What is the application process for study in Australia?
Send enquiries at least 12 months before the proposed date of admission. There are two ways to get application forms.
1. Requesting Application Forms via email: You can request application forms from the universities website. Most universities have a form on their website which can be completed online to request application material.
2. Downloading from the university website: Many universities have a downloadable and ready to print versions of their application forms on the net. These can be used for applying just as regular forms.
3. Getting applications from University Representatives: You can also get the application forms from many authorized representatives of Australian Universities in your country.
What is the eligibility criterion to study in Australia?
Most Australian universities accept the graduation system of three years for entry into most postgraduate courses. An Indian bachelor degree like B.A., B.Com. Or B.Sc. (ordinary) is equivalent to an Australian Bachelor (Ordinary) Degree.
However, some courses and universities may require a qualification equivalent to Australian Bachelor (Honours) Degree, which requires either a honours graduation degree like B.A. (H), B.Comm (H) etc or 16 years of formal education, which would mean another year after graduation or a four year degree course like B.E., B.Tech and other such courses.
For most Universities, a good first degree from a leading university in India or its equivalent is essential.
What academic records would I be required to produce for my study in Australia?
Full details of your education including your course subjects and grades are required in the applications. Transcripts or official records of your previous academic qualifications are crucial for your application.
Standard X Mark sheet
Standard XII Mark sheet
Bachelor Degree / Provisional Certificate with mark lists
Students applying for admission are required to submit an official transcript from each college or university that they have attended after secondary school with complete details of the subjects, credits involved and other details like correspondence courses, diplomas etc. If the originals are not in English, copies and a good English translation must be enclosed. Please ensure all the copies of these documents are attested.
What are the standardized tests that Australia Universities could ask for?
English Proficiency
IELTS : For most courses and universities, International students are required to take IELTS (International English Language Test) which is regularly administered by the British Council. Some universities may accept TOEFL as an alternative.
TOEFL: This test is conducted by ETS for International students applying to a University abroad. This is accepted by most Australian universities
Letter from Institution: Some Universities may waive IELTS/TOEFL if you can get a letter from institution that you have last studied in mentioning that you have been studying in English medium throughout and they are convinced that you are proficient in English.
Other Tests
GMAT : For most management courses, International students are required to take GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test).
Important Note:
1) IELTS is compulsory for Australian visa for residents of many countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
2) Most Australian Universities do not require the GRE for admission to post graduate courses. However it is advisable to enclose a copy of your score sheet if you have done well in the test
What is a work history resume?
A number of professional and vocational courses require relevant work experience. For instance, many MBAs or master's courses in information studies require at least a couple of years work experience. Most Australian universities are pretty strict about this.
A detailed R sum is an important part of your application. It should include all information of professional work experience along with the details like positions held, achievements and range of work.
What is a letter of recommendation?
Letters of reference or recommendation letters play a very important part in your admission especially in courses that earn you a master's or doctoral degree. A recommendation letter is a signed statement from a person who knows you well professionally or has taught you in a subject that is related to the course you are applying to. It should list your positive and negative qualities, strengths and other such information.
The author or teacher must indicate his position, how long he/she has known the applicant and in what capacity. He/she should briefly discuss the need, importance and usefulness of the study the applicant proposes to undertake. Authors are usually asked to rank applicants in their letters of recommendation, which helps admission officers to interpret the academic credentials of foreign students. Students should obtain letters of recommendation (often on the prescribed forms sent by the institutions) from teachers who know them as a person as well as a student. You may like to request your author to give concrete examples that may show your qualities and help your case.
Many universities have their own format and questions that have to be answered by the person who is giving the letter of recommendation on your behalf. Letters, which do not give enough information, can jeopardize a candidate's chances of selection.
What is a statement of proposal?
The personal essays, and/or statement of purpose, also play a very important role in the process of evaluating your application for both admission as well as financial aid because it gives the faculty assessing your application their most significant impression of you as an individual.
A personal statement should include reasons for choosing this particular course, your area of interest, the suitability of your education and experiential background for this course and your personal and present future goals.
What is a research proposal?
In addition to the above requirements, students applying for a postgraduate research program must also submit the following documents:
Detailed research proposal
Abstracts, research publications etc
The admission committee may also require special recommendation letters from professors of the academic institution where you last studied.
On what criteria will my pre visa application be assessed?
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).
What is the level of English proficiency required in Australia?
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.
What happens once I have met the pre visa assessements?
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.
What is the total processing time for an Australia Student Visa?
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.
How important is health insurance to study in Australia?
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.
Does an Australian student visa have multiple entry facility?
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.
How much does it approximately cost to study in Australia?
This depends on the course, duration, the university , location . While MBAs range from A$ 18,000 to A$ 54,000 , Science and Engineering courses are from A$15,000 to A$21,000 p.a. Living expenses range from A$10,000 to A$15,000 p.a depending on individual lifestyles., while A$ 12,000 is the estimate for visa purpose. You can take a bank loan to finance your education.
Am I allowed to work while I am studying in Australia?
As a student you are legally permitted to work twenty hours a week during semester and full time during vacation. It can be on-campus or off-campus. Once you enroll at the institution in Australia you will have to apply for a work permit to DIMA with a letter from your institute as proof of enrolment. It is however important to balance work and study.
Are there any scholarships available?
There are some government-funded scholarships like the IPRS (International Postgraduate Research Scholarship) as well as some available at specific institutions under certain Faculties. Most Australian universities offer scholarships to international students for attracting high quality researchers. An honours (4 year degree) with research experience is a must. A few scholarships for coursework programs and undergraduate courses are also offered. However, it must be noted that the number of scholarships available for international students is limited and the competition for awards, intense. No country specific quotas applicable.
