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STUDENT VISA REQUIREMENTS - ASSESSMENT LEVEL 4
Processing Time: Minimum processing time is six weeks
Student Information website http://www.immi.gov.au/students/index.htm
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Assessment Level 4 student visas are processed in two stages. The first stage requires the applicant to lodge a complete application with the documents listed below. These documents will be given a Pre-Visa Assessment (PVA) to assess the genuiness of the applicant. If the PVA is successful, a PVA letter will be issued to the applicant with instructions on obtaining a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) and instructions on undertaking medical and x-ray examinations. |
To be submitted at time of application (please tick the boxes to indicate documents provided with the application)
□ Form 157A completed, signed and dated. This form can be printed from our website www.immi.gov.au
□ One passport sized photo, not more than six months old, of each person included in the application
□ Visa application charge payable by cheque, bank draft or money order in the name of “Australian High Commission”. If paying in person at the Australian High Commission, payment may also be made by cash or credit card (Visa and Mastercard only).
□ Letter of Offer issued by an Australian CRICOS registered Education Provider
□ Evidence of funds (see below)
□ IELTS results (see below)
□ Academic transcripts/certificates (see below)
□ Birth certificate
□ Certified copies of bio data (photo) page and all pages with movement stamps of the passport of each person included in the application. Please do not include original passports at time of lodgement.
Please note: All documentation submitted must be a certified copy. The Visa section recognises certification of documents by a Notary Public, Commissioner for Oaths or an Advocate/Solicitor. (Details of Commissioner of Oath’s can be found in the telephone directory.) All documentation provided in a language other than English must be accompanied by an English translation.
Financial Requirements
You will need to provide evidence of funds to cover the minimum financial requirements listed below for the first three years of your course, and a declaration on the 157a form that you have access to funds for the remainder of your course. If your course is less than three years in duration you will only need to provide evidence of funds for the duration of your course.
Exception: If you are applying for a subclass 574 (Postgraduate Research Sector) visa you will need to show that you have access to sufficient funds for the period of any preliminary course and the first year of your principal course. If your course is less than one year in duration you will only need to provide evidence of funds for the duration of your course.
The minimum financial requirements consist of:
Tuition Fees
- Travel costs for you and all accompanying member of family unit (approx AUD$2,000 per person from Malaysia)
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Living costs of AUD$1,000 per month, if you are unaccompanied, or if accompanied by
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Spouse – add 35% of living costs
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First child – add further 20% of living costs plus AUD8000 pa for school fees if child is 5 – 18
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Additional children – add further 15% of living costs plus AUD8000 pa for school if child is 5 – 18
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Note: All members of the family unit should be declared and assessed for living costs and school fees, whether or not they are accompanying you.
Evidence of funds
Evidence of funds to support you and your family members can include:
- a money deposit with a financial institution held by you, or your spouse, parent(s), grandparent(s), sister(s) or brother(s), for at least six consecutive months immediately before the date of your visa application or
- a loan from: a financial institution made to you or your spouse, parent(s), grandparent(s), sister(s) or brother(s); or the government of your home country or
- financial support from: your proposed education provider; the Commonwealth of Australia or an Australian State or Territory government; the government of a foreign country; a provincial or state government of a foreign country that has the written support of the national government of the foreign country; an international corporation that employs you in a role to which your course of study is of direct relevance; or a multilateral agency eg United Nations, World Bank or Asian Development Bank.
Please note: Evidence of funds must be up to date. The evidence you provide must show that the funds are still available within two weeks prior to lodgement of the application eg bank statements dated within two weeks prior to lodging the application.
If the funds are being provided by another person (for example your parents) you will need to provide a letter of authorization from them stating that you have access to these funds and a copy of the bio data (photo) page of their passport. If a business is providing the funds, you will need to provide business tax returns for the previous three years, profit and loss statements prepared by a registered accounting firm, bank statements, evidence of registration, Memorandum and Articles of Association to confirm ownership of the business, and a letter of authorization from all company directors giving permission for company funds to be used.
Only money deposits and loans from the following Chinese financial institutions are acceptable: Bank of China; Industrial and Commercial Bank of China; China Construction Bank; Agricultural Bank of China; CITIC Bank and the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank.
Source of funds
You will need to provide evidence that your regular income, or the regular income of any individual providing funds to you, is sufficient to accumulate the level of funding being provided. This can include income tax declarations or regular pay slips.
English Language Proficiency
You will be required to demonstrate your English language proficiency by submitting the results of an IELTS test conducted within two years before lodging your application. If you sit an IELTS test after lodging your application, the results cannot be taken into account. Information on where IELTS test are held can be obtained from http://www.ielts.org
Exception: An IELTS test is not required if:
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Your course is fully funded by a multilateral agency, government of a foreign country or government of Australia in which case you will need to have a level of English satisfactory to your education provider
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You have studied for at least five years in English in one of the following countries: Australia; Canada; New Zealand; South Africa; the Republic of Ireland; the United Kingdom; or the United States of America.
Academic Transcripts
You will need to provide your formal education qualifications.
The required IELTS test score and academic transcripts for each visa sub-class can be obtained from the internet. Eg. For Higher education subclass 573 :
See : http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/573-4/eligibility-student.htm.
[For other subclasses, replace “573” with the relevant subclass].
Members of your family unit
You will need to list details of all members of your family unit on the application form whether they intend to travel with you or not. A member of your family unit is your spouse or an unmarried dependent child of you or your spouse who is under 18. You should include evidence of your relationship eg marriage certificate and birth certificate for all dependents travelling with you.
Please note: If your proposed course of study is 12 months or less in duration, your family members cannot be included in your application to travel with you unless you are being funded by the Commonwealth or the government of a State or Territory of Australia, the government of a foreign country or a multilateral agency.
Applicants under 18
Applicants under the age of 18 need to provide their birth certificate and evidence to show that acceptable arrangements have been made for their accommodation, support and general welfare in Australia. More details are provided on student visa application form 157a.
How to lodge your application
Application must be lodged at the Australian High Commission Visa office between the hours 8:30 am to 12:00noon, Monday to Friday. We also accept mailed and couriered applications.
Please provide all required documentation as your application may be decided solely on the basis of information provided. Failure to provide all required documents may result in your application being refused.
Further information is available from the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship website www.immi.gov.au.