Australia Visa
Australia is a country, and continent, surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. Its major cities – Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide – are coastal, but its capital, Canberra, is inland and nicknamed the “Bush Capital.” The country is known for its Sydney Opera House, Great Barrier Reef, the vast Outback (interior desert wilderness) and unique animal species including kangaroos and duck-billed platypuses.
Australia is a stable, culturally diverse and democratic society with a skilled workforce and a strong, competitive economy. With a population of more than 21 million, Australia is the only nation to govern an entire continent. It is the earth’s biggest island and the sixth-largest country in the world in land area.
Given the vast expanse of this land, climatic differences seem no more a revelation. The northern regions of the country experience tropical climate and as one move southward, it changes to being arid and temperate. Year round temperatures across the continent with regional and seasonal variations fluctuate between 38°C and 1ºC. A look at the economy shows that Australia is no less than any other developed country and at a GDP per capita of $36,300 is raring to grow leaps and bounds even today.
A negligible BPL population with a meager 4% unemployment rate and an inflation of 2.3%, the ‘Unknown Land’ of the Roman times has certainly become much known and acknowledged for its enviable economic advancement.
On the political front, Australia is a democratic country and every Australian citizen has the right to vote for local, state and federal government. Elected government officers hold open meetings with constituents in an effort to give every citizen a voice on how Australia is governed.
With a motto of ‘Live. Learn. Grow.’ Australia has opened its arms to the worldwide student community. A haven of sorts, students not only gain knowledge from daily classroom teaching but also gather a world of experience from the museums, cultural festivals and innumerable sporting events.
Dependent visa to Australia
Generally, you can apply for dependent visa:
- if you are partner / member of family unit of a holder of some type of temporary visa in Australia (for example, student visa),
- If your partner is an Australian resident (permanent residency) or Citizenship.
Eligible to apply for this visa to join a holder of student visa is:
- a spouse (including de facto spouse) of the student visa holder, or
- a dependent child (unmarried, and younger than 18 years) of the student visa holder
About Australian education
Australia is also one of the best places to live. It is a young, vibrant and friendly country in which students can live, learn and grow.
Australia offers a diverse range of study options for international students, with more than 1,200 institutions and over 22,000 courses to choose from. You can study at all levels of education from primary and secondary school, to vocational education and training (VET), from English language courses to higher education (including universities). And regardless of what you are studying or how long you are studying for, Australia’s laws promote quality education and protection for international students.
As an international student on a student visa, you must study with an institution and in a course that is registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). CRICOS registration guarantees that the course and the institution at which you study meet the high standards expected by international students. You can search for courses and institutions here on the Study in Australia website.
Education costs in Australia
The costs of studying in Australia depend on the institution and the level of study you choose.
As an international student, your tuition fees are payable before you study. You can use the Course Search on this website to find courses and see details such as their tuition fees. There may be additional costs for your course, including course materials and access to institution facilities.
The list below gives you an indication of the range of course costs for different types of qualifications.
• School – $7,800 to $30,000.
• English language studies – Approx. $300 per week depending on course length.
• Vocational Education and Training – (Certificates I to IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma) – $4,000 to $22,000.
• Undergraduate Bachelor Degree – $15,000 to $33,000*.
• Postgraduate Master’s Degree – $20,000 to $37,000*.
• Doctoral Degree – $14,000 to $37,000*.
Universities and Higher Education
Higher education courses can be taken to earn an advanced degree and continue your studies in Australia. There are three main types of higher education which lead to Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Degrees.
In Australia it is quite common for students to enroll in a double or combined Bachelor Degree program which leads to the award of two Bachelor Degrees. This is most common in the fields of arts, commerce, law and science.
Australian institutions offer a wide range of courses – from science to management and commerce, humanities to engineering, and law to health sciences. Australian institutions rank among the world’s best by discipline, particularly in engineering and technology, medicine, environmental science, and accounting and finance.
There are 43 universities in Australia (40 Australian universities, two international universities, and one private specialty university). Along with our universities, many other institutions offer higher education courses. You can search for institutions and courses using the Institution and Course Search on this website.
Admission Requirements for Students
All students are required to obtain a student authorization and visa before proceeding to any country for their studies. Admission to an institution does not guarantee the issuance of student’s visa. Students must meet the requirement of the immigration Acts and Regulations of the respective countries.
It is recommended that a student must allow three months to process their application.
On getting the acceptance letter from the university, the student is required to generate the documents in the visa process. International University degrees are offered at three consecutive levels – Bachelor, Master and Doctoral. The possession of a degree from the lower level is generally a pre-requisite for the admission to the next. Some universities also offer diploma and certificate courses, which require one or two years of study in a specific field or discipline.
All the universities and colleges require certified copies of documents and academic records. Students have to take the test of English ability IELTS or PTE and must obtain an average score. These scores may vary for different colleges and universities.
Visa information
There are several classes of student visas for Australia – the one you need depends on the type of study (e.g.: English language course, graduate degree, vocational training, higher education, etc.) you are planning to undertake.
Student visa options
Below is the list of the student visas currently available. For more detail on each Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) website.
• Independent ELICOS (Subclass 570).
• Schools (Subclass 571).
• Vocational Education and Training (Subclass 572).
• Higher Education (Subclass 573).
• Postgraduate Research (Subclass 574).
• Non-award (Subclass 575).
• Foreign Affairs or Defence (Subclass 576)
Visitor Visa ( Subclass 600)
This visa is for the temporary entry of people for tourism purposes. This visa allows people to visit Australia for a holiday or recreation, or to visit family and/or friends for a stay up to three or six or twelve months. This visa may also be used for other short-term non-work purposes.
Australia has surreal beaches, lush rain forests, lagoons, vibrant metropolitan cities, fascinating regional towns and a very vast outback. It is a young country with a vibrant and ever growing economy, great opportunities, a wonderful climate and friendly people.
Australia is an island continent of extraordinary contrasts with enormous natural wealth, stunning scenery and a quality of life that far surpasses most of the other countries.
There are beautiful, clean parks, beaches, rivers and country areas to visit. The weather is mostly warm and sunny. You can go fishing at thousands of locations or visit hundreds of sport and recreation facilities. With lots of sunshine, white sandy beaches, a dynamic cultural scene and adventures every day, Australia is never dull.
Longer Visitor visas for parents
Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents are able to apply for Visitor visas to visit Australia for longer.
The department will grant on a case-by-case basis:
• Visitor visas of up to five years validity which provide a stay of up to 12 months on each entry to those parents who are outside Australia and are in the Parent (subclass 103) visa queue.
• Visitor visas of up to three years validity with 12 months stay on each entry will be considered for parents who are outside Australia and are not in the Parent visa queue.