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Announcements
Safety of International Students Research Project
The Australian Institute of Criminology is undertaking a research project on the safety of international students in Australia. The project will compare the rate of crime against international students with the rate of crime against the broader Australian population. Please click here for information. To view the information in Hindi, please click here. Punjabi information is available at this link. To view list of Frequently Asked Questions (Punjabi), please click here.
Notification of implementation of a new Deed of Agreement for access to Student eVisa Facility
A new eVisa agency list for India has been announced
Updated List of Agents with eVisa Access for Assessment Level 2-4
Australia reforms migration rules to deliver Australia's skills needs
The Australian Government is reforming the permanent skilled migration program to ensure it is more responsive to the needs of Australian industry and employers and better addresses the nation’s future skill needs. Read full text
Information about migration agents operating outside Australia
Please click on the below links for information:
Announcement for all visa applicants
The Australian High Commission strongly advises visa applicants not to make non-refundable travel/airline bookings, resign from or change employment, discontinue study, sell assets or take any such similar irrevocable actions in anticipation of the grant of a visa. Any such decisions are the sole responsibility of the visa applicant. We recommend instead that you lodge your visa application well ahead of your proposed travel date and only finalise such arrangements after your visa process has been completed.
Important announcements regarding student visas
- Changes in the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) requirements and their impact on Student visa applications - in effect from 01 July 2010.
The Australian government is concerned about the safety of international students in Australia and health care is one aspect of that safety.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is intended to assist international students to meet the costs of medical and hospital care that they may need while in Australia.
Under current policy student visa applicants must demonstrate that they have 12 months of OSHC prior to visa grant.
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG), as part of its International Student Strategy for Australia, announced on 20 April 2010 that one of the initiatives that will be contained in the Strategy is a requirement for Student visa applicants to obtain OSHC for the proposed duration of their visa prior to visa grant.
From 1 July 2010 students must obtain OSHC for the proposed duration of their Student visa.The visa expiry date will be in line with the expiry date on the OSHC policy. Example- If you apply for a visa for a period of 3 years then you are required to provide evidence of OSHC for the full 3 years period before a visa is granted.
Student visa applicants who obtained OSHC prior to 01 July 2010 do not need to show further evidence of OSHC. They will be expected to renew their policy when it expires.
For Frequently Asked Questions - click here.
- Changes in the Assessment Level for Indian students under the Postgraduate Research Sector (subclass 574) - in effect from 27 March 2010.
From 27 March 2010, the Assessment Level for Indian students seeking to apply for a Postgraduate Research (Subclass 574) Student visa, to obtain a Doctoral or Masters by Research degree, have been reduced from Assessment Level 4 to Assessment Level 2.
For Application checklist - click here.
It provides in detail the information and supporting documents that must be provided with the visa application. One of the important changes is in relation to English Proficiency requirements which can be met by providing evidence that Provider is satisfied with the applicant’s level of English.
All applicants applying under this sector should also provide form 1221 available at http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1221.pdf and a full CV including work history, qualifications and publications.
- Special advice for visitor visa applicants - lodge your visa application as early as possible !
The Visa Office at the Australian High Commission New Delhi continues to experience unprecedented growth in visitor visa applications. Whilst we continue to finalise most applications within 15 working days of receipt there are circumstances, for example if a health check is required, where this may not be possible.
The Visa Office takes this opportunity to remind prospective visa applicants and their agents that most visitor visas are valid for travel for up to 12 months - so if you are planning to visit Australia in the next 12 months you can lodge your visa application at any time - and certainly as early as possible prior to intended travel date. This gives you time to finalise travel arrangements after visa issue.
- Amendments to Student visa assessment level requirements and insertion of new Student visa cancellation provisions from 27 March 2010.
From 27 March 2010, the Migration Regulations 1994 ('the Regulations') are amended to specify:
• that Student visa applicants seeking to package two or more courses will be assessed against the highest assessment level which applies to any of the courses in their package (with the exception of ELICOS courses in a package);
• under Section 116(1A) of the Migration Act 1958 ('the Migration Act'), if an education provider defers or suspends the studies of a Student visa holder because of the student’s conduct, or on the basis of fraudulent/misleading evidence, or for reasons other than genuine compassionate or compelling circumstances, or these circumstances have ceased to exist, then these would be matters to which the Minister would have regard in considering visa cancellation under Section 116(1)(fa) of the Migration Act.
For detailed information - click here
- Student integrity measures
The attached Fact Sheet is of interest to potential student visa applicants, education providers and education agents.
- Student visa processing times
Please click here for information.
- Important notice for prospective Nepali student visa applicants for Australia and their agents
The Australian Embassy Kathmandu regularly receives requests from Nepal nationals to notarise documents for the purposes of student visa applications for Australia. Please note that there is no requirement for prospective student visa applicants from Nepal to attach such notarisations in order to lodge a student visa application.
The Visa Office at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi (that is responsible for assessing and deciding all visa applications from Nepal nationals) regularly verifies documents that are provided with student visa applications and will advise applicants or their agents directly if such a notarisation is required.
Therefore in the best interests of all prospective student visa applicants, and bearing in mind that a charge of 635 NRP (for up to 10 copies) must be levied for all such notarisations, please do not seek such a notarisation unless the Visa Office has specifically requested that you do so.
Occupational Trainee Visas
From 9 November 2009, applications for Occupational Trainee Visas (subclass 442) will no longer be accepted at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi. To make a valid application clients will need to send their applications directly to the processing centre in Australia.
For more information - click here
Important Updates regarding Partner and Child visas
Protection of Children
Amendments have been made to the Migration Regulations 1994 to ensure that a person who has a conviction or outstanding charge for a child sex offence, or other serious offence which indicates that the person might pose a significant risk to a child, cannot sponsor a child for a partner or child visa.
For applications made on or after 27 March 2010, sponsors of all child visa applications and partner or prospective marriage applications which include a minor applicant may be required to provide both an Australian National Police Check and foreign police certificates. If the sponsor has spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia since turning 16 years of age, the sponsor must provide an Australian National Police Check. Sponsors must also provide police certificates from each country in which they have spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16 years of age.
Sponsors with a spouse or de facto partner
For child visa applications made on or after 27 March 2010 where the applicant is under 18 years of age, the sponsor’s partner must provide an Australian National Police Check if that partner has spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia since turning 16 years of age. That partner must also provide police certificates from each country in which they have spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16 years of age.
For further information on the changes – click here
Further changes the Migration Regulations 1994 ('the Regulations') effective from 27 March 2010 are specified below:
· The definition of long-term partner relationship is amended to mean: three years, or if there is a dependent child, two years. It was previously: five years, or if there is a dependent child, two years. Please note this new definition will apply only to applications lodged on or after 27 March 2010
· The definition of step-child is amended to more accurately reflect current family law terminology.
Amendments to the definitions of 'step-child' apply in relation to applications for a visa made, but not finally determined before 27 March 2010 and applications made on or after 27 March 2010.
For further information – click here
Partner and Child visa processing times
The average processing time for Partner and Child visa applications is 4 months.
eHealth
We are pleased to announce that our on-line system for recording health examination results, eHealth, is now available at selected panel clinics in Delhi, Chandigarh and Ludhiana. Selected clinics in other regions are expected to be enabled in late June and early July. Fore more information - click here
Visas and Migration
Welcome to the website of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) in India, Nepal and Bhutan. DIAC processes all visa applications for people visiting or migrating to Australia. The Visa Offices at the Australian High Commission, New Delhi provide the following services for residents of India, Nepal and Bhutan:
• Information about visa requirements for Australia
• Information about Australian citizenship requirements
• Processing of applications for most classes of visa
• Processing of some citizenship applications
For Further Information See:
Temporary Residence (Business Purposes)
Temporary Residence (Social/Cultural Purposes)
Residents Returning to Australia
Obtaining Visa Labels (Where the Applications Are Processed in Australia)
Important Notice
Before engaging a migration agent, we recommend you read the following information.
See: Information about migration agents operating outside Australia
The information in this website is meant as supplementary, country specific information to that contained in the DIAC website located at www.immi.gov.au. The Visa Office of the Australian High Commission, New Delhi strongly recommends that all applicants visit the DIAC website and become acquainted with the information contained therein before lodging a visa application.
Feedback
We value your feedback. Please email us your comments or suggestions.
All visa applicants are requested to provide the following documents at the time of application:
Good quality photocopy of the biodata page of the current passport; and
Good quality photocopy of any endorsement page or change of name page in the current passport; and
For current Indian passports - good quality photocopy of the back page with information on parents' names and previous passports.
This request applies to all visa categories but the photocopies do not need to be certified. Clients who do not lodge the above documents may experience delays in the processing of their visa application. More detailed visa application document checklists for specific visa categories can be found online at www.immi.gov.au.
Thank you for your cooperation.