Australia has several Universities among the world top 100 and they are well known about the remarkable facilities offered to students. In addition to this, there are many schools which offer vocational training or English courses. There are different visas that apply to this sector, for example if you would like to study for a period longer than three months, you must apply for a student visa. If your child is under 18 years old and is applying for a student visa and you would like to stay with your child, you can apply for a Student Guardian visa. Instead, if you are planning to complete a structured training program and improve your work experience or to gain experience for a professional registration, you can apply for a Training visa. If you have studied in Australia for an eligible course for at least two years, you can apply for a Graduate Skilled visa.

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STUDENT VISA SUBCLASS 500

Depending on the field of study you are interested in, you can choose from high school to Universities, from English to trade or professional courses. The course must be CRICOS registered. Given the country you are from and the school you enrolled in, you will be given a risk level, according to which you will be required to show evidence of enough funds to support your stay and evidence of a certain English level. In any case, you must show to be a genuine student. Most of the students are allowed to work part-time, but few exceptions apply. In any case, students cannot start working before the course has started. An Australian private medical insurance is required for the whole stay. A student visa can include dependants (partner and under-18 y.o. children), as long as they satisfy the requirements: evidence of being a member of the family, medical insurance, school enrolment for children 5 to 18y.o., etc. Students, who are underage, must be accompanied or must have their accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements approved. An adult who wishes to accompany the minor can apply for a Student Guardian Subclass 590. No work is allowed on this 590 visa.

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TEMPORARY GRADUATE VISA 485

The Temporary Graduate Visa is for international students who have studied in Australia for at least two academic years and have completed their studies within the last 6 months. The course must be a CRICOS-registered course. There is an age limit of 35 years, with some exceptions. Applicants must also have skills and qualifications that meet the Australian standard for an occupation on the relevant list or have obtained an eligible qualification at a degree or postgraduate level. You must have adequate health insurance, good English skills and meet requirements for health and character to be eligible to apply for this visa. This visa allows you to work and live in Australia temporarily. You can include your family members in your application.

Two streams are available:

Post vocational education work stream. The graduate work stream allows graduates to work for up to 18 months in one of the occupations listed on the relevant list. You must have applied for a skill assessment in the nominated occupation before the application.

Post higher education work stream. This stream is for those who have completed at least a Bachelor degree from an Australian University or other eligible Australian educational institution. The visa length depends on the course completed.

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TRAINING VISA SUBCLASS 407

This visa requires a sponsor and requires the applicant to be healthy and free from criminal convictions and to hold medical insurance (Medicare or private). The applicant must show skills and an appropriate English level for the training.

This visa length can be up to two years and can include family members who can work up to 40 hours per fortnight. The visa applicant requests to be enrolled in a structured training program in order to:

• Obtain registration or licence to be entitled to work in the profession in or outside Australia;
• Improve work skills; in this case, the occupation nominated must be in the relevant list and the trainee must show at least 12 months of related work experience in the last 24 months;
• Acquire work experience that is not available in their own country; for example, to complete a course and obtain a qualification in their own country (in this case the length training program cannot be more than 6 months), or an Australian or foreign Government supported training, or a professional development program for managers and professionals, that is organised by their overseas employer.

The sponsor, which can be an Australian private organisation or Commonwealth or foreign Government organisation, must be first approved as a sponsor (sponsorship application) and then must have the training program approved (nomination application). If the organisation is part of the Commonwealth, there is no nomination application required, but a detailed letter of invitation will suffice.  The training program can be paid or unpaid, however, if paid, the salary must be in line with Australian employment laws.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Can I enrol on any course in Australia on a student visa?

No. Only courses that are registered CRICOS are eligible for student visas.