Study in Australia

Many international students make the choice to study in Australia and one of the first questions that come in the mind is how do I apply for studying in Australia. In this detailed step by step guide, we will help you understand a student visa application for Australia.

We are going to break it down into various sections to make it easy for you to understand what you should be doing for applying for a student visa.

Step 1: Understanding the requirements for studying in Australia

If you are planning to study in Australia, then there are some key study requirements that you need to meet before you can apply for the student visa. We have categorised these requirements into three main areas:

• Academic

1. Good academic records
2. Meeting the prerequisites of the course
3. English tests scores
4. Minimum Age Requirements
5. Work experience
6. Research work/Thesis

• Financial

1. Course Fee
2. Living expenses
3. OSHC (Health Insurance)
4. English test fees
5. Visa application fee
6. Medical Check-up fee
7. Airfares

• Immigration

1. Passport
2. Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE)
3. Health requirements
4. Character requirements
5. Financial requirements

Step 2: The admission process

International students find it quite confusing and challenging in understanding the admission process. To make it simpler for you, we have divided it 5 main steps:

1. The first step is to choose the area you would like to study eg. Business, Accounting, Engineering IT, Hospitality, Healthcare
2. Then you would need to choose the level you would like to study e.g Certificate, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma/Certificate, Master Degree or Doctorate. You can understand the Australian education system by checking this infographic.
3. The next step is to choose the city where would you like to study e.g  Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, etc.
4. Then choose the type of institution you would like to study – University, Tafe or a Private College
5. Last but not the least, choose the timing/intake you would like to enrol in – February, July, and November but some private colleges or Tafes may have a year around enrollments

Step 3: Applying for COE

Here are the key steps for applying for a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE):

1. Write an impressive statement of purpose on why you would like to study, especially required for higher education programs.
2. As most of the institution will require some of form of evidence of your English capabilities (unless you come from the English speaking country) it is advisable to get your IELTS, PTE or TOEFL test done before the submission of your application form.
3. Complete and submit the application form for the institute you are planning to study with required documents.
4. Don’t forget to check if you are eligible for some scholarships before sending your application form.
5. If you haven’t finalised yet, you can apply for multiple institutes at the same time.
6. Institute may ask for more documents or for an interview via telephone or skype
7. After the institute is satisfied with your submission, they will send you an offer letter.
8. Read the offer letter and terms and conditions and if happy with them, you will need to pay the fees as mentioned in the offer letter. Most of the Australian educational institutions will require you to pay the first term or semester fee only.
9. Once the institute receive your payment, they will issue a COE (Confirmation of Enrolment)

Step 4: Documents required for the Student Visa application

While applying for a student visa for Australia, you will need to have few documents ready for your institute and immigration department. Here you will find the list of the documents you need to submit as a part of your student visa application:

1. Passport
2. 4 Recent passport-sized photos
3. Birth certificate and national identification
4. Confirmation of Enrolment(CoE)
5. Form 157A
6. OSHC evidence of payment
7. IELTS or PTE or other English test results
8. Statement for Genuine Temporary Entrant
9. Evidence of funds (eg Bank statements etc)
10. Academic records like certificates
11. Police clearance certificate
12. Work record like pay slips, tax returns
13. Evidence of your relationship with your spouse like a marriage relationship
14. Evidence of relationship with your children
15. Guardian and Welfare arrangements evidence for under 18’s

The list given above covers all the major documents you may need for the student visa application. You may need to provide less or more documents when lodging a students visa application depending on your individual circumstances. Make sure to get these documents attested or certified before submission. If the documents are not in English then you will need to get it translated to English.

Do not provide any false, misleading information to the immigration as if they catch that, you might be banned from applying for any visa for Australia. This may also affect your visa application for other countries as well.

Step 5: Student Visa Application

You will need to complete all the required documents and submit the application with the applicable fees. The current visa fee is $575 but it usually changes every year. So it is a good idea to confirm that with the Australian immigration’s website.

The application can be submitted online or using paper format. The application can be done by yourself or by your consultants or agent. You must submit your application at least 12 weeks before the course start date.

Once lodged, it can take a few days to weeks to get the visa. On average it may take up to 4 weeks to get a visa but it might even take longer time depending on a few factors. The Australian government will issue you a Transaction Reference Number (TRN) once they receive the completed application. TRN will help you track the progress of your application.

If immigration requires more information or documents then they will notify you and you will need to get back to them with that within the given timeframes. As immigration department needs to verify that you are genuinely coming to Australia for study only, they can conduct an interview usually via telephone.

What kind of questions the department officers may ask?

The interview is usually conducted by trained officers and they may ask various types of questions but most of them will be related to verifying some of your details and intended purpose of traveling to Australia. The interview usually lasts around 10 to 15 mins. Some of the typical questions that the officer may ask are:

1. What is the purpose of traveling to Australia?
2. What qualifications do you hold?
3. Why do you want to study in Australia?
4. Why you would not like to study a similar course in your home country?
5. Have you ever visited Australia before?
6. Do you have any family or relatives living in Australia?
7. How did you find your study institution?
8. Why do you want to study at that specific institute?
9. Where is this institute located?
10. Please give more details about the course you are intending to study?
11. How this course will help your career?
12. What is the course start date and end date of the course?
13. What is the cost of the course?
14. What is the refund policy for this institute?
15. Who will sponsor your study?
16. What is your income or family income?
17. How you will ensure that you will go back home after studying in Australia?
18. What if your visa is refused?
19. What is OSHC (Overseas Students Health Cover)?
20. Why it is necessary for overseas students to take OSHC?

Step 6: Visa Outcomes

The immigration department will make final decisions on your application and will notify you or your nominated agent by email. If you have been granted a visa then you will need to start preparing for Australian arrival.

If unfortunately, your application is rejected by the immigration department then you may have a chance to appeal against the decision to Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). If you believe that your visa application was refused unfairly then you will need to prepare and present your case to AAT. This process can be challenging and you might need help from a lawyer who understands the Australian migration law well.

For most cases, students will need to re-apply for the student visa if they still intend to study in Australia.

Why your visa has been rejected

While there can be various reasons why immigration can refuse your visa but some of the most common reasons for refusing the student visas for Australia are:

1. Failing to provide the correct documents
2. Misleading, bogus or fraudulent information
3. Choosing a course that might not be relevant to the previous studies
4. Lack of research into the prospective institute
5. Unable to demonstrate the required funds for studying
6. No solid plans after studying in Australia
7. Failing the medical examination
8. Not satisfying the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirements

Well, we hope this guide gives you a complete picture of how to prepare for your student visa application better. We would love to hear your thoughts, experiences, and feedback on a student visa application in the comments below. 

Australia is not only a beautiful country but it presents many opportunities for the students who are willing to take their life to the next level. Studying in Australia can be a very rewarding experience for the students that is why many overseas students decide to choose Australia as a preferred study destination.

Here are 8 facts about studying in Australia:

1. Number of overseas students studying in Australia

As per the International Education Data released by the Department of Education and Training, approximately 640,362 (August 2018) international students are studying in Australia. The top five countries from where these international students come from are – China, India, Nepal, Malaysia, and Brazil.

2. Number of Institutions available for studying

Cricos keeps all the list of international education providers in Australia. According to our research and the data provided by the Study in Australia website, there are more 1,100 institutions that students can choose from when they decide to study in Australia. You can search these institutions on our super-fast search engine as well.

3. 3rd Most popular study destination

After the US and UK, Australia is the third most popular destination for international students to study in the world. Although, as per the research by the Times Higher Education, Australia is set to take over the UK as the second most popular destinations within a year. So, it is quite evident that many international students choose to study in Australia than in other countries.

4.Best Student Cities

QS Best student cities rate the world’s top cities for the international student to study. As per the rankings, 7 Australian cities makes it in the Top 100. So not only, Australian educational institutions rank in the top of the world, Australian cities are equally providing a high-class student experience.

5. Best University Rankings

QS World University Rankings also provides the list of the World’s top universities and 7 Australian universities makes it to the Top 100 as well. Here is the list for Top 7 universities that make it to the list in 2018. Please note the ranking changes every year so make sure to check the latest ranking when applying for the student visa. 

6. Number of courses available 

Again, Cricos keeps the records of all the courses available for the international students in Australia. As per the data collected, there are more than 23,000 courses available for overseas students to study in Australia.

Students can study from any types of courses like accounting, business, engineering, IT, hospitality, childcare, nursing, aged care, horticulture and many more. You can search pretty much all these courses on our super-fast search engine.  

7. Australian Government Scholarships

Australia Awards is an Australian Government’s initiative to help the students from the developing countries and provide them with support for tuition fee, accommodation, airfares, insurance, and other living expenses.

So far this year, the Australian Government has already provided $305 million worth of scholarships and financial aid to international students from over 55 developing countries. In this video, we explain on how to apply for this scholarship and study for Free in Australia.

8. Safety in Australia

As per the Global Peace Index, Australia is one of the safest and peaceful countries in the world, ranking at 13th in the list of 163 countries. The crime rate is generally very low and it is easy and safe for the students to travel around the cities even during the late nights.

And here is the Overall summary about studying in Australia

After learning about how to get a scholarship in Australia in the previous blog post. This blog post will focus on the comprehensive list of the government and university scholarships for international students in Australia.

Some of the benefits that international students can receive from these scholarships include:

• Tuition Fee Waiver or reduction in Tuition Fee
• Airfare expenses
• Establishment expenses
• Health Cover (Overseas Students Health Cover)
• Living Expenses
• Additional academic support
• Pre-course English fees
• Fieldwork costs (for research students)

Click on the links to learn more about the scholarships. Please note that these links will bring you directly to the scholarship page of the providers.

Australian Government Funded Scholarships

• Australia Awards
• Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship
• Destination Australia
• Australia APEC Women in Research Fellowship

Australian University Specific Scholarships (State/Territory)

ACT – (Australian Capital Territory)

• Australian National University
• University of Canberra
• Australian Catholic University

NSW – (New South Wales)

• Charles Sturt University
• Macquarie University
• Southern Cross University
• University of New England
• University of New South Wales
• University of Newcastle
• University of Sydney
• University of Technology, Sydney
• Western Sydney University
• University of Wollongong

NT – (Northern Territory)

• Charles Darwin University

QLD – (Queensland)

• Bond University
• CQ University
• Federation University of Australia
• Griffith University
• James Cook University
• Queensland University of Technology
• University of Queensland
• University of Southern Queensland
• University of the Sunshine Coast

SA – (South Australia)

• Carnegie Mellon University
• Flinders University
• Torrens University Australia
• University of Adelaide
• University of South Australia

TAS – (Tasmania)

• University of Tasmania

VIC -(Victoria)

• Deakin University
• La Trobe University
• Monash University
• RMIT University
• University of Divinity
• University of Melbourne
• Victoria University

WA – (Western Australia)

• Curtin University
• Edith Cowan University
• Murdoch University
• University of Notre Dame Australia
• University of Western Australia

Did you find the relevant scholarship for yourself through these links? Let us know in the comments section. If you find any links that are broken or not working then you can get in touch with us via the contact form on our website.

One of the key questions that we get asked quite often by international students community is “How to get a scholarship to study in Australia?”

Did you know that your tuition fees, health cover (OSHC), airfares and living expenses can be paid as scholarships if you are eligible to apply? It’s not a dream but a reality that many students who apply for studying in Australia live.

In 2018 itself, the Australian government has given scholarships worth $320 million to students coming from over 60 developing countries.

Getting a scholarship is not only rewarding for your career but also helps in paying your expenses which may also mean that you may not have to work and you can focus more on your studies.

But getting a scholarship requires planning and preparation in advance. Here are some steps that we suggest you follow if you are interested in knowing how to get a scholarship to study in Australia.

Step 1 – Research

Research yourself about the college/ university and lookup for scholarships page of the website to find the currently available scholarships for the international students.

Scholarships are offered not only by the Australian government but also by universities, colleges, international organisations, and your home country governments as well. So make sure to research all your scholarship options before applying for study in Australia.

Also, make sure to select the criteria that meet international students only as lots of universities will have scholarships available for local students only. So filter out all the scholarships that do not meet requirements for international students

Step 2 – Check your eligibility

There are many factors that will play an important role when applying for a scholarship. There is also no rule of Thumb that these are the only factors that play a role in scoring a scholarship or not. Some of the factors that might impact your eligibility includes:

• Your academic record
• Your TOEFL or IELTS or PTE scores
• Your country of origin
• Your financial situation
• Area of Study

While some of the scholarships are easy to apply, many of them that will require students to submit lots of documents before applying for a scholarships. So it is better to check your eligibility as it will save you and others lots of time.

Step 3 – Ask your student agent or councilor

Ask your study agent or Councillor about the possible scholarship in your preferred institution/s. Most of the students like to apply their visa through a registered migration agent or study councilor.

It is advisable to ask them before they apply for your offer letter for a particular university or college as most of the institutions like to offer scholarships at that particular point of your application. You can apply for multiple scholarships at the same time, so don’t miss an opportunity there.

The secret here is to apply for as many scholarships as you can as there is no limit to how many institutions or scholarships you can apply.  Also, ask if there is a possibility of getting even a reduction in fee as some universities will assess all international students for some scholarships.

Step 4 – Australia Awards Website

Lookup for Australia Awards website, an Australian Government scholarship for the students in need and see if your country has eligibility for applying for an Australian Government sponsored scholarship. Also lookup for the opening and closing dates and how to apply for the scholarship.

You will need to make yourself familiar with the Scholarships Policy Handbook. After finding that information, you will need to apply for the scholarship online at https://oasis.dfat.gov.au/. If you can’t submit your application online then you can also submit the application in a hard copy via mail.

Please note: If you apply for the Apply for Australia Award, you will need to return back home after studies and students who are intending to migrate permanently can’t apply for this scholarship.

Step 5 – Ask for help

It is vital that your scholarship application is free from any spelling errors, grammar mistakes, lack of details or bad presentation. So if you are unsure, always ask someone who can have a final look at the scholarship application before applying.

If possible, ask your student agent or councillor, teachers or anyone who has a good command over the English language to check all the details like spellings, grammar, punctuation and the application details including word limits.

To help you with this, we have prepared a handy checklist for scholarship application here:

Step 6 – Don’t give up

Even if you didn’t get any scholarship at your application or offer letter, don’t be discouraged. Lots of universities and colleges in Australia also provide scholarships if you do well in the first and the second term of your studies.

So make sure to do your best in your studies and find out if your prospective university or institution has such arrangements.

We hope these tips help you in scoring an Australian scholarship for your studies. Let us know in the comments about your experience with the scholarship experience. Also, we suggest you should check the list of all scholarships available to international students in our next blog.