Student visa requirements

To be granted a student visa you must satisfy the visa requirements and comply with a number of visa conditions for attendance and academic performance which come into effect after you have entered Australia. Your student visa will list the conditions that apply specifically to you. It is important to comply with your visa conditions to avoid visa cancellation.

Student visa information on this website is an outline only and subject to change. For more detailed, accurate and up-to-date information on student visas and visa requirements please check the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website.

The student visa has seven separate sub-classes for each education sector. You should apply under the visa sub-class for your principal course of study. Please note from 1 July 2004 there will be changes to some of these subclasses.

Student visa sub-classes
Subclass 570	Independent ELICOS
for international students undertaking ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) as a stand-alone course, and not as a prerequisite to commencing another course (for example, a degree course).
Subclass 571	Schools
for international students undertaking a course of study at a primary school or a secondary school, including both junior and senior secondary school, and an approved secondary exchange program.
Subclass 572	Vocational education and Training (VET) sector
covers Certificate I, II, III and IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma.
Subclass 573	Higher education
covers a Bachelor degree, Associate Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and masters by coure work.
Subclass 574	Postgraduate Research
covers a Masters degree by research and Doctoral degrees.
Subclass 575	Non-award.
covers foundation, bridging or other courses that do not lead to the award of a degree, diploma or other formal award.
Subclass 576	AusAID or Defence sponsored
covers full-time study undertaken by AusAID or Defence students sponsored by the Australian Government.

General requirements

(Check 'Applying for a Student Visa' on Form 1160i)

you are of good character

you are of sound health

you have acceptable health insurance through the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for yourself and members of your family unit accompanying you to Australia

you have no outstanding debts to the Commonwealth of Australia, or have made arrangements acceptable to the Minister to repay such a debt

where you are under 18 years of age, acceptable arrangements for your accommodation, support and general welfare are in place

Offer of a place in a course and confirmation of enrolment

(Check 'Applying for a Student Visa' on Form 1160i)

If you are applying outside Australia and your visa application will be assessed at Assessment Level 3, 4 or 5, you should provide:

an ‘offer of a place in a course’ letter from your Australian education provider at the time you lodge your application; and an electronic confirmation of enrolment certificate issued by your education provider after you lodge your application if you are requested by the Australian overseas mission to do so.

This process allows a preliminary or Pre-Visa Assessment to be made on your application to see if you are genuinely seeking to enter Australia for the purpose of study. If you are applying outside Australia in Assessment Level 1 or 2, or in Australia in any Assessment Level, an electronic confirmation of enrolment certificate (CoE) is required before you lodge your application and a copy is to be provided with your application. Note: A letter of offer is acceptable where a client lodges an application within Australia, but they must have a CoE for grant of a student visa application.

Student visa conditions

you must satisfy attendance and course requirements and maintain a valid enrolment for your course

you must not work unless you have been granted permission to do so

you must maintain your Overseas Student Health (OSHC) cover while in Australia

you must leave Australia before your visa expires

you must remain with the education provider you originally enrolled with for the first six months of your course or, if the course is less than six months, for the duration of your course

you must advise your education provider of your residential address within seven days of your arrival in Australia and must advise any changes of address within seven days

if you change education provider you must inform your current education provider within seven days of issue of an eCoE

if you are an unaccompanied student applicant under 18 years of age you must obtain written approval of your education provider before you change your address, support and welfare arrangements in Australia. More detail about visa conditions can be found on the DIAC website.

Visa application forms
Application for a student (temporary) visa	Form 157A
Application for an electronic student (temporary) visa	Form 157E
eligibility restricted to US Study Abroad, Norwegian and Swedish students over 18 years of age
Application for a student visa with permission to work	Form 157P
only to be lodged after you have arrived in Australia and commenced study in a registered course in Australia
Short Term Visitor/Tourist Visas - Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)	ETA

Visa information forms
Applying for a student visa	Form 1160i
Country Assessment Levels - Student Visa Processing (you should read this document together with form 1160i)
Charges (fees)	Form 990i
Student Dependant Nomination	Form 991
Guradian Visa forms	Form 157G Form 157N
Health requirements for temporary entrants	Form 1163i
Making and processing visa applications	Form 1025i
Bridging visas	Form 1024i
Short Term Visitor/Tourist Visas - Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)	ETA

Assessment levels for student visas

Each student visa application is assessed according to an assessment level. The assessment level is determined by the passport held and visa subclass applied for.

The assessment levels relate generally to how likely students are to comply with their visa conditions, based on previous students’ behaviour. Assessment level 1 represents the lowest assessment level and assessment level 5 the highest.

The higher the assessment level, the more evidence you will need to provide to demonstrate your financial capacity, understanding of the English language and other relevant matters.

You can find out your assessment level by looking up your nationality and visa subclass applied for in Form 1219i, Overseas Student Program - Assessment Levels or by visiting the DIAC website.

Important: if you have an assessment level 2, 3, 4 or 5, then you must make your first student visa application while you are outside Australia.

Evidentiary requirements

your capacity to cover the cost of air fares, course fees and living costs for the duration of your stay in Australia

your capacity to cover the costs of air fares, living costs and school tuition costs for your family unit members for the duration of your stay in Australia.

your level of English Language Proficiency in relation to that required for your assessment level and education sector of study

the situation in your home country e.g. personal or financial commitments that may prompt you to return to your home country

your academic record and history in the context of the course you intend to study

your immigration history e.g. previous compliance with immigration laws and whether you have previously applied for entry to Australia

whether your proposed course of study is what you might reasonably have chosen given your circumstances

whether your proposed course is consistent with, and appropriate to, your current level of education More information on evidentiary requirements can be found on the DIAC website.

Preliminary Assessment

A preliminary assessment will determine your eligibility for a student visa and is necessary if your country is at Assessment Level 3, 4 or 5. You will need to provide an ‘Offer of a place in a course’ letter from your education provider to the visa processing office. This letter should indicate your proposed entry level, name of course, CRICOS course and provider codes, proposed start and end dates and the full tuition fees for the course. When your application is received, the visa processing office will undertake a preliminary assessment of your ability to meet the student visa requirements applicable to you. If the assessment is favourable, the office will issue you a letter to give to your education provider authorising them to issue you with an eCoE certificate. You will be also advised to pay the tuition fees and OSHC premium, and undergo medical tests. The student visa will be granted when the Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) and all other requirements are satisfied.

Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment

An Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) is issued by your Australian education provider and is the only accepted evidence of enrolment for processing student visa applications. Depending on your country of nationality and your principal course of study you may have to undergo a preliminary assessment (see above) before an institution issues an eCoE. The institution will advise you of its requirements but generally it will require payment of at least one semester of course fees before issuing an eCoE. A copy of your eCoE must be submitted to your local DIAC office before a student visa can be issued.

Information collected through the eCoE process includes the student visa application, visa grant and visa compliance data from a student's arrival in Australia and course commencement through to their departure from Australia.