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, you will be given a risk level, according 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, 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 your 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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SKILLED GRADUATE VISA 485

The Skilled Graduate Visa is for international students under 50 years of age who have studied in Australia for at least two academic years and have completed their study within the last 6 months. Applicants must 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 degree level. You must have adequate health insurance, competent 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:

Graduate 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 prior to the application.

Post-study 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. You must have had your first Student visa granted after 5 November 2011 in order to be eligible for this stream. The length of the visa is up to four years depending on the qualification completed, which must be a CRICOS-registered course.

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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 a medical insurance (Medicare or private). The applicant must show to have the skills and an appropriate English level for the training.

This visa stream can last up to two years, can include family members who can work up to 40hrs 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 related work experience in the last 24 months;
• Acquire work experience that is not available in their own country; for example, in order to complete a course and obtain a qualification in their own country (in this case the training program must be max 6 months), or an Australian or foreign Government supported training, or for a professional development program for managers and professionals required and organised by their overseas employer.

The sponsor, that 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 enroll any course in Australia on a student visa?

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