Student Visa (Subclass 500)

Coronavirus and student visa:

During the travel ban, would there be any exemptions for students who have been unable to return to Australia and who have enrolled online courses to continue their academic progress?

The Department of Home Affairs has no role in approving modes of learning for international students and is guided by education regulators TEQSA and ASQA on whether online learning can be included towards a student’s course completion requirements.

You, as a visa application, must do the following:

• Receive official confirmation of your full-time enrollment from a reputable Australian school provider (predominantly on-line courses are not eligible).
• Plan on completing the required coursework in Australia.
• Without exception, possess a sufficient level of English language fluency.
• Be covered by OSHC for the duration of your planned stay in Australia.
• Support your return flights, tuition, and living expenses in Australia as well as any dependents you wish to bring along with you on your trip.

Your education provider, course of study and other personal circumstances will influence the amount of money you’ll need, which is determined by the Department of Home Affairs (DoHA). Please get in touch with us if you’d like to know more.

Application process:

An Australian education provider must first confirm your enrollment (CoE) and provide you with written confirmation of your enrollment before you may apply. Afterwards, we’ll prepare your visa application and submit it to the DoHA. Most important is to meet the standards outlined in this article, which will vary according to both your passport nationality and the educational institution’s requirements for admission. Health and moral standards are also necessary.

Once your visa has been approved by the DoHA, you may enter (or remain in) Australia to begin your course of study. For your first visa, you can only work 40 hours per week while studying, and you can only start working once your course has started. It is important to note that different work provisions apply to Masters and Doctoral level programmes in higher education research. The work allowance for any dependents listed on your application should be checked as well if applicable.

Please Note: To prepare and submit your application, we anticipate that it will take several weeks, depending on how quickly you (and your sponsor, if appropriate), submit the essential supporting material and documentation to us in a timely manner.

Processing times for DoHA applications are based on DoHA service standards and may also vary owing to a variety of other circumstances, such as your particular case’s difficulty and the DoHA’s perception of risk factors and processing priorities. Inquire with us for current information on expected processing times for this sort of application, if you have any questions.

English language test score:

A student visa application must be submitted no more than two years after taking the test.

You’ll need to have enough cash on hand to cover your course fees, as well as travel and living expenses for you and your family members while you’re in Australia, so make sure you’re prepared. Student visa funds can be calculated using our student visa funds calculator.

If you need to prove your financial capabilities, you can do so by submitting one of the following:

• Funding to cover the student’s and their family’s journey to Australia, as well as 12 months of living, course, and (if they have school-aged children) schooling expenses.
• Your annual income must be shown as proof.
• A Secondary Exchange Student Acceptance Advice Form (AASES) (secondary exchange students only).
• Support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of Defense is required.

Subsequent Entrants – The primary applicant’s family members who seek a visa after the primary applicant has been granted one must also present documentary proof of financial capacity. One of the alternatives listed above must be this one.

Packaged courses:

Student visa (subclass 500) holders can apply for two or more courses if there is a demonstrable progression from one course to the next. Course packing is the term used to describe this.

With your visa application, you must present a confirmation of enrollment (CoE) or explain that a CoE is not necessary for each course.

As part of your package of courses, you will complete your primary (or principal) course.
In order to assess your financial and English language evidence requirements, your primary course of study will be used.

GTE requirement:

It will be determined by the Department of Immigration if you are planning on staying in Australia for a short period of time as part of your student visa application (Genuine Temporary Entrant).

The following are examples of evidence that can be used to support our claim:

• A statement of intent.
• This is very significant, you may indicate your family’s financial status in your home nation through bank accounts, whether they own a business, a property or anything else like that.
• An affinity for one’s homeland (evidence of financial and personal ties to your home country, such as evidence of assets in the home country consistent with your family background, family or social ties that would provide sufficient inducement for them to return to the home country at the end of your studies). The names of your family members and any other social relationships you may have would be appreciated (friends, previous co-workers, etc.).
• The results of previous research (we have your accounting diploma).
• There is no evidence of job experience (please give employment proof for at least the prior three months).

Tax returns or financial accounts, proof of an employment offer upon your return to the United States within 12 months.

• A written statement from the applicant attesting to the necessity for (better) skills in the applicant’s employment or career prospects, whichever comes first.
• Professional or academic outcomes justifying the necessity to change career paths.

COVID-19 and student visa

Travel restrictions

Everyone with a visa must be aware of the existing travel limitations in place.

Extending student visa

Australian immigration law prohibits the extension of a student visa in Australia.

If any of the following applies to you:

• Your visa is about to expire and you can’t go home.
• In order to complete your course, you’ll need longer time in Australia.

Six weeks before your current Student visa expires, you should apply for a new Student visa to renew your current Student visa. When applying for a student visa, you do not need to submit evidence of COVID-19’s impact.

Visitor visa can be obtained if your study in Australia is coming to an end (subclass 600). As soon as your student visa expires, you must complete this task before it does.

Working in Australia

Course is ‘out of session’

If your course is declared “out of session,” you can work as many hours as you want. It is regarded that courses are “out of session” when there are scheduled breaks or when a student has completed their course on time.

Studying for a research masters or a PhD

If your course is declared “out of session,” you can work as many hours as you want. It is regarded that courses are “out of session” when there are scheduled breaks or when a student has completed their course on time.

Studying online

Any time your course is “in session”, whether it be in person or online, you cannot work more than 40 hours per fortnight. However, even when students study online, courses are deemed to be “in session” for the duration of stated semesters (including assessment periods).

Approved deferral of your course

A postponed course allows you to work more than 40 hours per fortnight.

Exemptions for some international students

A new set of rules applies to students with a student visa if they are:

• Already a nursing student.
• Selected supermarkets use.

Australian study requirements

To date, there are no regulations for mode of study that are enforced by the Department of Home Affairs (DoHA). For further information, contact your educational institution. For more information on flexible delivery, please see the joint TEQSA and ASQA statement.

You can find out which students are exempt from the travel limitations by looking at the National Code criteria for impacted students to do online studies.