Study in Australia

What is an Australian Study Visa?

An Australian study visa is a temporary visa, that enables you to remain in Australia for the duration of your study.

Guidelines issued as per the notification and w.e.f. July 1, 2016, for the Australian Student Visa, have changed, and a Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) has been initiated.

According to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, all international students planning to study in Australia are now required to apply for a visa under Subclass 500 and this effectively combines the erstwhile subclasses 571 – 576 into one.

Upcoming Intakes in Australia

Australian universities have two intakes every year:

Intake 1: Extends from February/early March to late May/early June
Intake 2: Extends from July/early August through to November

The first intake is usually treated as the main intake by most Indian students. The best thing to do is to prepare for the next upcoming intake.

Top 20 Universities in Australia 2022

Australia ranks as per the following among the Top 500 universities in the world, according to the QS World University Rankings 2020,

Rank in 2020	University
29	Australian National University (ANU)
38	The University of Melbourne
42	The University of Sydney
43	The University of New South Wales (UNSW)
47	The University of Queensland (UQ)
58	Monash University
86	The University of Western Australia (UWA)
106	The University of Adelaide
140	University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
207	University of Newcastle
212	University of Wollongong
224	Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
230	Curtin University
237	Macquarie University
238	RMIT University
271	Deakin University
274	University of South Australia (UniSA)
291	University of Tasmania
377	James Cook University (JCU)
383	Swinburne University of Technology
400	La Trobe University
424	Flinders University
442	Bond University
484	University of Canberra

Documentary Proof Required for an Australia Study Visa

You will generally need the following basic documents while applying for an Australia Student Visa.

The Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment as proof of admission into a college or university.
A valid passport.
Your visa application fee.
Your GTE (Genuine Temporary Entrant) statement.
Academic and work experience documents.
Evidence of financial ability to meet expenses like tuition fees, living expenses, living costs for dependents, and return airfare.
Details of OSHC health insurance policy.
Statement of purpose.
Passport-size photographs.

You will also be required to provide additional documents like parental consent if you are under 18 years of age.

Application Process: Study in Australia in 3 Simple Steps!

Step 1

You have to make sure that you meet all the requirements before you fill up the visa application.

To fulfil the requirements, you would need to :

Meet Australian study requirements: You have to be enrolled in a full-time course ( undergraduate, masters or Phd) to be able to apply for a student visa. The course must be registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses. for Overseas Students (CRICOS). The university will provide an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) certificate which will serve as proof of enrolment.
Meet Language Requirements: Authorities need to know that you have adequate language abilities. You can display this by taking a language proficiency test. The following tests scores are acceptable:
- International English Language testing system (IELTS) : 5.5-6
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) : 46
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) : 42
- Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) : 162
- Occupational English Test (OET) : A ‘b’ for each test component
Have a Genuine Temporary Entrant (gte) statement: This will state that your only intention is to study in Australia, and that you plan on returning.
Have adequate health insurance: In the event of something happening to your health in Australia, the authorities need to know that you will be able to pay your own healthcare bills. You usually have to purchase an Overseas Student Health Cover to prove this.
Meet health requirements: You must be in reasonably good health, and have no major illnesses that show up during medical tests.
Meet character requirements: You are only eligible to apply for a study visa if you do not have a criminal or terrorist background. You must have a clean record.

Step 2

You will need to get your certificate of Enrolment for this step. You may be asked to pay a portion of your tuition fees to get this certificate.
You may also be asked to purchase an Overseas Student Health Cover so that authorities can be sure your health and its expenses will be taken care of.

Step 3

Create a profile: On the Australian Immigration Website. You will need to have scanned copies of your documents on hand.
Fill in your visa application: The application can be filled up to 124 days before the commencement of your course and not before that.
After you have successfully filled in your application and uploaded the documents, you have to pay the visa fees.
Following this, you will receive a Transaction Reference Number which you can use to check to see where your application stands.

Cost/Fee Requirements for an Australia Study Visa

International students are required to pay visa fees as per the category they fall in below.

Visa Subclass	Base Application Charge	Additional Applicant Charges if 18 Years or Above	Additional Applicant Charges if Less Than 18 Years	The Subsequent Temporary Applicant Charge
Student Visa (Subclass 500)	AUD 620	AUD 460	AUD 150	AUD 700
Student Visa (Subclass 500) (Subsequent Entrant)	AUD 620	AUD 460	AUD 150	AUD 700
Student Visa (Subclass 500) Foreign Affairs or Defense Sector	Nil	Nil	Nil	Nil
Student Visa (Subclass 500) Postgraduate Research Sector	AUD 620	Nil	Nil	Nil

Average Tuition Fees & Course Costs for Indian Students

These are the average tuition fees per year for international students according to the official government site.

International Undergraduate Students – AUD 15,000 to AUD 33,000
International Postgraduate Students (Masters Degree) – AUD 20,000 to AUD 37,000
Doctoral Degree – AUD 14,000 to AUD 37,000

These figures however do not include high-value courses like medical degrees or veterinary science. They cost significantly more.

Australian Student Visa Processing Time 2022

Usually the student visa Australia is processed within a month, however, the maximum time it could take is 3 months.

However, Simplified Student Visa Framework (SSVF) streamlines the visa processing time. Processing Time for Student Visa is:

Stream	75% Processing	90% Processing
Foreign Affairs or Defense Sector	20 days	26 days
Postgraduate Research Sector	39 days	77 days
Independent ELICOS Sector	23 days	38 days
Vocational Education and Training Sector	36 days	52 days
Higher Education Sector	17 days	32 days

Since the SSVF process has streamlined, the standard time taken is anywhere between 4 – 6 weeks. This also depends upon the education institution and outstanding documents can always be requested if required and desired by the visa officer.

The higher education provider in Australia will issue the Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE) that is essential in the Student Visa Program (SVP) procedure. The application is then sent to the Department of Home Affairs.

It is recommended that you apply for the student visa at least 12 weeks before the day of orientation at the educational institution.