On this Page

• Who is this Visa For?
• Visa Options
• Package courses
• Acceptable courses
• Student visa conditions
• Members of your family unit

Who Is this Visa For?

This visa is appropriate for those persons who:

---

Visa Options

Overview

Schools (subclass 571)
This subclass includes primary schools, secondary schools (including junior and senior secondary) and approved secondary exchange programs.

Package courses

If wish to apply for a variety of courses, including an enabling course (for example, a prerequisite English language course or other prerequisite) which is to be followed by a principal course of study (for example, a university Bachelor degree) then you are required to apply for your visa under the subclass most relevant to your principal course.

Your student visa can only be granted to include the total length or your proposed course(s) if you provide approved confirmation of enrolment for all intended courses of study.

Acceptable courses

You must be approved for full-time study in a registered course of part of a registered course to be eligible for a Student (subclass 570 – 576) visa.

You will need to provide evidence that you have been accepted for full-time study, in the form of an “offer of place in a course” letter issued by the registered provider you intend to study under, or an electronic confirmation of enrollment certificate. More about this is explained under the heading: Offer of a place in a course and confirmation of enrollment.

If you’re sponsored for study in Australia by AusAID or Defence, then you must provide a letter from the applicable agency indicating this. Secondary school exchange students need to complete and provide an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form along with their visa application.

A registered course is an education or training course offered by an Australian education provider who is listed on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). You can look up the details of all the approved registered courses and education providers available here:  http://cricos.deewr.gov.au

Secondary school exchange students and applicants sponsored by AusAID or Defence do not need to enrol in a registered course in order to be granted a student visa. It is still required however that they be enrolled in a full-time course of study or training.

Eligibility requirements for the grant of a student (subclass 570–576) visa

In order to be granted a Student (subclass 570 -576) visa, particular evidence is required. This includes evidence of:

These evidentiary requirements are assessed on five (5) different levels, which are determined by the passport applicants hold and the educational sector of an applicant’s principal area of study.  The higher an applicants Assessment Level is, the more evidence will be required to satisfy student visa conditions. So an applicant assessed as Level 5 for example, will need to meet the most strct evidentiary requirements.

Offer of a place in a course and confirmation of enrolment
Applicants applying for a Student visa from outside Australia who have been assessed at Assessment Level 3, 4 or 5 will be required to provide:

These requirements provide Australian authorities with the opportunity to make a preliminary assessment on your application, and help to determine if applicants genuinely intend to enter Australia for the reason of studying in Australia.

Applicants applying for a Student visa from outside Australia who have been assessed at Assessment Level 1 or 2, or applicants applying under any Assessment Level from within Australia, will need to lodge an Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment Certificate before they lodge their application, as well as provide a copy of this with their application.

Student visa conditions

Certain conditions are often attached to student visas granted by Australian authorities. It is extremely important to understand and be aware of the specific conditions relevant to your particular visa because breaching a condition placed upon your Student visa may result in cancellation of your visa, Advice should be sought immediately upon students becoming aware that they have breached a condition of their visa, or where students have been advised by DIAC or their educational provider that such a breach has occurred. It is also important that students seek professional advice and assistance before attempting to change educational providers or courses of study.

Members of your family unit

A member of your family unit is considered to be your partner (de facto or spouse), or a dependent child of yours or your partners who is under the age of 18 and is not married or in a de facto relationship.

Members of an applicant’s family unit are permitted to apply for a Student (subclass 570-576) visa to reside in Australia along with the applicant. Family members may apply at the same time as the applicant, or following the applicant’s entry to Australia. Note however, that family members cannot be granted a Student visa to reside in Australia if the main student applicant is assessed at Assessment Level 3, 4 or 5 and the proposed course of study is for a period of 12 months or less.

Applicants must list all members of their family unit on their application, regardless of whether they intend to travel with the applicant to Australia or not. Non declared family members will not be permitted to enter Australia as an applicant’s family member at any time. This is excepting persons who became an applicant’s family member after the date the application was lodged, but before the application is decided upon, and where the department is informed in writing of that family members particulars and evidence of their relationship to the applicant is included.

Family members of a Student visa holder will usually be permitted to stay in Australia for the same period of stay granted to the student. It is important that family members ensure they hold a valid visa whilst in Australia.

Partners of Student visa holders will have conditions placed upon their visas limiting their entitlements to study in Australia to a period not longer then three (3) months. Partners wanting to undertake study in Australia exceeding this limit will need to apply for their own individual student visa. This change of status from student dependant family member to student is permitted in Australia.

A dependent child who is school age (5 years or older but under the age of 18) who is to live with a Student visa holder in Australia is required to attend an Australian school. All education costs will be the responsibility of the student visa holder.