. It’s time to apply for a visa.

Its very exciting having a passport

There is a fee of $565 for the Higher Education visa application process, and the visa will allow you to study in Australia, be accompanied by dependent family members and work up to twenty hours per week during the university semesters and unlimited hours per week in the university holidays. Dependent family members can also work up to twenty hours per week.

Eligibility requirements change according to course of study and country of origin, but the following are some general requirements that apply to the application process for a student visa. Firstly, the student must be accepted into a course at an Australian education institute. The applicant must also have proof that they have enough funds to cover living expenses, travel expenses and tuition fees whilst studying in Australia. The student also needs to have health insurance valid for the duration of their stay in Australia. English language and academic requirements are set out by the higher education institute and are dependent on the course of study. Students must remain enrolled in their course of study for the duration of their stay and also must sign an Australian Values Statement, declaring that they will respect Australian values at all times.

The time it takes to process a student visa varies, but it is generally between one and three months, depending on if you are lodging it from within Australia or outside Australia. It is extremely important to ensure the application is complete and all accompanying documents are supplied, or else the application could be rejected and it will cost time and money to go through the whole process again. The following link is a YouTube video created by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship, which offers more practical advice in regards to applying for a visa:

http://www.youtube.com/immitv#p/c/0/AVM0JriJ_p8

Once a visa application has been successful, the applicant will receive a letter of acceptance which outlines the conditions of that particular visa. It is vital that students who have been granted a visa comply by the conditions set out in the application, as the government runs random checks and there are heavy fines for visa holders who are not complying with the terms of their visa. It is also important that visa holders depart the country by their visa expiry date. For a higher education student visa, the visa will last the length of the course of study, and is usually granted for between one and two months longer than the course finish date. The visa also allows students to leave and enter Australia as many times as the visa holder wishes for the duration of the visa.

Don’t let the seemingly difficult process of applying for a visa (and the correct visa at that) put you off the experience of studying in another country. The information in this article are loose guidelines only and need to be verified at http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/chooser/, but the information is out there and support available for students wishing to come and study in Australia.