It can be a complicated and confusing process to understand everything needed to successfully apply for a student visa. It’s a big process after all! To save you time and make sure you’ve got the right documents ready to go, we’ve put together a guide of useful information to keep you on track.
When applying for an Australian Student Visa, there are some guidelines provided by ABF (Australian Border Force). Visit https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1 → Choose Student and click on Next → Then click on Student Visa (subclass 500) Here you can find all the eligibility requirements for this visa. Subclass 500 allows you to stay in Australia for up to five years provided you are studying full-time in a recognised education institution like New Horizons.
This tool is available on the Visa Subclass 500 page. With this tool you can choose your country of passport and then choose your education provider, by either name or school’s CRICOS number, and then the options that suits you the best, i.e. none of the above (all other students). Then click on “Display Evidence”. With this, you will be able to see the documents that you need to provide with your visa application, but always keep in mind that the consulate you apply to may request additional documents.
A common reason international student miss out on a student visa is because of the GTE requirements (genuine temporary entrant requirements). You can find details on these requirements here: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/stud/more/genuine-temporary-entrant As outlined on this page students are encouraged to provide evidence and information on areas like previous study, gaps in previous study, current employment, ties to home country or country of residence and economic circumstances in home country or the country of residence.
To make sure you’ll be able to support yourself in Australia, evidence of financial capacity will be an important part of your application. You can find detailed information on Student Visa financial capacity requirements here: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/stud/more/student-visa-living-costs-and-evidence-of-funds
English test scores are also key in successfully applying for a visa. While Australia is a multicultural country and you will have no problem finding people who speak your language, it’s important that you can speak with instructors, other students and Australian locals. Requirements of these test scores can be found here: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/supporting/Pages/500/English-test-score.aspx
Last but not least on our list of things to keep in mind is your OSHC or Overseas Student Health Cover. All student visa holders must have an OSHC which provides medical and hospital insurance in Australia. You must not arrive in Australia before your health insurance starts. If you are in Australia and do not have adequate health insurance, you are in breach of your visa conditions and may not be allowed to continue your stay. You can find details on OSHC here: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/supporting/Pages/500/Overseas-Student-Health-Cover.aspx
