All about Student Visa for Australia

Under GTE requirement, Student must satisfy the condition that he has a genuine intention to stay in Australia temporarily. Profile of Student and Statement of Purpose / GTE Statement is a key to fulfil the GTE Criteria. The GTE requirement applies to all Australian student visa applicants.

When assessing the GTE requirement, DIBP / DHA (Department of Home Affairs Australia) will consider the requirements set out in direction number 69. To assess this, they will consider:

• Circumstances of Student (Education, Family Income, Employment etc…)
• Visa / Immigration history of Student.
• Any other relevant matter.

DHA / DIBP use GTE requirement to identify student visa applicants who are using the student visa for motives other than gaining a quality education. The requirement is not designed to exclude students who, after studying in Australia, go on to develop the skills required by the Australian labour market and apply to become permanent residents.

The officer assessing the visa will consider whether the individual circumstances of the student indicates that their intention is for a temporary stay in Australia. The genuine temporary entrant (GTE) requirement is an integrity measure to ensure that the student visa programme is used as intended and not as a way for international students to maintain ongoing residency in Australia.

For Example: If you have previous Australian Student visa refusal, Majority of Overseas Education consultant for Australia and Australian Universities will refuse to process your application. Similarly in your graduation, if you had too many Backlogs OR Poor education credentials, Majority of Overseas Education consultants and Australian Institutes will refuse to process your application.

For Indian Student applicants, Minimum 5.5 Band Required in IELTS OR Equivalent score in PTE/TOEFL. However, IELTS 6.0 Band is recommended for better learning outcome at University studies.

IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and Cambridge English: Advanced (Certificate in Advanced English) are Acceptable evidence of English language skills. The test must have been taken no more than two years before you apply for your student visa.

Majority of Indian students need to provide evidence of English language skills with Student visa application. If you do not provide evidence of your English language skills with your application or when asked by an officer, your student visa application could be refused.

Students need to have enough money that is genuinely available, to pay for course fees, and travel and living costs for student and accompanying family members while a student is in Australia. If the student does not provide this evidence of financial capacity with student visa application or when asked by an officer, Australian student visa application could be refused.

The student will be able to demonstrate this by providing one of the following:

• Option 1: Evidence of funds to cover travel to Australia and 12 months’ living, course and (for school-aged dependants) schooling costs for the student and accompanying family members
• Option 2: evidence that you meet the annual income requirement

Majority of Indian student demonstrate their Financial capacity by providing Evidence of funds for the first 12 months of study. You need to have evidence of funds to cover travel to Australia and 12 months’ living, course and (for school-aged dependants) schooling costs for the student and accompanying family members.

The 12-month living cost is:

• Student: AUD 20,290
• Partner/Spouse: AUD 7,100
• Child: AUD 3,040

Travel Cost: About 2,000 A$

Schooling costs for your children:

Where school-aged children are included in your student visa application, schooling costs of at least AUD 8,000 per year for each child will need to be added to the amount of funds required. You are responsible for researching schooling costs, which vary between states, territories and schools in Australia.

For Example:

Mr. Ruchit is a single student going for Bachelor of IT of 3 years having fees of 28,000 A$ per year. He needs to show fund: 28,000 A$ (Fees for 1 year) +20,290 A$ (Living cost for 1 year) + 2000 A$ (Travel cost)

Mr. Rakesh shah is a Married student going for Master of Professional accounting of 2 years duration having fees of 26,000 A$. He needs to show fund: 26,000 A$. (Fees for 1 year) +20,290 A$ (Living cost for students – 1 year) +7,100 A$ (Living cost for Dependent – 1 year) + 2000 A$ (Travel cost for Student)+ 2000 A$ (Travel cost for Dependent)

Mr. Vijay Panchal is Married student with one children of 1.5 years going for Master of Business of 2 years duration having fees of 27,000 A$. He needs to show fund: 27,000 A$. +20,290 A$ +7,100 A$ +3,040 A$ + 2000 A$ + 2000 A$+ 2000 A$

Mrs. Pooja shah is Married student going for Master of Professional accounting having fees of 25,000 A$. But she is applying for a student visa for herself only. Her Husband is not accompanying her. She needs to show fund: 25,000 A$. +20,290 A$ + 2000 A$

Note: Please deduct any prepaid tuition fees amounts to get the actual amount of Fund required for the Australian Student visa.

Acceptable Evidence to fulfil financial requirements of Australian student visa includes:

• Money deposit with a financial institution (Bank Balance, FD etc…)
• A loan with a financial institution
• If you have money in Post office, PF/PPF, Co-operative Bank etc then Transfer fund to a Valid bank and keep proof of source of fund(Post office, PF/PPF, Co-operative Bank etc…)
• Government loans; and
• Scholarship or financial support

Genuine access to funds

You and your accompanying family members must be able to access the funds shown while you are in Australia. When considering whether the funds will be genuinely available, DIBP will take into account:

• the nature of the relationship between you and the person who is providing the funds, where applicable
• your income, assets and employment or those of the person providing the funds
• Your previous visa history and that of the person providing the funds.

Note: Relationship of a student with Person having a fund and Acceptable source of Fund is most important for Australian Student visa

The annual income option requires a student to provide evidence of personal annual income of at least AUD 60,000. For students accompanied by family members, the requirement is at least AUD 70,000. The income demonstrated must be the personal income of your spouse (who is not coming with you) or parents. Where both of your parents are working, their combined income can be considered for this requirement. Evidence must be in the form of official government documents such as tax assessments. Evidence in the form of bank statements or information directly from an employer is not acceptable.

As per our experience, only few Indian students are demonstrating their financial capacity by following way. So we are not discussing it here and you can find more information on DIBP website for the same:

• an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Students (AASES) form (secondary exchange students only)
• A letter of support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Department of Defence.

You must be enrolled in a course of study that is registered on the CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and courses for Overseas for Overseas Students). If you are applying from outside Australia, you must include a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for each intended course of study with your Student visa application. A letter of offer from your education provider will not be accepted.

You must have adequate health insurance while in Australia. Students can show this by obtaining Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) which provides medical and hospital insurance. You can select an approved OSHC provider and pay for the policy yourself. Some education providers and Education agents might offer to arrange OSHC for you.

If your education provider OR Education agent arranges your OSHC coverage, you will need to know the name of your health insurance provider, the date that your policy starts and finishes and should be aware of the terms and conditions of your policy. If you arrange OSHC coverage yourself you will also need to know the policy number to include in the Student Visa application.

You must meet the health requirements. All Indian students need to undergo health examinations as part of the Student Visa application process. The health assessment process can take several weeks to complete. To help avoid delays, you can choose to undertake your health examination prior to lodging your Student Visa application. More information is available on my health declarations section on DIBP website.

Everyone who wants to enter Australia must be of good character and will be assessed against the character requirements. You must answer a number of character related questions on your Student Visa application form and the information you provide will be used to assess your character. You might be asked for more information. More information is available about Character requirements on DIBP website.

• If you want to change to a new course at the same institution you are currently studying and at the same level of qualification, you do not need to apply for a new student visa unless your current visa is about to expire.
• On 1 July 2016, a new condition was introduced requiring all Student visa (subclass 500) holders to maintain enrolment at the same level or a higher Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) level for which they were granted a visa, unless they are undertaking a doctoral degree (AQF10) and transfer to a master’s degree (AQF9). Transferring to a lower AQF level course or transferring from an AQF level course to a non-AQF Award course is a breach of the student visa condition and might result in the visa being cancelled. Students who want to change to a lower level course or non-award course must apply for, and be granted, a new student visa before they change their course. More information is available about changing courses on DIBP website
• Moreover Standard 7 of the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007 also applies to transfers between CRICOS registered providers. This standard restricts providers from enrolling transferring students prior to the student completing six months of his or her principal course of study, except for the circumstances outlined in the standard. So Student can’t change education provider prior to completing six months of his or her principal course of study. More information is available at the Department of Education and Training’s website.
• You and your family members can make a combined application or they can apply to join you later provided you declared them in your student visa application or they became a family member after the grant of your student visa (such as a newborn baby). You must have funds to support yourself and all accompanying family members already in Australia as well as those included in the current application.
• You need to organized appropriate welfare arrangements for the duration of your intended stay in Australia if you are under 18 years of age.
• Non-English documents must be translated into English.
• Provide certified copies of your documents.
  Submit all documents with your application or your application could be refused or a decision on your visa could be delayed

All charges shown Above are in Australian Dollars (AUD).

Australian Student Visa processing times vary so Where possible we recommend applying for your visa as soon as you have received your CoE. At Competitive Careers Pvt Ltd, Some student got Auto Grant (Student Visa). Means they Got Student visas immediately after lodging their student visa file. In peak periods, Student visa processing can take longer time.

We have mentioned all details on this page about Australian Student Visa keeping in mind Indian students.

Documents Required for Availability of Fund

• Copy of Bank Balance statement / Certificate
• Copy of Bank Fixed Deposits
• Education Loan letter
• Loan Against Property | Mortgage Loan letter
• Disbursement of Loan (If Possible)

Following is not acceptable assets but used against loan OR Can Transfer into Valid Bank to Calculate it as Valid Fund

• Funds in  co-operative and other banks (Not approved by Australian High Commission)
• NSC/ KVP / IVP , LIC, Shares / Bonds / Debentures, Deposits with companies
• House, Land, Factory, Gold, Shop, Office.
• Money in Post Office Accounts
• Public Provident Funds (ONLY Withdrawable Amounts)
• Group Provident Funds (GPF) (Only Applicant’s Parents)
• PF/Employee Provident Fund – Only Withdrawable amount

Note: If have money in above sources For example Post office, PF/PPF, Co-operative Bank etc then Transfer fund to Valid bank and keep proof of source (Post office, PF/PPF, Co-operative Bank etc…)

Income Documents of person having a Fund

Relationship proof and Identity proof of Sponsors.

For the applicant:

• Passport, Recent Color Photos (45×35) against a white Background, Visa Fees A$ 550
• Score card of IELTS
• All Mark sheets & Certificates (10th, 12th, L.C., Diploma, Graduation, Masters, PhD.)
• Certificate for Outstanding performance in study, sports, arts, research, science etc.
• Work-experience Documents (if applicable)
• Statement of Purpose
• Student Affidavit, Sponsor Affidavit, Relationship Proof

For dependants:

• Passport (The Name of Spouse should be there) , Photos (45×35)
• Marriage certificate, Marriage Photos
• Mark sheets & Certificates (Graduation, Masters, PhD.)
• Spouse Visa Fees A$ 410
• Birth Certificate and Passport of Children. Photos (45×35)
• Additional applicant charge under 18: A$135

Should you require to discuss more about student visa for Australia, please do not hesitate to book a consultation with us or give us a call on 07927582567, 07927582566.