Studying in Australia- Visas and Migration - Australian High Commission

Australian High Commission

India

High Commission address: 1/50 G Shantipath, Chanakyapuri - Telephone: 4139 9900 - Fax: 4149 4490

Announcements

Change in Assessment Levels for India and Nepal

On 1 September 2008, there were changes to the assessment levels for some student visa subclasses for India and Nepal. For further information, please click here:
http://www.immi.gov.au/students/_pdf/student_assessment_levels.pdf

You should also consult the appropriate checklists on the website: http://www.immi.gov.au/

Processing Times in New Delhi Office - how you can help us process your application faster

Due to a sudden increase in applications received, processing times for student visas lodged with the New Delhi processing office are currently at 12-14 weeks. Applications will not receive pre-visa assessment until 6-8 weeks after lodgement. After pre-visa assessment you will be contacted by a case officer who will provide you with a status on your application and the next steps. Courses should not commence until 12-14 weeks after you lodge the application.

You can help us to process your applications faster by following these steps:

• Undertake the medical examination before lodging your visa application and then submit your passport with the application. Information about medicals, panel doctors and the necessary forms are at http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/health-requirements/index.htm.

• Submit the loan disbursement letter and confirmation of enrolment certificate by email to your case officer or to india.students@dfat.gov.au. This is faster than receiving hardcopies.

• Use the student visa information on the DIAC website to answer queries about visa eligibility and processes before contacting the visa office. Read the information and follow the links at http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/chooser/index.htm. There is also useful information for India and Nepal on this site below.

Studying in Australia

The Australian Government operates an overseas student program (OSP) that allows people who are not Australian citizens or Australian permanent residents to study in Australia.

If you want to study under this program, you must obtain a student visa before you can commence a course of study in Australia.

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.

The Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) can provide details of registered courses.

Australia's student visa program has seven subclasses. Each subclass is based on the education sector of your principal course of study:

Visa Subclass Name	Number	Purpose
Independent ELICOS	570	For overseas students undertaking an ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students) as a stand-alone course, and not as a prerequisite to commencing another course (for example, a degree course)
Schools	571	For overseas students undertaking a course of study at a primary school or a secondary school, including both junior and senior secondary school
Vocation Education and Training (VET)	572	Diploma, Advanced diploma and Advanced certificate
Higher Education	573	Covers a Bachelor degree, Graduate certificate, Graduate diploma and Masters degree by coursework
Masters and Doctorate	574	Covers a Masters degree by research, and a Doctoral degree
Non-award	575	Covers foundation, bridging or other courses that do not lead to the award of a degree, diploma or other formal award
AusAID or Defence sponsored	576	Covers full-time study undertaken by AusAID- or Defence-sponsored students for the whole or part of an education or training course offered by an Australian education provider
Student Guardian visa	580	For guardians who wish to accompany a student under 18 yrs of age on a student visa.

General information

Information about applying for student visas can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/chooser/index.htm.

Follow the links to find the specific requirements relating to your intended course of study in Australia.

Charges & Fees

Visa application charges are payable in the form of a single demand draft for Indian Rupees, in favour of the ‘Australian High Commission, New Delhi’ only. Information on current visa application charges for each visa subclass can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/990i.htm. A currency converter is also provided at this link to assist you to convert the current fee in Australian dollars to Indian Rupees.

Application charges can be paid at the service delivery partner’s Visa application centres . A service fee is also charged by the service delivery partner for each application lodged through a Visa application centre. Please note that fees and charges are non-refundable, even if applications are withdrawn or refused.

Health requirements

All applicants for a visa to Australia must meet health requirements. Further information can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/health-requirements/index.htm. You are strongly encouraged to get a medical and chest x-ray done before lodging your application.

Character requirements

All applicants for a visa to Australia must be assessed against the character requirements. Further information can be found at: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/character-requirements/index.htm.

Processing time

* The information contained herein has been amended as on 16 December 2008*

We suggest that you lodge an application as soon as you have all relevant documentation and at least a minimum of 12 weeks prior to your course commencement date.

All applications, including applications for student dependent visas, are assessed in order of receipt. The Visa Office, New Delhi, has completed pre-visa assessment for all student applications received on or before:

31 October 2008

The amount of time taken to finalise individual applications may vary significantly depending on processing requirements. Processing times for applications may vary according to workload and season.

How to lodge your application

Please click here for information on how to lodge your application.

Applications can be lodged with the assistance of an education agent. Some Indian Education Agents have ability to lodge applications via the Internet. A list of registered migration agents is available from the Migration Agents Registration Authority website. You can authorise a migration agent to act on your behalf by completing and lodging Form 956 - which can be downloaded free of charge from the DIAC website.

Whether using an agent or not, you must submit required documents at the time you apply as a main applicant for a student visa.

After your application is lodged, if any of the information you provided changes, you should notify us in writing. Failure to do so may result in an assessment of your application based on out of date information.

How to compile your application:
(Please see further below for Dependents of Student Visa Holders Applying Separately)

When lodging your application please place documents in the following order (from top down):

• Letter of offer from education institution (at top)
• Financial documents – including matrix, evidence of funds and evidence of source of income. Please separate each sponsor's financial documents and place each affidavit of support with that sponsors funds.
• Academic documents – including educational certificates, diplomas or degrees (as applicable) and IELTS test results.
• Identity documents including marriage certificates, birth certificates, custody documents (if applicable) and passport.
• Application form followed by Form 956 and any other DIAC forms.

Required documents for student visa application

For Students applying from India: the following links provide checklists for the documents which you should lodge with your application:

English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) - Applies to stand-alone English language courses that lead to a certificate I, II, III or IV, or that result in no formal Australian award. http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_570_4.pdf

Primary or secondary school course - Applies to primary, junior secondary or senior secondary school courses, and approved secondary school exchange programs. http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_571_2.pdf

Vocational education and training - Applies to Certificates I, II, III or IV (except ELICOS), diploma, advanced diploma, vocational graduate certificate or vocational graduate diploma courses. http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_572_4.pdf

Higher education - Applies to a Bachelor degree, associate degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma, or Masters by coursework. http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_573_4.pdf

Postgraduate research - Applies to Masters by research or a doctoral degree. http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_574_4.pdf

Non-award - Applies to non-award foundation studies, or other full-time courses or components of courses not leading to an Australian award.
http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_575_3.pdf

For Students applying from Nepal the following links provide checklists for the documents which you should lodge with your application:

English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) - Applies to stand-alone English language courses that lead to a certificate I, II, III or IV, or that result in no formal Australian award. http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_570_3.pdf

Higher education - Applies to a Bachelor degree, associate degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma, or Masters by coursework.
http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_573_3.pdf

Postgraduate research - Applies to Masters by research or a doctoral degree. http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_574_2.pdf

For Students applying from Bhutan, the following provide checklists for the documents which you should lodge with your application:

Primary or secondary school course
http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_571_2.pdf

Higher education - Applies to a Bachelor degree, associate degree, graduate certificate, graduate diploma, or Masters by coursework.
http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_574_2.pdf

Postgraduate research - Applies to Masters by research or a doctoral degree. http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklists/visa_574_2.pdf

Acceptable Institutions for Funds and Loans

The Migration Regulations require that a bank must be governed by the central bank of the foreign country in which it operates, for it to be acceptable. Click here for a list of acceptable banks.

Application/file presentation - Dependents of Student Visa Holders (applying separately):

If you are lodging an application as a dependent of a student visa holder the following documents are required in this order (from top down):

A. Financial documents:
Evidence of funds and evidence of source of income
Evidence of health insurance

B. Relationship Documents:
Marriage certificate (for spouses) and birth certificates (for children)
Copy of the bio-data page and Australian student visa of the spouse you are joining

C. Application and Identity Documents
Completed 157A and 919 forms
Your passport

No other documentation should be provided unless requested to do so.

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