Studying in Australia

Overview - Australian Study Visa

The Australian Government operates an overseas student program (OSP) designed to encourage and regulate the entry of overseas (international) students to undertake courses of study or training at Australian education institiutions.

Anyone who is not an Australian resident may apply to study in Australia under the OSP. There is no current age restriction to apply for a Student visa.

Overseas students can only study in Australian Institutions that are accredited by the government.

Registered courses include a wide range of full-fee award and non-award courses offered by primary, secondary and post-secondary institutions.

All registered courses are full time.

If you want to study under this program, you must obtain a student visa before you can commence a course of study in Australia .

To study in Australia, students must be accepted for enrolment in a registered course by a registered course provider and be granted a student visa. However, people in Australia on a visitor visa or other temporary visa are able to study for up to three months in Australia without having to apply for a student visa.

Australia presently has eight subclasses of student visas being:

Independent ELICOS sector visa
Schools sector visa
Vocational Education and training sector visa
Higher Education sector visa
Postgraduate research sector visa
Non-award sector visa
AusAID or Defence sector visa
Student Guardian visa

Overseas Student program applicants are subject to a certain assessment level ( AL ) depending on what passport they hold and what subclass of student visa they are applying for. The levels have been set based on statistical evidence of visa compliance by students from different countries, and within different educational sectors. Assessment level 1 is the lowest assessment level and assessment 5 is the highest. The higher an applicant's assessment level, the more evidence they will need to give to prove that they are a genuine student applicant.

Students wanting to study in Australia can apply for a student visa after they have received a letter of offer or electronic confirmation of enrolment (eCoE) in relation to one or more full-time courses of study. However, it is recommended that you do not enrol in your course or obtain an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) until you have been advised to do so by your local Australian Government office.

Generally, an international student is issued with a multiple entry visa for the duration of their study course in Australia. This allows travel backwards and forwards to Australia within the period for which it has been granted. Members of immediate family (spouse and unmarried dependent children under 18 years of age) may accompany the student to Australia and will be considered in the same visa class as the main applicant. It is possible to extend a student visa for further study but a new student visa application will need to be lodged.

For further details please call our Australian migration and visa expert ++44 (0)1753752444