Do You Need an Australian Student Visa 500? Follow Checklist in One Click

Numerous benefits are in store for international students aspiring to study in Australia. They can pursue a full-time CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) course from an Australian educational institution, work for 40 hours every fortnight, and stay for 5 years or less. At the same time, they can bring family members.

Numerous benefits are in store for international students aspiring to study in Australia. They can pursue a full-time CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) course from an Australian educational institution, work for 40 hours every fortnight, and stay for 5 years or less. At the same time, they can bring family members.

If you are one of these students, you can avail the benefits provided you secure a student visa 500. It is necessary to adhere to the correct visa procedures comprising a list of details and documents.

Let’s put it this way. The immigration department of Australia crosschecks your visa application from scratch. Take the help of migration agents guiding you at every step.

You are, however, faced with some questions such as how to proceed and what are the different subclass procedures?

What does Subclass 500 Australia Visa Comprise?

Checklist of Documents

Before moving to Australia, you have to ensure having the correct set of student visa 500 checklist documents. The checklist includes your previous academic records, a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) copy of the institution where you enrolled, English language proficiency test detail, education, and yearly expenses copy.

Provide a copy of work experience and finances covering education and accommodation. All these documents are helpful before lodging the student visa subclass 500.

Identification Proofs

Your study in Australia can remain a mere dream if you fail to provide identification proofs for the visa.

The List of Proofs:

• Birth certificate and passport copy
• National identity card
• Pages of household registration copy
• Records from local authority

COE (Confirmation of Enrolment)

The department expects you to show admission evidence of the Australian university you enrolled in. Some of the important subclass 500 details are:

• Every overseas student has to provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) letter. The COE from the university helps an applicant to pursue a CRICOS course in an Australian educational institution.
• Even if you are applying for it from outside the country, you should provide COE to the department. The same holds for those applying from within the country.
• You are, however, exempted from providing an enrolment letter if you are a postgraduate research student who is in Australia to complete a thesis.

GTE Written Statement

Your student visa 500 application is null and void without a Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE). GTE is a written statement that plays a significant role in the application process. If the case officer who is representing the immigration department finds your intentions to study in Australia genuine as per the statement, you will be provided it on time.

Your GTE has to Cover the Following Points:

• Explain to the officer by mentioning details about circumstances why you choose the country to study, whether or not you will leave for your home country after completion of studies, how the course helps in the long run, your immigration history, course duration and stay.
• Show proofs of finances, yearly expenses, and if you can manage expenses of your dependents accompanying you.

Be frank and upfront while interacting with the case officer. There is a possibility of Australian visa rejection if your replies are not genuine. Do not hide or lie otherwise you could head for trouble.

Insurance Cover

At the Same Time, You have to Arrange for:

• Health certificate document i.e. OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover). It has to be approved by an Australian health insurance provider.
• Without the OSHC cover, you will be denied medical facilities. The validity of the cover is meant from the time the visa subclass 500 is granted till its duration.
• If your dependents are staying with you, they too can avail themselves of the health benefits.

Health and Character Criteria

It is necessary to submit a health certificate mentioning the necessary check-up. Besides, get a character certificate from the local police station. Your character has to be clean for Australian student visa approval.

English Language Criteria

As Australia is an English-speaking country, an applicant has to be conversant in the English language. For this purpose, you have to:

• Clear the language proficiency test to seek admission to an Australian university.
• Some popular exams are IELTS and PTE recommended by the majority of universities. The minimum IELTS score you require is 5.5 Band. If it is an ELICOS course running to 10 weeks, you need to achieve 5 Band and 4.5 Band if it lasts 20 weeks.
• Whereas in PTE, the minimum is 42 points. If a student is enrolling for a 10-week and 20-week ELICOS course, he has to obtain 36 and 30 points respectively.
• If you obtain a high score in both these exams, there are chances you may receive a Permanent Residency.

Criteria

• Provide a COE (Confirmation of Enrolment) letter if it is a full-time CRICOS course
• Show proofs of English language test such as IELTS or PTE
• Get OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) to protect yourself and your family members. The cover has to last till the expiry of the subclass 500 visa
• You can nominate a guardian who can be a legal custodian, relative, or a parent who should be over 21 years of age. The guardian has to stay in the country until you turn 18 or if you are less than 18 years
• It is necessary to meet health and character criteria
• You should have sufficient money for Australia stay

Benefits

• The visa allows you to pursue studies in an Australian university.
  • Your application can include details of family members.
  • If necessary, you can apply from within or outside Australia or register online.
  • You can work for 40 hours every fortnight once your course starts.
• On completion of a higher education course, you are entitled to a 2-year work visa.
• With the help of subclass 500, you can earn extra points if you want to become a Permanent Resident of Australia.

Cost

As the main applicant, you have to shell AUD 620 for a student visa. This charge will apply to every member of the family who applies for the visa.

Some Interesting Facts You Need to Know

A. Processing Times

For Applicants:

The processing time of your application will be delayed if you fail to pay fees on time. A lot depends on the particular course you have chosen.

For Instance:

• If it is a simple Foreign Affairs stream, the duration to process 75% of applications is 28 days and 55 days to process 90% of applications.
• It takes 4 months to process 75% under the postgraduate research stream on a subclass 500 visa. Whereas, it takes 8 months to process 90% of them.
• The processing time for the school sector stream is 4 months and 8 months for 75% and 90% respectively. Duration for other streams such as Independent ELICOS sector, Vocational Education and Training Area, and higher education segment streams are 83 days, 3 months, and 80 days to process 75% of applications.
• Whereas 90% of applications in ELICOS sector, Vocational Education and Training Area and higher education segment are 8 months, 6 months and 4 months respectively.

For Dependents:

Currently, 500 dependent visa processing time is from 10 to 12 months. The visa is also referred to as the subsequent entrant visa. With its help, you can bring immediate family members. They may include your partner, parent, and if you have children who are below 18 years.

B. Extension of 500 visa

In case you want to continue your studies in Australia, you should apply for a subclass 500 student visa.

C. How to Approach if There is a Change in Plans?

If there are any changes, you need to inform DHA (Department of Home Affairs) at the earliest. These include:

• Email, phone number, passport, address changes
• Relationship status changes
• Birth of a newborn

D. What if There are Any Course Changes?

Inform the DHA if there are any changes in a study situation. Otherwise, you could be denied a visa. Take immediate steps on time to avert any visa rejection.

E. Outcome

You will be notified in writing about your visa application. You will be provided with:

• Grant number of the visa
• Expiry of visa date

F. Conditions

It is necessary to keep a visa grant copy when you are in Australia. In case you hear refusal of visa application, you will be informed by the authority in writing as to why it was refused in the first place. You can approach the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of the decision.

G. Can I Travel on My Visa?

You can travel outside the country and return as many times as you want with a valid visa.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, a student visa 500 is about how you apply, what it consists of, and different procedures. If you are stuck with immigration difficulties and looking for assistance, you can always interact with the Australian migration agents now.