STUDENT VISA AS A PATHWAY INTO AUSTRALIA

If you wish to move to Australia on a temporary visa (including with your immediate family), one way is to study in Australia as a full-time student and apply for a Student visa (subclass 500). This visa allows you to study for up to five years (depending on the length of your course) in Australia.

Courses you may to study in Australia

Applicant’s can study an undergraduate course (like a degree program at an Australian university), postgraduate (such as a Masters or PhD program), ELICOS (for studying English in Australia) or a Vocational (skilled trade) Education and Training course (perfect for shorter study and job-ready skills).

For a Student visa, an applicant must be enrolled in a course of study that is registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and courses for Overseas for Overseas Students (CRICOS). If you are applying from outside Australia, you must include a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for each intended course of study with your visa application. We can assist you in searching for an appropriate course.

Summary of the student subclass 500 visa

A Student visa (subclass 500) will allow you to study in Australia for the length of your course (up to five years)
During or after your study you may be eligible to apply for another visa to enable you to maintain temporary or even permanent residence in Australia if you eligible (for example an employer sponsored or skilled visa)
You should lodge a student visa within a 3 month window of your course commencing.

Costs

The Government visa costs are AUD 620 for the main applicant and AUD 460 for each family member 18 years and over, and AUD 150 for each family member under 18 years old.
There will also be additional costs involved in the application process, such as our professional fees (these are standard and reasonable) English tests (where required), police and health checks. Applicants will also have to apply for compulsory Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
We can assist with the entire process and co -ordinate all the requirements for you (such as arrange Health cover, English tests etc.)

Eligibility requirements

Entry requirements for the subclass 500 student visa include:

Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)

When applying for a visa, you must submit a CoE from your chosen educational institution. The CoE is provided by your educational institution after you’ve accepted your offer and paid your deposit.

Language requirements

Depending on the course you want to study in Australia, you may need to show evidence of your English language skills. Individual educational institutions often have a different level of English proficiency required for your student visa application, so make sure to check beforehand.
You may need to provide test scores from an English language test or alternatively provide evidence of completed eligible English studies from the last two years. Some international students fall into an exemption category.
Contact us to find out the the minimum scores required to meet the English language specifications for the subclass 500 visa.

Overseas Student Health Cover

Almost all international students are required to have OSHC from a recognised Australian insurance provider. We can assist you in arranging this.

Financial requirements

A primary applicant needs to have access to sufficient funds to cover travel expenses, living costs and expenses, tuition fees as well as costs required for any dependents included in the application. Current standard of annual living costs for those who intends to stay in Australia for a period of 12 months or more is AUD 21,041, and AUD 7,362 for a spouse or de facto partner, and AUD 3,152 for a dependent child. The accurate amount of financial support will be calculated case by case as per the requirement prescribed by the Department of Home Affairs.
Another person (such as a parent or family member) or business or loan from a bank can be used to provide proof they are providing funds to comply with the financial requirements.

Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement

The GTE is one of the most important aspects of your visa application – it’s the main ground on which a student visa is granted or refused.
Its purpose is to ensure that all applicants applying for a student visa acknowledge that they’re entering Australia on a temporary basis to gain an education. Applicants are required to submit a personal statement that addresses the GTE requirements. In short, your GTE will need to confirm that you’re only coming to Australia with the intention to study – hence, ‘Genuine Temporary Entrant’. We can assist you in preparing the GTE statement.

Character requirements

All applicants must pass the character test (criminal history may result in a refusal of the student visa application).

Health requirements

There are certain health requirements that you will have to meet to be eligible for a subclass 500 visa, including being free from certain diseases or conditions. You and your family may have to have a health examination.

Conditions to uphold

These are conditions that can be attached to your subclass 500 student visa, including:

You can work a maximum of 40 hours of work per fortnight during semester (and unlimited hours during breaks)
You cannot begin employment before your course of study has begun
You must meet the course requirements
To change your course of study, you must seek approval from the Minister (we can assist in applying for this)
You must not engage in criminal behavior

Our professional services

We assist with the following to improve your application:

A cover letter outlining you have met the requirements
Ensuring all the documents and files are uploaded
Complete the forms fully
Lodging a complete application

Processing of your visa application

The processing time of an application can vary and will be different for everyone. Generally the approval of your application can take between two weeks and four months.
Phillip Silver & Associates Phillip Silver | Notary Public, Solicitor & Migration Agent (MARN 0957639)