Australian Immigration Lawyer

Student Visas

Providing education to international students is one of the largest industries in Australia. Hence the reason that thousands of student visas are issued every year. Student visas are designed to allow genuine students to come to Australia to attend a wide variety of academic courses. Under this visa, students must be enrolled in full time courses and may legally work 20 hours per week while attending classes.

We can assist prospective students with advice on courses and universities suitable to their needs. We also assist with placement in the courses and obtain the correct documentation for the visa applications.

Student visas are divided into subclasses – 570, 571, 572, 573, 574 and 575.These subclasses are split into different educational sectors and the type of visa one applies for depends upon which course will be studied.

570 – Independent ELICOS (English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students) This visa is issued to students who only wish to study English and no other further study.

571 – Schools Sector - The Schools Sector is for students who would like to enrol in primary school, secondary school or senior secondary programs.

572 – Vocational Education and Training Sector – This sector is for Australian Qualifying Framework (AQF) course. These are Certificate I, II, III, IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Associate Diploma Programs.

573 – Higher Education Sector – The Higher Education Sector is for bachelor degrees, graduate certificates and graduate diplomas.

574 – Masters and Doctorate Sector – This area includes master and doctoral degrees done either by coursework or research.

575 – Non-Award Foundation/ Other sectors – This sector is for Foundation Studies and other types of bridging programs.

Applicants for student visas are allowed to apply for an English program plus a further course. This is called a package program. To obtain a visa for a package program, candidates must meet the requirements of the visa sector for their main course.

To be eligible for a student visa, the applicant must be assessed against various criteria. This criteria includes the candidate’s health and character, level of English proficiency, financial capacity and past immigration history. These criteria vary according to which country the applicant is from.

The Australian government has divided all countries into Assessment Levels 1-5. Assessment Level 1 has the easiest requirements to meet and Assessment Level 5 has the most difficult. All student visas must be obtained overseas unless the applicant is from an Assessment Level 1 country.

After completing their courses, many of these international graduates are eligible to apply for a Skilled Overseas Student Visa and become permanent residents in Australia.

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The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice.
You should consult a lawyer for individual advice regarding your own situation.

Immigration Options

Student Visas