Australian Student Visa

Your pre-visa application will be assessed on the basis of the following

criteria:

(i) Evidence of Enrolment

One of the important requirements for a student visa application is that you must be

accepted for enrolment, to undertake a course, by a Government registered

Australian education institution. This is verified by the advice of acceptance from the

Australian institution (commonly known as Letter of Offer), which is issued to a

student who has been offered enrolment in a full-time course. You should not pay

any part of the course tuition fee prior to the outcome of the PVA.

(ii) Financial Ability

Sponsor/s will have to provide documentary evidence of having cash assets

(immediately encashable assets like savings and fixed deposits in banks) held for

atleast 6 months prior to the pre-visa application date. For school applicants, funds

need to be held for 3 months prior to the pre-visa application date.

Who can be a Sponsor?

Sponsor/s can be the applicant, parents, grandparents, or spouse only (relatives like

brother /sister /uncle /aunt /cousin / family friend are not acceptable). School

applicants have no restriction on sponsor/s.

How much funds have to be shown?

For Masters and Doctorate Courses

Sponsors must provide evidence of cash assets for the first year tuition fee (as on

the letter of offer) and living expenses (assumed at A$ 12000 p.a.) and access to

additional funds (from acceptable sources) to meet the cost of the remainder of

study and stay in Australia.

Commercial loans from Banks and government loans are acceptable.

In case the applicant holds a partial scholarship from an Australian institution or an

institution in India (eg. Educational Trusts), funds to cover the remaining costs must

be provided as prescribed above.

Private corporate sponsorship is acceptable subject to certain conditions. However if

the company is a family owned business and if one/both parents are

directors/partners, it is treated as a parent sponsor.

Students with Dependants (Spouse/Children)

Costs could be expected to increase by atleast 35% if the student has a spouse, a

further 20% (plus an$ 8000 p.a. for school fees if the child is 5 years or older) if the

student has one child, a further 15% for each additional child plus school fees. The

above amounts apply irrespective of whether they will accompany the applicant.

Individual return travel costs need to be taken at a $ 1500 approx.

For Vocational Education and Training (VET), TAFE, Higher Education and

School courses

Sponsors must provide evidence of cash assets covering tuition fee and living

expenses of the entire duration of the proposed and pre-requisite course (including

foundation/ELICOS/Bridging program that precedes the main course).

(iii) English Proficiency

All students have to demonstrate a minimum level of proficiency, measured by an

IELTS overall band score of atleast 6.0, except those enrolling for a Diploma course

(VET) in which case 5.5 is acceptable. Please note that TOEFL score is not acceptable

and IELTS is compulsory even if the student has studied in English medium

institutions throughout his/her academic career.

(iv) Potential to breach visa conditions

This is an assessment of an individual's current circumstances done by the visa

officer by reviewing for example, the situation in your home country - your personal

and financial commitments that may prompt you to return to your home country.

(v) Other Relevant Matters

These include:

• Immigration links with Australia

• Usefulness of course for career development

• Satisfactory completion of year 12 / relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent.

• Strong links have to be established between past academic/work background and

study goals.

• Guardianship arrangements (if applicant is under 18 at the time of PVA

application)

4. Further Processing

If you are advised that you meet the PVA requirements, you will be asked to undergo

further processing. This includes payment of course tuition fee to the Australian

educational institution and a medical examination. It is essential that the student and

the accompanying dependent(s) meet the Australian Health requirements before a

visa may be granted. This involves a medical check and an x-ray for applicants over

16. Applicants will need to present an original valid passport to identify themselves

to the Doctor and Radiologist. In some cases medical results will be referred to

Australia and as this process takes 3 - 4 weeks, applicants will need to allow

additional time. Usually only medicals where the doctor or radiologist has detected

an abnormality will be referred to Australia. Applicants need to take into account

postage or courier times also.

5. Total processing time

As a general rule, applicants should allow a four (4) to six (6) week timeframe for

processing of applications.

Factors that may delay this processing time include:

• Medical referral to Australia and the need for any subsequent medical tests;

• Document verification including educational documents, employment references

and bank statements; and

• Applications which are incomplete and require the visa office to make contact with

the applicant or the applicant’s agent.

6. Health Insurance

It is compulsory for all international students to have Overseas Student Health Cover

(OSHC) for themselves and their dependents, where applicable, for the duration of

the visa. The. premium for. OSHC is only to be paid once the PVA requirements have

been met. The current premiums for OSHC are AUD274 for a single person and

AIJD54S for a whole family.

7. Re-entry into Australia

All Student Visas have a multiple entry facility for the full period of the visa. Students

who plan to travel out of, and return to, Australia at any time during their course are

advised to check that their visa is valid for return to Australia.