Australia visa consulting
Study in Australia visa consulting
If you are going to study in Australia for a longer period of time you will need to apply for a student visa. Here we guide you through the application process.
If you are taking a short program, for example a language course, of maximum 12 weeks you can use a tourist visa. For all programs that are longer than 12 weeks you will need to apply for a Australian student visa. We encourage you to read below to understand the essentials.
Equator Education now offers Visa Guarantee (*Conditions apply). Call us to know more.
Before you can apply for a student visa to Australia you must be enrolled at an Australian school. After you have received an offer letter from a school, accepted the offer in writing and paid their tuition deposit the school will send you a CoE, Confirmation of Enrolment. You will need this document to begin your visa application.
If you will take for several programs, for example first take a preparatory language course and then study at college, you will need one CoE for each program.
Create an account with the Australian immigration authorities. Nowadays you normally apply online for Australian visas. Before you start your visa application you have to create an account at https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/register
They will ask you to submit your name, phone number and e-mail address. Then you get to create a password and accept their conditions.
You should apply for a student visa subclass 500. The application can be made at the earliest 124 days before your course starts (according to the date on your CoE). On the first page you fill in you nationality and your CoE code(s). You should also choose your Education sector, for example ELICOS for language courses or Higher Education for courses that leads to a university degree. More information is available on the form. Thereafter you will be asked to submit personal details, family details, answer questions about your previous education and work experience, and submit details about your health and criminal record. You can save the application and take a break if you want.
Possible health checkup and interview depending on where you will study and where you live you might also need to do a health checkup and/or a visa interview. You will receive this information about this when you complete the application above if it applies to you.
Don’t do the health checkup before you have completed the application as you will need your TRN-number and you will get instructions on what you need to check. On this page you can find doctors in your country that are approved by the Australian Immigrations to do this checkup. Get your visa decision
How long it takes to get you visa decision depends on where you are applying from and how busy the Australian immigration authorities are. In our experience you usually get your decision within one or a couple of weeks once your application is complete. You can check the status of your application by logging in to the immigration website (with the account you created in step 2) and if needed enter your TNR-number.
Normally the Australian authorities will notify you by e-mail once your visa decision is ready. Your visa is electronic so if you want a physical proof of you can print the grant letter that you receive online once your visa is approved. Travel to Australia Once you have received your visa you can enter Australia at the earliest 90 days before the course start date printed on your CoE. If you have not booked accommodation through your school you should inform them of your address in Australia within 7 days of arriving there.
Usually you have the right to stay in Australia for 30 days after your course ends or 60 days if your course lasts longer than 10 months. All these date limits should be written on your visa and if that information differs from what we write here you should always follow the instructions on your visa.
- Provide all essential documents ranging from bank statements to the university clearances, required by the visa office.
- Mention your duration of stay and financial power with convincing documents. You need to persuade the visa office that you will manage all overseas expenses on your own (excluding grants).
- If you have guardians in the nation you intend to visit, then obtain their signed letter confirming the support.
- If you are going for a scholarship program, then indicate all information pertaining to it. Validity of scholarship and amount of aid received must be plainly indicated.
- Apply at least 2-6 weeks before the planned travel date to furnish yourself some more time in case of any unwarranted delays in visa processing.
- It is likely that you might be denied visa on some grounds on first try, but never be dismayed; attempt again. You might still catch the nod on a second attempt, if you really care. Visa office by law, is bound to furnish you a basis if visa is denied.
- If a spouse or child is financially reliant on you, then be ready to clarify how that individual will sustain themselves in your absence.
- Mention tentative date of travel in the application.
Here’s a checklist to assist you restructure the necessary documents you require to apply for the visa
- Acceptance letter from the university is the foremost document you should submit. You should have documents stating the program you enroll in, duration of studies, funding information, and a letter from the sponsor, if at all.
- Submit a recommendation letter from school teacher/college professor specifying your student improvement under their care. If you’re employed, get a reference letter from employer and send it to visa office.
- Hand in your prior degrees, transcripts, certificates pointing all modules you completed at your college or school. Attach the documents, if existing, indicating academic/non-academic accomplishments at school or college.
It is probable that you take the IELTS or TOEFL to confirm English proficiency, ensure you state those scores. If you clear GRE or SAT, then you should attach a copy of these results also.
- Ensure that the passport isn’t facing its expiry date as you submit it.
- Provide a fresh copy of passport size photographs to the visa office.
- Make payment of your visa application fee punctually prior to submitting the form.
- Bank statements submitted to authenticate financial capacity must be fresh and not dated older than 30 days from application date.
If you have prior work experience, please guarantee that you put forward an experience letter for validation.
Equator Education which is one of the best Australia Study Visa consultants in Mumbai, India helps you understand what the interviewer needs from you: Your motivation and potential of living up to the standards of the program, nation’s laws and customs. Your financial ability to handle all expenses throughout your study.
- Essentially, the visa interview is about evaluating you, and gaining precision on documents you already submit to them. In a nutshell, they desire to see why you must be granted the visa.
Get the facts straight! Never embellish or lie about something during the entire course of visa interview. They have all your academic and financial certificates, and any consular officer is taught to spot lies. Learn what to declare when the interviewer has probing questions, such as:
- Why have you chosen this destination?
- Why not continue your education in India?
Consular officers are keen on demanding ‘What if….’ sort of questions to assess your enthusiasm. Be equipped to answer these. Some examples are: What if somebody offers you any job in the US after your program? What if somebody offers you partnership in his/her business? Do the groundwork and check the university you are applying to. Look strongly into the program you’ve selected and inquire yourself if your alternative is along the lines of your educational objectives. The interviewer may desire to identify your motives for selecting a definite program and university, and when he/she pops that query out you should be able to respond hesitation-free. You might have to face questions regarding your financial standing; so check your bank balance and be positive of your financial arrangement. If your parents aren’t in any job now, or you are short of adequate funding, then interviewer might inquire you to give details how you decide to fund yourself. Be presentable, dress smartly and approach the interviewer coolly. Don’t go prepared to narrate memorized responses. They want to know if you are lucid with your goals. Work on easy conversation etiquettes. Be gracious and considerate in your responses. Listen cautiously to the queries and wait patiently for your turn to respond. A little endurance and fine manners can go a long way. Be self-assured while meeting the visa officer; don’t fiddle around desk or look nervous. Never pick any dispute with the visa officer at any stage of your interview.
Disclaimer: Please note that the Australian authorities can make changes to the visa application process without notifying us. Different rules can apply to different nationalities so always read the instructions
from the immigration authorities carefully. The information in the article above is correct to the best of our knowledge but we cannot be held responsible for any error that might occur without our knowledge.
When in doubt always trust the official sources and check with them if needed.
When you have completed the application you should pay the application fee which currently is 550 AUD. The easiest is to pay it with a credit card online. When the application and payment is done you will get a receipt with a TRN-number (Transaction Reference Number). Make sure to save it so you can check the status of your application.