Student visa in Australia

No matter where you are studying, you will have to make sure that you secure a student visa in order to study in the country. Australia is no different. Even though their immigration program is much more lenient than countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, there are still a number of processes that you must go through in order to study in Australia for any period of time.
Student Visa Options

If you are applying for a student visa in Australia, there are six different types of visas for you to choose from if you are going for tertiary education (there are three more available for primary and secondary school students).

    English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) Visa. If you are planning on taking English courses that will not result in a degree, this is the visa that you need to apply for. You will also apply for this visa if you are taking English courses that lead to a certificate I through IV (as explained in our section on undergraduate education).
    Vocational Education and Training (VET) Visa. If you are not coming to Australia in order to take intensive English Language Course (like through ELICOS), but you are earning a vocational degree of some sort, then you will need to obtain a VET visa. VET visas are for those obtaining Certificates I, II, III, IV and those who are obtaining vocational diplomas, vocational advanced diplomas, vocational graduate certificates, or vocational graduate diplomas.
    Higher Education Visa. If you are earning any type of degree in an academic field, (anywhere from academic levels 5 to 9 according to the Australian Qualifications Framework), then you will apply for a higher education degree. This is not the visa to apply for if you are pursuing a Master’s research degree.
    Postgraduate Research Visa. If you are earning a Master’s research degree or a doctoral degree of any type, then you must apply for one of these visas. Your university will help you determine if your Master’s is by coursework or by research.
    Non-award Visa. If you are looking to come to Australia for a semester or you are just taking classes while residing in Australia without pursuing a degree, then you will apply for a non-award visa.
    AusAID and Defense. These visas are for those who are sponsored by the AusAID or the Australian Department of Defense. These sponsored visas allow you to go for any type of full time degree (associates through doctorate).

Assessment Levels

Now that you’ve determined which visa you have to apply for, there are two different ways that your application for a student visa may be processed. You will most likely be placed in an Assessment level and have to go through a particular process based on the level you are in, but you may also be eligible to go through what is called a streamlined student visa process. We will discuss the streamlined process more in the next section of this page.