The educational system in Australia is divided into a three-tier structure; Combining School education, vocational education & training, and higher education together. Most study programmes offered by Universities in Australia provide Courses and conduct research in a wide range of professional and academic disciplines. They award Associate Diplomas, Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral Degrees.

Student’s Visa in Australia

Types of Student’s Visa in Australia

If you intend to study for more than three months, you must apply for a Student‘s Visa. There are different types of Australian Student’s Visa you can choose from depending on the circumstance.

• School Students’ Visa (Subclass 571): Applies to those of you who intend to study in a primary or secondary School or are on Students   Exchange Programmes.
• Vocation Education and Training Students’ Visa (Subclass 572): Applies to Students pursuing a Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Certificate through a publicly funded Technical and Further Education College (TAFE) or a private College.
• Higher Education Student Visa (Subclass 573): Applies to those seeking a tertiary qualification from a University, such as a Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma, or a Graduate Certificate.
• Master’s and Doctorate Student’s Visa (Subclass 574): For a postgraduate qualification, such as a Masters or Doctorate Degree.
• Non-Award Foundation Student’s Visa (Subclass 575): For a foundation Course which does not include any formal educational pre-requisites and is one which will not lead to the award of a formal Degree or Diploma.
• Independent English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) Student’s Visa (Subclass 570): This student’s Visa applies to those Students intending to study only English. Students who are studying English as a pre-requisite to other Courses need to apply under the other Visa sub-class to which those courses relate.

Permission to work in Australia

As per the Australian Student’s Visa policy, all initial Student Visas granted do not give the Visa holder permission to work in Australia. Students who study abroad in Australia and their dependants will only be able to apply for a Student’s Visa with work rights after they arrive in Australia and the student has started his/her Course of study. Usually, under the regulations of Student’s Visa, Student’s and their dependents are limited to 20 hours of work per week while the Student’s Course of study or training is in session. Students may work full-time during holiday periods. However for Master’s and Doctorate Students, the dependents can have unlimited work rights after the principal Student’s  Visa holder has commenced his or her Course in Australia.

Conditions for applying for a Visa

As a Student Visa applicant, you must fulfill the following requirements:

• An Offer of Acceptance: Before a student can apply for a Student Visa, a valid offer letter from a CRICOS registered Australian institute is required.
• English Proficiency: An IELTS score is a mandatory requirement and evidence of this must be included at the time of application for the Student’s Visa. The TOEFL exam is not acceptable.
• Financial Capacity: Students’ visas are granted when a student can prove that they have adequate funds to support themselves in Australia, pay for their tuition and care for dependent family members included on the Visa.
• Work Permit Rules: As a Student in Australia, you will only have a limited working allowance on your studies.