Australia is one of the best destinations in the world for foreign students to pursue higher educations. The country currently boasts eight universities in the top 100 universities in the world. Considering the number of universities and colleges that are now in Australia, students from all over the world aim to become a part of it. Considering that the number of students who apply each year for a spot in the universities and colleges in Australia has gone up a lot, the competition is undoubtedly tough.
Getting admission to a university in Australia can be relatively easy, but it depends on the academic prowess a student has got. Considering the number of options that are available under which a student can apply for a student visa, it could be considered easy to obtain an Australian student visa.
A student visa lets an individual stay in Australia for the duration of the study program, which is mostly up to five years and in line with the enrolment date. Upon obtainment, a student can participate in the desired study program. The student should hold an Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) or either fall under any of the exemption categories. A student can obtain an OSHC by finding an approved insurance provider in Australia and pay for the opted policy. This should usually cover the health insurance for the complete duration of stay in Australia.
The general requirements needed to apply for a student visa include:
- Proof of enrolment
- Valid Passport
- Visa Application Fee
- GTE Statement
- Academic Documents
- Work Experience Documents
- English Proficiency Skills Documents
- Health Insurance Policy Documents
- Statement of Purpose
- Passport-sized photographs
One of the most important factors that depend on gaining an Australian student visa is taking part in an English proficiency test and getting the minimum required marks. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the world’s most popular high-stakes English language proficiency test for study, work, and migration. The IELTS results are recognized by more than 10,000 organizations, including educational institutions, employers, professional associations, and governments, in 140 countries around the world.
When applying for more than one course, the visa application must consist of all the CoE codes, or else the student visa will only cover the period of stay for the specified CoE. An individual can apply for two or more courses. The gap between the commencement of the two courses should not exceed more than two months. An exception on the gap period is given when the first course ends by the end of the academic year, and the following course begins with the start of the upcoming academic year.
If an individual is accepted to a full-time study or training which is funded by the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade scholarship schemes, he or she should provide a letter of support as evidence of enrollment.
In order to become a Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE), an individual will be required to write a GTE statement. GTE statement is assessed to identify students who wish to apply for the student visa for reasons other than education, such as getting or maintaining ongoing residency in Australia. Hence, having a good and genuine GTE statement is of utmost importance.
Although ensuring that the requirements are fulfilled is relatively easy, there are also shortcomings that often happen, which results in a student failing to obtain a visa. Some of the factors that result in disapproval of visas are as follows.
- Failure to meet the GTE requirements is a common thing that occurs. Australia’s Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement operates as an integrity measure. Its basic point is to ensure that a student’s visa program is actually intended for study. The GTE test is a way for the government to siphon out applicants who are using the student visa program for motives ulterior to gaining a quality education in Australia.
- Failure to meet the required academic qualifications also results in visa disapproval. The English, In general, entry requirements for different levels of study include English language proficiency, an overseer equivalent of an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate when applying for undergraduate programs, or an undergraduate degree when applying for postgraduate program.
- As an international student, failure in demonstrating proof of genuine access to the required funds for the exchange program in Australia results in a disapproval of visa allocation.
- It is required to pass the relevant medical tests for an individual to obtain the student visa.
- Criminal records and police certificates for each country an applicant has lived in for more than twelve months will be asked for and failing to provide appropriate documents could shatter the hopes of obtaining a student visa.
Applying for a student visa in any country is a vigorous process. Ensuring that all the documents are available, all the exams are passed with appropriate grades, and being focused to communicate with the relevant authorities properly is a big ask. However, it not an insanely difficult task to complete all the necessary steps and successfully obtain an Australian student visa.
