Visa requirements

Applying for a student visa

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) is responsible for issuing visas for entry to Australia. Students who are planning to study a CRICOS registered course are required to obtain a student visa.

See Applying for a student visa for information about the application process

Assessing your student visa application

Students who apply for a Student visa are assessed against either

• one of the Assessment Levels for each visa subclass
• or, for eligible students, against SVP requirements

If you are eligible for SVP then you will be assessed as if you are an Assessment Level 1 (AL1) student. If you are not eligible for SVP, your student visa assessment level will be determined by your passport country and course(s) of study.

The visa subclass you will be assessed against is determined by your main course of study. Use the table below to find your visa

Streamlined Visa Processing (SVP)

SVP arrangements apply to visa applicants applying for a student visa 

• to study in an eligible higher education course
• with a university participating in SVP arrangements

From March 2012, DIAC assesses student visa applicants with a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from Monash according to Assessment Level 1 (low migration risk) criteria regardless of their country of origin. As Monash University is participating in the SVP arrangements, your eligibility for SVP processing will depend on your course of study.

Eligible courses

You are eligible for the Streamlined Visa Process (SVP) if you are enrolled in a:

• Bachelor Degree
• 2 plus 2 (or 3 plus 1) arrangement with a partner university
• Masters degree by coursework
• Masters degree by research
• Doctoral degree
• English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) and/or preparatory courses such as Monash University Foundation Year or Monash College Diploma’s , which are explicitly packaged with an eligible university course at the same time when the offer of enrolment is made
• Semester or year long non-award courses at a university in Australia as part of their home university’s degree course and/or part of an agreed student exchange between universities

SVP visa application process

To be eligible for SVP, students must not apply for a student visa until the University issues the student with a CoE. A CoE is normally issued after student acceptance (by returning to the university the International Student Course Agreement and paying the required course deposit). The University will sometimes require further documentation from a student prior to CoE issue.

Visa application criteria

Students must satisfy all relevant AL1 DIAC visa criteria including:

• English-language proficiency
• Financial capacity
• Genuine temporary entrant requirement
• Health and character criteria
• Arrangements for Overseas Student Health cover (OSHC)

More information is available at http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/chooser/. For applicants applying for a visa from outside Australia, please contact an Australian Government office.

Courses ineligible for SVP arrangements

The following courses are ineligible for SVP and students will be assessed according to standard Student Visa Assessment Level arrangements:

• Short courses
• Associate Degrees
• Graduate Diplomas
• Graduate Certificates
• Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas
• Non-award courses (except as mentioned above)
• Course below Bachelor level delivered by universities which are dual sector (VET and University)
• Preparatory programs (such as ELICOS, Foundation or Diplomas) not packaged with an eligible university course.

Your visa subclass depends on what kind of study you will be doing. You need to apply for your visa based on your subclass. For more information about visa subclasses see http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/chooser/subclass-options.htm

Visa application process for non SVP eligible students

If you are ineligible for SVP arrangements, your visa application will be assessed according to standard visa application processes. Your student visa assessment level will be determined just by your passport country and course(s) of study.  The Student visa subclass under which you will be assessed is determined by your main course of study, even if you are studying a package of courses.

Find out more about your country assessment level (pdf, 147KB).

Visa application criteria

As for students eligible for SVP arrangements, students ineligible for SVP must satisfy all relevant student visa criteria

Your visa conditions

When you are issued with a student visa, your visa conditions will be attached to the grant of the visa.  See Visa conditions for Student Visa holders.

Working in Australia

When your visa is approved, you will be given permission to work. For students granted a subclass 573 visa, you can work up to 40 hours per fortnight after you start your course. During the semester breaks there is no restriction on the hours you work. For students granted a subclass 574 visa, you have unrestricted work rights.