Australia Student Visa Checklist – Everything You Need to Know!

Australia is a hub for education. Every year, thousands of students apply for Australian Student Visa. Australian Student Visa enables you to come and study in Australia with a registered education institution. With this visa, you can study any full-time course registered with Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Course for Overseas Students(CRICOS) in Australia. You can also bring your family member (if they meet eligibility criteria) to Australia.

You must have:

• Been accepted by a registered education institution to study a full-time course in Australia. And
• Made necessary care taking arrangements for your study duration, if you are under 18 years of age.

Australian Student Visa must be applied online by submitting the visa application and necessary documents through ImmiAccount on DIBP (department of Immigration and Border Protection) site. Also, this visa can be applied in Australia or outside Australia.

DMS Migration Services, has processed numerous Australian Student Visa applications year on year.

We will help you with:

• filling the visa application form,
• arranging necessary documents in required formats,
• create and upload your application and documents on ImmiAccount.

Any additional documents, if requested, must be submitted through ImmiAccount. Failing to attach required documents, will result in delay in processing your student visa or might get rejected. Please, consult us beforehand, to avoid such disappointing outcomes.

Process of Applying for Australia Student Visa

Your student visa application must be accompanied by authenticated copies of your original documents.  You can get your documents stamped as true copies of your original documents, by any authorised person or agency from your home country. OR get them authenticated by Justice of the Peace, or Commissioner of Declarations or any such individual of repute under Statutory Declarations Act.

These documents must be scanned and uploaded on ImmiAccount.

Australia Student Visa Checklist

The required documents and declarations vary from applicant to applicant, depending upon the course and level of their assessment level.

Find a comprehensive list of documents and declarations required while applying for Australia Student Visa:

1. Duly filled and signed Student Visa Application form (Form 157A)
2. Filled and signed copy of family composition form (Form 54)
3. List of documents submitted along with the visa application.
4. Copies of passport of all the names mentioned in the application.
5. Identity proofs of each one of the persons mentioned in the application.

• Copy of the passport
• Authorised copy of your birth certificate
• National Identity Card
• Driving Licence

6. Self-adhesive labels filled with details like name, and address
7. Recent passport size photographs for each person mentioned in the visa application. The photograph must not be older than 6 months.
8. Proof of study:

You must provide Confirmation of Enrolment(CoE) from registered education institution for desired course, if visa application is done outside Australia, or CoE or a letter of course offered to you, if visa application is done in Australia.

You should also provide a CoE for recommended English Language Course under category of your visa application. Failing which, your visa application will be rejected.

However, CoE is a mandatory document for issuing Australia Student Visa.

The CoE should contain:

• Student’s entry level
• Course Name
• CRICOS course name
• Education provider code
• Stipulated start and end dates of the course
• Full tuition fees

If you fall under special category, meaning if you are sponsored for the course (by Foreign Affairs & Trade Dept./ Defence Dept.)  or remaining in Australia for marking of your thesis (post graduate students), you must provide a Letter of Support (LoS) or letter from your education provider.

If you are a secondary exchange student, you should provide an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Student Form.

9. Authorised copies of your academic credentials. All these copies must contain
   • Your full name
   • Date and Title of certification
   • Name of the institution
   • Confirmation of the certification

10. Authorised copy of your English Language Test report. The test must have been taken not more than 2 years before visa application date.
11. Funding Proof:
    • You must provide proof of sufficient funding for your study and stay in Australia. The funding should also cover your care taking family member/ members and any school going dependent. Or
    • You must provide proof that either your parents or spouse is willing to support your study and stay in Australia and show that they have an annual income of AUD 60,000, at the minimum. If you are accompanied by a care taking family member the annual income must be minimum AUD 70,000.
    • You must provide an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Students(AASES) Form or LoS, if sponsored.

12. Source of Funding Proof:

As you show, you are sufficiently covered, you are also required to provide documents giving details about the source of funding. Such as,

• Loan certificate or a copy of letter stating loan is granted for specified amount and duration from a financial institution.
• Evidence of cash deposits in your name for specified period just before the date of your visa application, such as cash deposit receipt or a bank passbook, or bank statement.

13. Health Check-up and insurance proof:

Medical reports of your as well as your family member accompanying you

Document proving you and your accompanying family member are covered under Health Insurance. IT must be Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). It should be for the duration of your visa. You should get OSHC at least one week prior to your course starting date.

You must provide in your application:

• Health Insurance Provider’s Name
• Starting and ending date of your health insurance
• Policy number – if you have individually obtained the policy. If your policy is obtained by your education provider, you need not provide the policy number.

14. Welfare arrangement proof if you are under 18 years of age:

Provide any one of the below documents-

• Form 157N- Nomination of student guardian in Australia
• A confirmation letter of appropriate accommodation and welfare by your education provider
• An AASES form if you are secondary exchange student
• A LoS from defence or foreign and trade department.

15. Parental Consent, if you are under 18 years of age:

Form 1229- Consent form to grant Australia Student Visa to a child under 18 years of age.

This form must be enclosed with the visa application if you are not 18 years or above and your parents are not applying for visa to accompany you.

16. Change of name: If you or any person in your visa application form has changed their name, you should provide certified copy or copies of document validating the name change.

Marriage certificate will also do.

17. Relationship proof:

• Marriage certificate
• Family book
• Household booklet
• Any other document supporting your mentioned relationship status

18. Employment proof:

• Your recent resume containing employment and study details for the last 5 years
• Employment letter
• Latest pay slips

If you are sponsored by defence or foreign affairs & trade department or if you are secondary exchange student, you need not provide these documents.

19. Migration Agent document

• Form 956- advice by a migration agent of providing immigration assistance services.

You need to provide this filled form and mark yes in the application along with contact details of the migration agent, if it is mentioned so at the end of your application form.

20. Appointment/ withdrawal of an authorised recipient

• Form 956A- to confirm / cancel an authorised recipient you need to provide this filled form, mention the contact details and mark yes if you are enclosing this form.

You provide this form only if you are asked to do so at the end of your application form.

21. CV & copy of research topic, if you are a research student.

All you have to do is get in touch with us for a detailed discussion about how to file your student visa application.

Other Recommended Post: Australia Post Study Work Visa (2017) : The Complete Guide

Amitava Deb

• Amitava is a gold medallist from India’s premier technical institute, IIT Kharagpur.
• He has worked with some of the world’s top companies such as Sony Australia Pty. Ltd., Siemens AG Germany, Clarity International Ltd., Reliance Communications and Optus Sydney.
• Amitava is a Chartered Professional Engineer accredited by Engineers Australia. He is a full member of this esteemed association.
• He is a member of the Australian Computer Society, Tele Management Forum and Worldwide Institute of Software Architects.
• Amitava is a well-recognised name in the ICT Professional Community in Australia.