Student Visa Australia. Documents and requirements

• Study in Australia
• Complete List of Universities (Australia)
• Aid/Scholarships in Australia
• Study Abroad in Europe/Australia (FORUM)

You can be granted a student visa only if you wish to undertake a registered course or part of a registered course on a full-time basis.

A registered course is an education or training course offered by an Australian education provider who is registered with the Australian Government to offer courses to overseas students.

Depending on your country of nationality and your principal course of study you may have to undergo a Pre-Visa Assessment (PVA) before an Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCoE) is issued by your Australian education provider.

Requirements

Financial Ability

For Masters and Doctorate Courses
Sponsors must provide evidence of cash assets for the first year tuition fee (as on the letter of offer) and living expenses (assumed at A$ 12000 p.a.) and access to additional funds (from acceptable sources) to meet the cost of the remainder of study and stay in Australia.

Health

Individuals applying to study in Australia must satisfy the health requirements specified in the Migration Regulations. Any family unit members who are included in the visa application are also required to satisfy health requirements. details

Students from low health risk countries Iceland, Monaco, Norway, San Marino and Sweden are generally not required to undertake health examinations unless a health condition of special significance is declared.

The relevant forms for health checks are:

• form 26, Medical examination for an Australian visa;
• form 160, Radiological report on chest x-ray of an applicant for an Australian visa.

When you present yourself for your health check, you should bring the following:

• form 26, Medical examination for an Australian visa, with a passport photograph attached;
• form 160, Radiological report on chest x-ray of an applicant for an Australian visa, with a passport photograph attached;
• your passport for identification;
• any prescription spectacles or contact lenses that you may wear; and
• where you have a known medical condition, any existing specialist reports.

To be covered for health insurance, you will have to pay the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for yourself and any family members traveling with you.

• Student Health Cover for AusAID Students
  If you are a student sponsored by AusAID, you will not need to pay the OSHC yourself. You will, however, need to provide proof that AusAID supports your application.
• Student Health Cover for Students from Norway and Sweden
  Students from Norway and Sweden do not need to obtain OSHC if they are covered by acceptable health insurance schemes from their home countries.

Character
To enter Australia, you must be of good character. The information you provide at the 'Character Declaration' section of the application form 157A, Application for a student (temporary) visa (PDF file, 158KB) enables an assessment to be made in respect of your character.

Debts
To enter Australia, you must have no outstanding debts to the Commonwealth of Australia, or have made acceptable arrangements to repay such debt.

If you are under 18
Approval for accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements.

If you are under 18 years of age and declare in your application that you will be residing in Australia with a parent or a person who has custody of you, you must provide evidence of the relationship and that they hold a visitor visa of 11 months stay, or of a shorter stay if you seek to study for less than 11 months or turn 18 years before 11 months.

If assessed at level 1 or 2, or you are in Australia under any assessment level, an electronic confirmation of enrolment (eCoE) certificate is required before you lodge your application and a copy is to be provided with your application

if you are outside Australia and assessed at level 3, 4 or 5 you will need an 'offer of a place in a course' letter from your Australian education provider at the time you lodge your application. If you are at Assessment level 3 or 4 you must apply for Pre-Visa Assessment.

an electronic confirmation of enrolment (eCoE) certificate issued by your education provider after you lodge your application if you are requested by the Australian embassy to do so

Forms

• Form 157A - Application for a student (temporary) visa
• Form 157C - Application for a student (temporary) visa with permission to change education provider
• Form 157P - Application for a student visa with permission to work
• Form 157E - Electronic application for a student visa (not available in hard copy)
• Form 919 - Student dependant nomination
• Form 990i - Charges

Common 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 12 months of your course or, if the course is less than 12 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

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Australian Immigration for Dummies

This is the shortest most brief tutorial on Australian immigration.

There are three main categories of Skilled Australian Immigration.

1. Onshore immigration
2. Offshore immigration
3. Employer Sponsored (you can be in Australia or outside Australia)

In most cases, the end result of applying for immigration through offshore and onshore immigration is that you would receive the Permanent Resident Visa, class 885,886,175,176. And after having lived in Australia for four years(as of now), you can apply for Australian citizenship. In some cases you might receive Temporary Resident visas which allow you to work and live in Australia for a specific time. After having lived for the specific amount of time, you can then apply for Permanent residency. I will first deal with the onshore migration section and later on discuss the offshore one.

1. Onshore immigration. If you are in Australia

Skilled – Independent (Residence) visa (subclass 885)

A permanent visa for eligible overseas students who have obtained an Australian qualification in Australia as a result of at least two (2) years study and for holders of certain temporary visas with skills in demand in Australia. Applicants are not sponsored and must pass a points test.

Skilled – Sponsored (Residence) visa (subclass 886)

A permanent visa for eligible overseas students who have obtained an Australian qualification in Australia as a result of at least two (2) years study and for holders of certain temporary visas with skills in demand in Australia. For applicants not able to meet the Skilled – Independent pass mark, who have either a relative in Australia to sponsor them or a nomination from a State or Territory government. Applicants must pass a points test lower than that for the Skilled – Independent visa.

Skilled – Regional (Residence) visa (subclass 887)

A permanent visa for eligible provisional visa holders who have lived for at least two (2) years and worked for at least one (1) year in a Specified Regional Area in Australia.

Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 487)

A three (3) year provisional visa for eligible overseas students and holders of certain temporary visas who can meet the lower pass mark for this visa. Applicants must be either sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated area of Australia or nominated by a participating state/territory government. After living for two (2) years and working for at least one (1) year in a Specified Regional Area, applicants can apply for a permanent visa.

Skilled – Grduate Temporary Visa (subclass 485)

An 18 month temporary visa for overseas students who have obtained an Australian qualification in Australia as a result of at least two (2) years study. Allows applicants who are unable to pass the points test to remain in Australia for 18 months to gain the skills and experience needed to apply for a permanent or provisional General Skilled Migration visa. No points test applies.

All the above categories are mainly designed for International students who have studied in Australia for two years OR for skilled people who are on various temporary resident visas and have skills which are in demand in Australia. Now we will discuss some of the offshore visa options.

2. Offshore immigration. If you are outside Australia

Skilled – Independent (Migrant) visa (subclass 175)

A permanent visa for people with skills in demand in the Australian labour market. Applicants are not sponsored and must pass a points test.

Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) visa (subclass 176)

A permanent visa for people unable to meet the Skilled – Independent pass mark. Applicants must be either sponsored by an eligible relative living in Australia or nominated by a participating State or Territory government. Applicants must pass a points test lower than that for the Skilled – Independent visa.

Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 475)

A three (3) year provisional visa for people who can meet the lower pass mark for this visa. Applicants must be either sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated area of Australia or nominated by a participating state/territory government. After living for two (2) years and working for at least one (1) year in a Specified Regional Area, applicants can apply for a permanent visa.

Skilled – Recognised Graduate (Temporary) visa (subclass 476)

An 18 month temporary visa for graduates of recognised overseas educational institutions who have skills in demand in Australia. There is no points test for this visa. Employer Sponsored Immigration The employer sponsored immigration has three different categories.

Temporary Visas

For lawfully operating Australian and overseas employers to employ approved skilled workers for temporary vacancies in particular occupations required in Australia. Temporary visas can offer a pathway to a permanent visa.

Skilled Workers Temporary Visa Options

Temporary Business Long Stay – Standard Business Sponsorship (subclass 457)

A program for employers to sponsor approved skilled workers to work in Australia on a temporary visa. Employers can nominate a number of positions for different occupations under the same sponsorship application.

Service Sellers

For representatives of overseas suppliers of services who are negotiating, or entering into, agreements to supply their services in Australia under the General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS).

Medical Practitioner visa (subclass 422)

Doctors should generally apply for a Temporary Business (Long Stay) visa (subclass 457) but this visa is an alternative for doctors registered to work in Australia. Employers must lodge a separate sponsorship application for each doctor sponsored.

Educational visa (subclass 418)

For educational workers to be employed in Australia on a temporary basis. The sponsoring organisation must be an Australian tertiary education or research institution, school or technical college.

Labour Agreements

Formal arrangements for an Australian industry group or employer to recruit a specified number of skilled workers on a temporary or permanent basis over a number of years.

Permanent Visas

For lawfully operating Australian employers to sponsor skilled workers in particular occupations required in Australia .

Skilled workers Permanent Visa Options

Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 121/856)

For lawfully operating Australian employers to recruit workers on permanent visas, to fill full-time highly skilled positions which cannot be filled from the Australian labour market.

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 119/857)

For employers in regional Australia to employ skilled people in positions unable to be filled from the local labour market.

Labour Agreements

Formal arrangements for an Australian industry group or employer to recruit a specified number of skilled workers on a temporary or permanent basis over a number of years.

So this is a general overview of the three main pathways to Australian immigration. I will be posting more on immigration to Australia later on.

If you find my posts helpful please leave feed back or comments. Kind Regards

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Tips and Tricks for International Students in Australia

First time in Australia? Few tips for you

Being an international student in Australia, I went though many ups and downs. I would like to share some important information with you and provide you with vital tips and tricks for survival in Australia.


1. Finding Accomondation ?

Answer: a) Best website - www.realestate.com.au and also www.domain.com.au

b) Uni - Notice board (most of the uni's have notice boards where you can find heaps of available accommodation. Most Unis also have online boards which you can access online before you come to Australia and hence make arrangements for yourself even before you land in Australia) usually near to student council offices and most unis have their own housing websites.


Word of Advice regarding accommodation

It would be very beneficial for you to live as near as possible to the university. If you cannot afford to live near the university campus, then live a few suburbs away from the university and commute to and from the university using a bicycle. I know many people who live far from the university but I still prefer living near the university because of the associated benefits. I will writing a more detailed article regarding living and lodging in Sydney.


2. Transportation ?

Answer: Best part I like is that you do not need to buy diffrent tickets for Bus, Tram, ferries and Train. Same ticket works for you everywhere in public transport. International students please remember that there is no concession tickets for you.

More info can be found at http://www.131500.info/realtime/default.asp

You even have a online trip planner.


3. Job Search ? What kind of jobs are in demand?

Answer: Best two sites are

a) www.seek.com.au
b) www.mycareer.com.au

Unis also have their own job boards. Keep an eye on them too.

Getting a professional job in your own field is a little bit difficult but not impossible. Most students from the sub-continent do not have the skills to make a good resume and give the right answers to all the knotty questions most employers ask in the interviews. If you are an international student, chances are that you will have a twenty hours per week work restriction on your visa. The study load combined with work rights limitations makes it very hard to find a job because most employers want full time employees. I will be providing more information on how to get a good job in Australia and how to make a good resume. Keep checking my blog.


4. Weather & Clothing

Answer: The weather is quite moderate through out the year in Sydney depending upon where you live. The farther you live from the coast, the more colder/warmer it is depending upon what weather conditions. In Melbourne it is very cold in winters and very hot in summers. Please note that because Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the summers and winters are not at the same time of the year as they are in other parts of the world. In Australia, winters come in June, July while summers come in December, January.


5. Vegitarian? Looking for cheap Vegetables and utensils?


Answer: Paddys market is the best place to buy cheap fruit and vegetables. Please note that vegetables as compared to meat, chicken and fish are expensive in Australia.


5. Electronic Items ?

Answer: Australian standard is 240 volts with frequency of 50 Hertz. Most of the universal converters are available in super markets.


6. Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service


Answer: Please read it carefully, Australians are strict and serious about this. Australian Quarantine Services.

If you don't pay attention to what is written above, you might get fined for violating Australian Quarantine rules and regulations. This might even happen on your first arrival.



7. Flying in Plane for the first time?

Answer: In your hand luggage you should carry

1. Your passport and student visa, aeroplane ticket, money, important documents and valuables
2. Items that will be declared at Australian Customs
3. A spare copy of the front pages of your passport and visa
4. Emergency clothing and a jacket
5. Suitcases and other luggage should be 'LOCKED' and tagged with your name, address and contact telephone numbers.

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